China compares homosexuality to incest as both are banned from television
LGBT content will no longer be shown on Chinese TV screens.
Any content featuring LGBT couples or romance has been banned from television in China.
The China Television Drama Production Industry Association and the China Alliance of Radio, Film and Television ‘TV content production guidelines’ after a popular, gay high school drama was suddenly removed from streaming sites.
The alliance claimed the show – and all other LGBT content – promotes “abnormal sexual relationships and sexual behaviour”.
The ban will also apply to incest and sexual assault have in Chinese TV dramas.
The document also prohibits TV dramas from “showing or promoting an unhealthy concept of marriage,” – such as extramarital affairs or one-night stands.
The regulations also mentioned the “possession, reincarnation, witchcraft practices and feudal superstition”, “bizarre, grotesque criminal cases” and content that has “adverse effects on minors,” such as “love between minors,” smoking, drinking and fighting.
The news comes after Addicted – a 15-episode series about a gay high school couple – vanished from the internet without warning last week, leaving angry fans in the country unable to watch the last three episodes.
According to local media reports, censors took issue with the show’s depiction of “abnormal sexual behaviour” and “romance between minors.”
Addicted became massively popular over the Chinese New Year holiday – especially among younger female fans.
The first episode broke records when it was released on January 29 – receiving 10 million hits in just 24 hours.
In an online poll by the Chengdu Committee for the Well-being of Youth and Teenagers, more than 93% of the 20,000 respondents disapproved of the show’s removal.
“The SAPPRFT (decision) is too much. Is it necessary? It’s so unpopular,” said a user on China’s Twitter-esque Weibo.
Earlier this year, a series of adverts urging people to be more accepting of gay people were launched across the country.
Homosexuality was removed from China’s official list of mental disorders in 2001 but remains a taboo subject.
