In a low-cut midriff top, butt-hugging pants and a bold red lip, Beijing photographer Alain would be hard to miss even in the most crowded party. People stare, he said, and he loves it: "It’s totally a rebellion against conservative culture.”
That, for President Xi Jinping’s Communist Party, is the problem. Earlier this month, regulators explicitly targeted androgynous pop idols and anyone who, like Alain, doesn’t conform to Chinese gender norms, using a derogatory slur to warn media companies off men who express a more feminine style.
The National Radio and Television Administration used the word "niangpao,” which roughly translates to "sissy men,” in guidance to TV companies, telling them to "strictly control the selection of program actors and guests.” It’s the first time the government used the term, which is often used to insult or bully gay men, in official communication. Last week, the same body called for boycotting "fan culture” in general and gay male love stories in particular.