Le Lin／118mm × 180mm／12ページ

中国では、1997年に法的な規制は廃止されたものの、LGBTQ+に対する差別や検閲が未だに存在する。実際、クィアを表す「酷儿」という言葉も、中国語版Wikipediaでは、同じ表記の炭酸飲料「Qoo」の説明ばかりが丁寧に記されているという。このzineでは、「酷儿」が表す「Queer」と「Qoo」の二つの意味を、英語と中国語で皮肉たっぷりに紹介。中国でLGBTQ+の人々が直面する制限や抑圧を明らかにする。あとがきには日本語も掲載。限定100部。

China is home to the world’s largest LGBTQ+ population (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer). Until recently, the existence and support for LGBTQ+ were an invisible and hidden conversation in Chinese society. Although legal persecution was repealed in 1997, discrimination and state censorship against LGBTQ+ peoples still exists.
While not directly prohibiting LGBTQ-related programmes, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of China censors them and cuts out scenes that depict anything diverging from heterosexuality. The latest Chinese version of the American sitcom, FRIENDS, for example; storylines, and even complete characters were edited out. The same censorship is applied on anything on the internet, making it hard for anyone to access or talk openly about LGBTQ+ topics.
When you search the term 酷儿 (Queer) on the Chinese Wikipedia, there is only a short paragraph description on how the word is synonymous with “weird and different from the usual”, but no information on the history or specific social context of the term (as it is with the English Wikipedia). In fact there is a popular brand of non-carbonated beverages in China called 酷儿 (Kuer or Qoo) that has more information on Wikipedia and has nothing to do with LGBTQ+ culture.
This naive 酷儿 Qoo brings to light the restrictions and suppression that LGBTQ+ people are fighting for. We exist, and that’s not political, it’s factual.