Sissyphilia and Tropicopolitan Sensibilities: Queering the Star in Thai Boys Love Media

Abstract

This article investigates the queered star image in Thai Boys Love/yaoi (BL)/Y media released after 2020 through the lens of sissyphilia, queer scholarship, and a newly proposed idea—tropicopolitan sensibilities. The study concentrates on PP Krit Amnuaydechkorn’s BL-star persona. PP Krit practices his sissyphilic persona both within and beyond the Thai live-action BL framework, incorporating elements such as costume, makeup, mannerism, coupling culture, and the spectacle of diverse cultures. Arguably, sissyphilia in Thai BL media of the 2020s is no longer a mere withdrawal from gay men’s sissyphobic masculinity. Instead, it should be approached as a testament to another “queer turn” in the Thai mediascape, where an increasing number of celebrities are disrupting and diversifying Thai LGBTQ stereotypes. The BL industry in Thailand employs critical-creative maneuvers to resonate with the socio-political atmosphere of the period and embrace new tropes of transnational queer media.

Keywords

• Thai Boys Love
• yaoi
• sissyphilia
• queer Thai media
• tropicopolitan sensibilities
• Thai LGBTQ