China OKs broadcast of gay Thai movie

BEIJING: China appears to be loosening the controls over movies deemed harmful to societal norms after approving the broadcast of a gay Thai movie on television.

This has raised eyebrows because in February, Beijing had ordered the axing of a gaythemed online drama Addiction.

On Nov 27, Fathers, a Thai gay film was shown over Tianfutaiju, or Heavenly Thai Drama, What’s on Weibo reported.

It is a platform in China that promotes Thai pop culture through Weibo and other social media sites in China. Tianfutaiju has more than 1.8 million followers on Sina Weibo. Heavenly Thai Drama released with Chinese and English subtitles Fathers on Bilibil.com, its video platform in China.

In April, the Chinese media watchdog allowed the showing of the trailer of Seek McCartney, a gay movie, although the movie has yet to be shown in China. In August, a Mr Gay China contest was allowed to go ahead.

In September, Shiru Bushiding, a new Chinese gay drama, was launched online and got more than 100 million views online and more than one billion reads on Weibo.

The gay Thai movie revolves around a same-sex male couple who struggles to build their family while grappling with legal challenges and society’s prejudice. The pair, Phoon and Yuke, adopted Butr, an orphan boy, according to Platphol Mingpornpichit, the movie’s director.