In 1980s, the homosexual lifestyle was largely concealed in East Asia, but in the 21st century, homosexuality has gained greater acceptance as Asian countries have become less conservative and more modern. Gay rights movements have now become firmly entrenched in the social consciousness, and homosexuality is portrayed more frequently in Asian films and social media, such that queer characters and issues are viewed with more respect and greater understanding. The purpose of this research was to investigate gay shame as well as the traditional constraints affecting gay men, with a particular focus on how these issues have been represented in contemporary Vietnamese and Taiwanese media over the past two decades. I also examined how the popularity of queer-themed media in these two countries has helped public opinion about the LGBT community shift from a prejudiced view to a more neutral one. This study aims to make a contribution to comparative understandings of queer issues in Vietnam and Taiwan.
