The Poetic Justice of Queer China. Interview with Hongwei Bao and Darius Longarino – 28 April 2026

From royal court legends to a 17th-century deity, gay people have been part of Chinese life and literature for millennia. Since the 1990s, legal reforms in China and the country’s integration into global capitalism have fostered new avenues for civic action. Queer Chinese activists fought for their rights in the courts, through legislative channels,and by garnering public support. Despite government crackdowns in recent years, the work continues outside the limelight, while art and literature remain a fertile ground for queer expression and resistance.

How does the ancient history of queer China inspire life today? What have decades of gay activism accomplished, and what are the limitations? How should one interpret the relations between queer rights and state power, especially in an authoritarian society? For this episode, Yangyang spoke with media studies professor Hongwei Bao and legal scholar Darius Longarino on queer literature and activism in China, and why poetry can reign when court fails.

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