Boys’ Love (BL) Literacy Products Consumption as Leisure and its Impact on perceptions of LGBTQ+ People: a Case Study of the Chinese BL Fan Community in North America

This case study investigate show Chinese Boys’ Love (BL) fans in North America construct fandom based on their consumption of BL literacy products and whether such consumption can enhance acceptance and support of the LGBTQ+ community. Mixed methods were used with a small group of self-identified female BL fans using a convenience sampling method. Among the 34 responses received, the respondents were a group of highly educated women, non-religious, with an average age of 29, and with a long history with the BL genre (8 years). They were born in China and relocated to North America (U.S. or Canada) as young adults. They found the BL genre empowering because it depicts types of relationships and characters free from social norms and gender role constraints. They reported favorable views on gays and lesbians. Overall, this study showed that engaged BL literacy products consumption as leisure contributed positively to views and attitudes toward the LGBTQ+ group in general. Further research can be conducted to continue exploring the impact of the consumption of BL literacy products in other cultural settings.