The Cultural Impact of ‘Queer as Folk’ on Me, a Gay Man in China in 2012
In a way, the series was the escape and liberation I had longed for.
In early 2012, I watched the American version of Queer as Folk for the first time. At that time, it had been twelve years since the show first aired.
Seeing a group of shirtless dancers in the opening scene, my heart started racing uncontrollably. My first reaction was to take off my headphones and glance around nervously, even though it was a holiday and my grandparents were already asleep.
But I still couldn’t relax, so I hid under the covers with my small MP4 player. As a result, I kept kicking off and pulling up the blanket on the cold winter night.
When I reached the end of the first episode, where Michael and Brian hugged and kissed on the hospital rooftop, momentarily forgetting the world beneath them, I covered my mouth tightly, afraid I might shout out in excitement.
I have never imagined that being gay could be so joyful and seemingly free.
I was 17 at the time, having only recently come to realize my own sexuality. The confusion and fear inside me were equally heavy. Unable to find others like me in the real world, I was desperate to find shelter in films and TV series.
