Andrea SannaGay erotica banned in China
The Beijing government is targeting erotica writers and various online distribution networks, and according to several news reports and social media posts, about a dozen writers have been arrested and now face years in prison.
Many of these writers specialise in “danmei“, a style very similar to Japanese gay manga.
According to the Shuiping Jiyuan website, Beijing authorities have arrested more than 50 writers in Anhui province (west of Shanghai) since June, with sentences of up to four and a half years in prison.
Meanwhile, 10 more people have been arrested and sentenced for publishing gay-themed erotica online.
In China, it is illegal to “distribute obscene electronic messages“, and a 1997 law defines obscene material as “publications, films, video and audio recordings, and pictures depicting sexual acts“.
According to a 2010 Chinese court ruling, erotic material that receives more than 5,000 clicks is considered a criminal offence. Not only that, but according to the law, writers are sentenced based on the money they make from sales, so anyone who earns more than 250,000 yuan risks the maximum penalty: life imprisonment.
Sentences are also commuted only if writers manage to repay all or part of their earnings from selling their writings online, and so many family members have set up fundraising campaigns on social media and crowdfunding sites to secure early release for their loved ones.
