On the response (or lack thereof) of Japanese fans to criticism that yaoi is antigay discrimination

Abstract

In this essay I examine Japanese criticisms of yaoi as antigay discrimination and the reactions to these criticisms from Japanese yaoi fans. Japanese fans are often described as apolitical, and their apolitical attitude has been the subject of much controversy. Here, I identify the most salient aspects of fannish reaction to the charge that yaoi constitutes antigay discrimination. I want to reconsider criticisms of fans' reactions via an argument centered around people's conceptions of reality and fantasy, which gives more weight to the status of yaoi as a part of popular culture.