Writer of erotic novels in China is jailed for producing gay pornography

In the risqué world of online erotica in China, “Lady Tianyi,” as her fans called her, was a star. She wrote more than a dozen novels in a genre known as “boys’ love.” With titles like “Absolute Invasion: Kill the Boss,” she built a loyal following of tens of thousands of fans.

Now Tianyi, whose real name is unknown, faces more than a decade in prison, after a court in eastern China found her guilty last month of “producing and selling pornography,” the state-run news media reported over the weekend.

Her punishment captured national attention in recent days, with many Chinese citizens denouncing it as harsh and excessive. In tens of thousands of unusually blunt online comments, many questioned the fairness of the judicial system and said that the government was going too far in its efforts to stop the spread of obscene material.

“Pornography is a normal need of adulthood,” one user wrote on Sina Weibo, a Twitter-like site. “Where’s the crime?”

The backlash showcased the resentment that some Chinese citizens feel about increasingly strict limits on free speech under President Xi Jinping. Many also believe the government focuses too much on issues of morality while neglecting problems like corruption and violence against women.

“The punishment for rape can be three years,” said Deng Xueping, deputy director of the Shanghai office of Capital Equity Legal Group, a law firm. “Selling pornography or raping a girl — which is more harmful?”

Under Xi, the government has intensified efforts to punish those who create and distribute pornography, which is illegal but widely available in China.

Tianyi came under scrutiny last year after she published a novel called “Occupy,” which focuses on a relationship between a male teacher and his male student. The book sold 7,000 copies, earning Tianyi 150,000 renminbi, or about $22,000, according to a report on the website Wuhu News.

Officials in Wuhu, the city in the eastern province of Anhui where Tianyi was sentenced, described the book as graphic, violent and illegal, the website reported. The authorities identified Tianyi only by a surname, Liu. Calls to the court went unanswered on Monday.

The popularity of “boys’ love” dramas has surged in recent years, especially among heterosexual Chinese women, some of whom embrace the novels as an act of rebellion against a conservative culture that says women should be chaste and subservient to men.

Fans of Tianyi said the court’s ruling was disappointing. Wuhu News said that she would appeal the decision.

“If she is sentenced for 10 years for writing such a novel as a novelist, then I think it is totally not right,” said Sophia Deng, 24, a social worker in Shanghai. “It is not at all a very obscene thing.”

While the novels are popular among straight women, they are often associated with gay lifestyles, which are still frowned upon in many parts of China. China considered homosexuality a crime until 1997, and the country does not allow same-sex marriage.

Gay-themed content often attracts the attention of censors. This year, Sina Weibo caused an uproar when it said it would delete posts relating to gay culture as part of a clean-up effort. The site later backed down.

Advocates said the court’s punishment of Tianyi was another sign of the prevalence of discrimination against sexual minorities by the government, even as social attitudes were gradually shifting.

“Ten years in jail for writing a book and selling it online?” said Sophie Richardson, China director for Human Rights Watch. “I don’t know what’s beyond the pale, but this must be it.”

© 2018 New York Times News Service