documenting the BL fan experience
My first BL introduction was around 2000. The Internet was still pretty limited in my country and my family was one fortunate enough to have access. I was around 10 years old snooping around the web, where I was able to find a closed group…
The depictions in BL are often exaggerated and don’t always reflect real life. It is a work of fiction after all. I know that as heterosexual person, my understandjng of LGBTQ relationships to not be as deep as an actual LGBTQ person. As long as…
I was certainly open to explore my sexuality, as from my exposure to BL. Liking same sex isn’t bad, contrary to what Indonesian society taught me as a child. Interactions with fandom also helped me to navigate my boundaries, what am I comfortable with, what I’m not, and how to deal with it. I used to hide that I like anime or BL, things that are deemed nerdy, but now that I have a support system from friends in fandom that shows that many people are just like me. I became more confident.
— 23, She/Her, Indonesia
A lot of people now know about the term BL, yaoi, and fujoshi. Indonesians are still very apprehensive about anything related to same-sex relationship, but now people are able to loudly say “I’m BL fan of this pair!” And not be afraid of being singled…
