Video games are a huge business and up until recently, LGBTQIA+ representation has been thin on the ground. Well even that’s too much for the authorities in China apparently who are seeking to ban ‘effeminate men’ or gay relationships.
The National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA) have warned that there will be stricter requirements for forthcoming titles They highlighted “blurred moral boundaries” in modern video games and warned against depicting gay romances or “effeminate males.”
Game developers must also apparently ensure that characters stick to traditional gender roles and types of dress which anyone who plays video games would know is ridiculous. One look at the badass bitches in Fortnite or the Metroid series on Nintendo will know that gamers don’t want archaic gender roles in their entertainment.
The memo states the following: “If regulators can’t tell the character’s gender immediately, the setting of the characters could be considered problematic and red flags will be raised.”
Homosexuality isn’t illegal in China but it’s not accepted by the general populous. Gay content in movies and TV shows are regularly censored and it look likes what little queer representation there are in video games will also soon be obliterated.