Wow, I never imagined that Queer as Folk would have had such an impact in China. This is fascinating!

I'm a lot older than you, but I grew up like you, living in a more old-fashioned version of the United States where queer topics were taboo and scandalous.

I also searched, often in vain, for a positive world I could escape to. For me, the answer was books. We had practically no films or TV shows highlighting queer people in positive ways, or even as fully nuanced, real people.

That began to change in the 1990s.

When the American version of Queer as Folks was released in 2012, society was ready for it. The release was far from a revolutionary act. In fact, as I recall, my friend group spent most of our time debating which version was better, the American or the original British one?

The British version actually had been a bit more revolutionary, because it was released many years before the American version. I loved the British version, because I saw it first. I think I might have even resented the American version a little bit, though I didn't have any reason to.

Queer as Folk did a lot of good here, beyond any question. But I don't think people still talk about it much today. It certainly hasn't spawned underground movements or new appreciation for queer film or anything like that.

The idea that it has in China, as you report, fills me with positivity. The power of storytelling! Wow.

Thanks so much for sharing this. I really appreciate it.