Gender Fluidity Versus Homohysteria: How Young Chinese Male Fans Consume Athletic Bromance

The de-pathologisation of non-heteronormative sexual orientations has transformed depictions of male bonding into a popular theme in global media production. This trend is also evident in China’s orthodox sports fandom which shows growing visibility of non-heteronormative representations of bromances among male fans. Against the rising popularity of queer media content in Chinese society, the reception of alternative narratives of athletic bromances amongst male fans, which highlights the negotiation between the diversification of gender identities and the revitalisation of patriarchal doctrines, warrants academic investigation but remains underexplored in Chinese sports fandom studies. This article conducts a feminist investigation of how young Chinese male fans interpret and engage with mediated athletic bromances, drawing from interviews with university students who follow sports games closely. The research uncovers complex dynamics wherein these fans simultaneously embrace and delegitimise the homoerotic aspects of mediated athletic bromances as they navigate their sports consumption. This phenomenon reflects the multifaceted experiences of young men in present-day China, where the market and the party-state co-create a tapestry of overlapping, yet conflicting gender expectations. The findings illuminate the intricate relations between consumer culture driven by global capitalism and nationalist politics crafted in China, as well as their manifestations within the realm of sports fandom.