Reorienting Desire: K-pop and Boys Love: Digital Fandoms as Sites of Resistance

This research examines the intersection between digital K-Pop and Boys' Love Fandoms, focusing particularly on their convergence during the 2019 COVID pandemic. Utilizing Alexis Lothian's framework of "Queer Temporality" in tandem with Sara Ahmed's theory of "Orientation", this paper argues that "queer time" produced by quarantine and lockdowns facilitated a unique digital space for fans to engage in affective play. I contend that the K-pop industry strategically utilizes Boys' Love narrative frameworks and archetypes to foster fan engagement. In turn, Western fans utilize fanfiction and idol shipping as a mechanism to challenge the Western gay/straight sexual binary. Through an analysis of fan practices on platforms like AO3, Reddit, and Discord, this study illustrates how the appropriation of Asian male bodies allows for a transnational re-orientation of desire, giving gender and sexuality a new plasticity that subverts hegemonic models.