History Main / HoYay

With the gradual dissolution of homophobic moral codes, more and more media creators have been able to produce and share work featuring openly queer characters who are unambiguously in same-sex romantic and sexual relationships, changing media forever. Still, many {{Yaoi Fan}}s and {{Yuri Fan}}s willingly interpret any interaction as potentially gay for characters without canonical orientations and even for those specifically [[WordofGod stated by their creators]] to be straight (in which case the author may be ''very'' annoyed by the fans' insistence otherwise).

[[caption-width-right:300:[[https://archive.ph/v243p By "this simple feeling," do you mean love?]]]]

[[caption-width-right:300:[[http://cosmicduckling.com/spirk/i-night.html By "this simple feeling," do you mean love?]]]]

When HoYay is done ''intentionally'', it's HomoeroticSubtext, or possibly ImpliedLoveInterest or ShipTease. Occasionally called '''Les Yay''' when referring to two women. QueerFlowers may provide enough text to make this homoeroticism [[HomoeroticSubtext into subtext]].

In the related trope called FoeYay, even [[TheRival rivals]] or ''mortal enemies'' can get this treatment by fans and writers alike, especially if they have [[RivalTurnedEvil a more friendly past together]], or one is [[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou inordinately obsessed with the other]]. In FanFic, this is the direct cause of many a SlashFic.

With the gradual dissolution of homophobic moral codes, more and more media creators have been able to produce and share work featuring openly queer characters who are unambiguously in same-sex romantic and sexual relationships, changing media forever. Still, many {{Yaoi Fan}}s and {{Yuri Fan}}s willingly interpret any interaction as potentially gay for characters without canonical orientations and even for those specifically [[WordofGod stated by their creators]] to be straight (in which case the author may be ''very'' annoyed by the fans' insistence otherwise.

[With the gradual dissolution of homophobic moral codes, more and more media creators have been able to produce and share work featuring openly queer characters who are unambiguously in same-sex romantic and sexual relationships, changing media forever. Still, many {{Yaoi Fan}}s and {{Yuri Fan}}s willingly interpret any interaction as potentially gay for characters without canonical orientations and even for those specifically [[WordofGod stated by their creators]] to be straight (in which case the author may be ''very'' annoyed by the fans' insistence otherwise).

Cultural differences also have their say here. The level of accepted physical intimacy between close friends and adult relatives is hardly constant across various eras and nationalities, so, for example, the hugs and kisses which seemed mundane for an antiquated reader may appear blatantly erotic in the eyes of a contemporary one. In particular, the concept of RomanticTwoGirlFriendship -- and Romantic Two-Guy Friendship -- highly intimate yet platonic, only began falling out of use in the latter half of the 19th century.

[[SocietyMarchesOn With the gradual dissolution of homophobic moral codes]], more and more media creators have been able to produce and share work featuring openly queer characters who are unambiguously in same-sex romantic and sexual relationships, changing media forever. Still, many {{Yaoi Fan}}s and {{Yuri Fan}}s willingly interpret any interaction as potentially gay for characters without canonical orientations and even for those specifically [[WordofGod stated by their creators]] to be straight (in which case the author may be ''very'' annoyed by the fans' insistence otherwise).

It probably originates from [[ValuesDissonance the old days]], when the homosexuality taboo was serious enough that every gay pairing was considered a CrackPairing, so when authors wrote same-sex characters as very intimate with each other, audiences largely accepted that they are just very good friends, and moved on, or when authors wrote outright references to homosexuality, most just laughed at the sheer absurdity of the thought.

[[SocietyMarchesOn With the gradual dissolution of homophobic moral codes]], more and more writers have been able to publish and share their work uncensored, changing media forever. Nowadays, {{Yaoi Fan}}s and {{Yuri Fan}}s willingly interpret any interaction as potentially gay, for characters without canonical orientations and even for those specifically [[WordofGod stated by their creators]] to be straight (in which case the author may be ''very'' annoyed by the fans' insistence otherwise).

When this is done ''intentionally'', it's HomoeroticSubtext, or possibly ImpliedLoveInterest or ShipTease. Occasionally called '''Les Yay''' when referring to two women. QueerFlowers may provide enough text to make this homoeroticism [[HomoeroticSubtext into subtext]].

* HoYay/{{Other}}

When this is done ''intentionally'', it's HomoeroticSubtext, or possibly ImpliedLoveInterest or ShipTease. Occasionally called '''Les Yay''' when referring to two women.

'''Before adding an example, consider whether the homoeroticism is made explicit within the work itself or comes from fan interpretations. Though the line between intentional and unintentional can be quite blurry, obviously deliberate examples (e.g. it gets in-universe LampshadeHanging of some kind) belong on HomoeroticSubtext, ShipTease, or some other form of QueerAsTropes. ''Ho Yay'' is an ''audience reaction'' and thus subjective, whereas deliberate examples are objective.'''

%% This trope does not include genuine ShipTease or scenes of intentional HomoeroticSubtext between straight characters.

When this is done intentionally, it's HomoeroticSubtext, or possibly ImpliedLoveInterest or ShipTease. Occasionally called Les Yay when referring to two women.

%% This trope does not include genuine [[ShipTease ship teases]] or scenes of intentional HomoeroticSubtext between straight characters.

* HoYay/{{Theater}}

[-[[caption-width-right:300:[[http://cosmicduckling.com/spirk/i-night.html By "this simple feeling," do you mean love?]]]]-]

* HoYay/GameBooks

When this is done intentionally, it's HomoeroticSubtext, or possibly ImpliedLoveInterest or ShipTease.

It probably originates from the old days, when the homosexuality taboo was serious enough that every gay pairing was considered a CrackPairing, so when authors wrote characters as very intimate with each other, audiences largely accepted that they are just very good friends, and moved on, or when authors wrote outright references to homosexuality, most just laughed at the sheer absurdity of the thought.

With the gradual dissolution of homophobic moral codes, more and more writers have been able to publish and share their work uncensored, changing media forever. Nowadays, {{Yaoi Fan}}s and {{Yuri Fan}}s willingly interpret any interaction as potentially gay, for characters without canonical orientations and even for those specifically [[WordofGod stated by their creators]] to be straight (in which case the author may be ''very'' annoyed by the fans' insistence otherwise).

* HoYay/WebAnimation

* HoYay/{{Anime}}

When this is done intentionally, it's HomoeroticSubtext. For heterosexual versions, see ImpliedLoveInterest and ShipTease.

With the gradual dissolution of homophobic moral codes, more and more writers have been able to publish and share their work uncensored, changing media forever. Nowadays, {{Yaoi Fan}}s and {{Yuri Fan}}s willingly interpret any interaction as potentially gay, for characters without canonical orientations and even for those specifically [[WordofGod stated by their creators]] to be straight (in which case the author may be ''very'' annoyed by the fans' insisting otherwise).

* HoYay/WebAnimation

With the gradual dissolution of homophobic moral codes, more and more writers have been able to publish and share their work uncensored, changing media forever. Nowadays, {{Yaoi Fan}}s and {{Yuri Fan}}s willingly interpret any interaction as potentially gay, even for characters without canonical orientations and even for those specifically [[WordofGod stated by their creators]] to be straight (in which case the author may be ''very'' annoyed by the fans' insisting otherwise).

It probably originates from the old days, when the homosexuality taboo was serious enough that every gay pairing was considered a CrackPairing, so when authors wrote characters as very intimate with each other, everyone just accepted that they are just very good friends, and moved on, or when they wrote outright references to homosexuality, everyone just laughed at the sheer absurdity of the thought, and moved on.

With the emergence of {{Yaoi Fan}}s and {{Yuri Fan}}s, and the more open-minded writers, this changed forever. Nowadays, fans willingly interpret any interaction as potentially gay, even for characters without canon orientations and even for those specifically [[WordofGod stated by their creators]] to be straight (in which case the author will probably be ''very'' annoyed by the fans' insisting otherwise).