Dispute over cosplay association growing (5)

The female-dominated education system is another reason behind the feminization of boys. "Schoolboys are taught to be obedient to their female teachers, which might hold back boys from developing typically male characteristics," Li said.

"If parents and society fail to guide them correctly as they grow up, they will have a false perception of gender," Sun said.

In a poll by ifeng.com, 36 percent of 11,451 participants believed the feminization of Chinese boys has become an urgent problem, while 25 percent of them believed boys were becoming psychologically weaker.

Divided views

Tang Jian, a Chongqing citizen who works at a cultural company, was the first to launch an online campaign against weiniang, calling for the "return of masculinity". Tang established a QQ chat group and had drawn over 30 members as of press time. "Men should be more competitive than women in modern society. Men should live like men," Tang told a local daily.

"We should start by correctly guiding our sons and daughters, and teach them the correct perception of gender," Tang said.

Fans of the association responded by organizing activities to support the Alice Cross-Dressers Association. They also launched a QQ group, drawing a total of 450 people to their cause, updating news and pictures of the group's performances.

In the end, society seems to be somewhat divided over what Hao and his group do, and the possible effects the group's performances can have on impressionable youths.

The feminization of Chinese boys and constant media exposure of weiniang has long been a source of concern for some, who fear that it might lead boys into choosing a transsexual lifestyle.

"Cross-dressing used to be a form of dramatic expression in ancient China when unrelated men and women were forbidden from having intimate contact," said Peng Xiaohui, a sexologist from Central China Normal University.

Now, "weiniang is a lifestyle choice. We should correctly guide young people to have a mainstream perception of gender when they grow up, but for those adults who choose weiniang as a lifestyle, society should tolerate and respect it," Peng told the Global Times.

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