A few months ago, the Chinese government issued a ban on “sissy men” on television and video streaming sites. This move, although a relatively low-level one with a limited impact, gained considerable traction in Western popular media. It is easy to see why: it speaks to pre-existing notions of China as an authoritarian octopus, forever looking for the next target to ensnare in its tentacles. It also speaks to highly visible identitarian debates in the West itself, and perhaps most of all: it
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