To outsiders, the Boys’ Love (BL) series seems like a frivolous pastime, but fans watch them as a self-actualizing tool to learn about other cultures and promote cultural diplomacy. “BL series is a source of self-actualizing tool, bringing imagination and hope to the community…BL fans are not watching just a series; they feel like they are a part of something, and sometimes they are dreaming together,” said Dr. Anderson Lopes da Silva, Vice Director of the Center of Latin American Studies, Chulalongkorn University and Research Fellow at the University of São Paulo and the Federal University of Paraná, Brazil. He gave a talk on the topic, “Transnational Consumption, Cultural Diplomacy and Soft Power of Boy’s Love Series in Latin America,” at Sasin Research Seminar on February 2. Dr. Silva did exploratory research into the transcultural consumption of the popularity of the Thai BL series in Latin America, discovering fandoms, motivations, and perceptions. Not only are BL series popular among the LGBTQ community, but women are also fans of it, most of whom prefer to see pretty boys rather than girls in films. “BL series has become much more popular…they differ from most mainstream media where the lesbian dies or gay couples cannot stay together,” said Dr. Silva, adding, “BL series depict happy endings like in romantic comedies but with a gay or queer couple instead of a straight one.” While Japan pioneered the BL series, it also imported numerous Thai BL series from Thailand. Thai BL series debuted in Thailand in 2014 with “Love Sick: The Series.” However, the internationalization of BL fan culture took place in 2017 with “SOTUS S: The Series,” starring Perawat “Krist” Sangpotirat and Prachaya “Singto” Ruangroj. By 2022, during the pandemic period, BL series had stabilized, each with its distinctive brand, such as “Kin Porsche: The Series,” featuring actors Phakphum “Mile” Romsaithong and Nattawin “Apo” Wattanagitiphat. In a BL series, Dr. Silva found that fans look for three types of main characters: “Seme,” “Uke,” and “Riba,” terms used in Japanese Yaoi, the BL love genre. The taller character is usually the Seme, the dominant one. Uke is the passive character, and Riba is the fluid actor who embodies a combination of Seme and Uke’s personalities. In the past, the Thai Y series or BL series was considered obscene media, yet people secretly shared BL fanfics and novels at Siam Center, a teen shopping area in Thailand. Reparative reading is where individuals consume literature to advocate for healing and social equity, comparable to when fans watch the BL series. Forms of Transnational Consumption: Brazilian Fans and their perception on Thai BL media industry “Transnational consumption patterns exhibit lively online participation, vibrant fan communities, and the use of social media platforms for discussions and fan-led projects, fostering a distinct media exchange between Asia and Latin America,” Dr. Silva stated. Latin American fans watch the BL series as a way to understand Thai culture, including their language, society, and customs. The love of this genre has propelled many fan subbing platforms where the Thai BL series gets translated to English, then to Spanish/Portuguese. Through watching the BL series, Latin American fans learned that Thailand is a tolerant country (queer-friendly), but Thai families may not be as tolerant of their own queer sons and daughters. Some of the fans even debate the use of language, comparing Eastern views on affection and gender roles. For example, they discussed the use of the word “mia” (wife in Thai) and whether it is a term appropriate to call their partners or not. “BL series function as cultural ambassadors, providing viewers in Latin America with insights into Thai society, values, and traditions,” said Dr. Silva. Fans even adapted the Thai culture they absorbed from watching the actors, using “Pee” and “Nong,” the Thai way of addressing someone older or younger. They even start to adopt the Thai way of expressing laughter in texts by typing 5555 instead of ha-ha in communication. Cultural Diplomacy of Thai BL series in Latin America Dr. Silva said that Thai embassies in Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries get BL series and actors to promote cultural diplomacy in their countries. To Latin Americans, BL actors are cultural ambassadors who give insights into Thai society, values, and traditions. For instance, when fans of the BL series come to Thailand, they want to visit the GMM building, an entertainment conglomerate of pop culture celebrities, before going to temples. Dr. Silva suggests that as the Thai government encourages the promotion of Thai Food and Muay Thai, they should also promote BL in the same way to foster popular culture in Thailand. One example of cultural diplomacy is using BL series ambassadors as spokespersons for national events. Suppasit “Mew” Jongcheveevat, a Thai BL actor, was a spokesperson at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2022, representing a younger generation that the LGBTQ community can relate to. He added that while people might underestimate the power of the BL community, they have a strong network and even enough funds to promote their love of BL actors. One of the ways they demonstrated their love of BL actors was when they bought a big banner and “Happy Birthday, Apo Nattawin!” at the back of a tuk-tuk. “BL series can heal people, create a dream, and inspire hope,” Dr. Silva concluded.