Screened Out: Exploring Censorship in Mainland China of LGBTQ Representation

This research used a mixed-methods content analysis to collect data by first extracting visualized key verbs (forming codes) from the existing literature in the field and counting the frequencies of all codes in both original versions (FOV) and imported film versions in Mainland China (FIV).Then, a one-tailed paired-samples t-test was applied in an Excel table to calculate the p-value for each code’s reduction and the average p-value of reduction across all 15 codes over the 7 valid selected films, to determine whether the results reject or confirm the hypothesis that imported films show statistically significant reductions in LGBTQ elements. Despite potential survivorship bias and the unsystematic selection of films, the study provided a benchmark for future researchers to compare censorship in Mainland China over time and a hierarchical code map that can be applied to a wider range of visual media and specific censorship trends of different LGBTQ elements for future directors and distributors.