Obscene content

Policing queer media, erotica, and fan creations in Australia

Bibliographic Data

ID13086359
AuthorsAshley Remminga (0009-0007-5527-8498, University of Tasmania, corresponding author)
Year2026
Pages1-12
Publication date2026-03-12
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePorn Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2326-8743 • E-ISSN: 2326-8751
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/23268743.2026.2625085
OpenAlexW7135130175
LanguageEN
References cited15

Australia has an extensive, and prolific, history of censorship. Laws concerning obscenity, particularly the Customs Act 1901, carry severe penalties, yet are inconsistently applied across state and federal jurisdictions. Feminist and queer studies frequently explore themes of sexual agency and pornography. However, in the case of queer content from Japan, this has been largely neglected in anglophone studies. This article builds on Mark McLelland’s research on Japanese erotic media, specifically within the context of Australia’s obscenity laws under the Customs Act 1901 and how this Act is inconsistently applied across state and federal jurisdictions. As an accredited classifier for the Australian Classification Board, the author is uniquely positioned to observe how regulatory and coding decisions regarding explicit media, such as doujinshi, are made. The article will examine how the laws disproportionately restrict content that is queer in nature or intended for a female audience, and reinforce heterosexual, patriarchal norms.

Agency (philosophy · Human sexuality · Narrative · Queer · Gender, Feminism, and Media · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy · Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access