What Does 'Gatekeeping Yuri' Mean? The Parody Images Meme Explained

Large fandoms from all types of media often try to limit who gets to be a part of that community or they try to “gatekeep”:https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/gatekeeping-gatekeep that media from going mainstream, like the Gatekeeping Yuri trend, but there's a bit more to it.

For those who aren't familiar, Yuri, also known as "Girl's Love" or "shōjo-ai" is the female counterpart of yaoi, also called "Boys Love". It is a genre that depicts lesbianism in anime/manga.

Crunchyroll posted a simple introduction to Yuri in Japanese anime in January 2017, including shows like Strawberry Panic and Sweet Blue Flowers as examples of the genre.

Why do some Yuri fans want to “preserve and protect” the “core” of their community from others so much that they started a whole trend subverting the tropes of the genre to deceive newcomers? Let's find out!

What Does 'Gatekeeping Yuri' Mean?

Gatekeeping yuri is an art trend that started on Reddit in December 2019 after some users decided to turn "gatekeeping into something cute and wholesome," as the r/GatekeepingYuri subreddit describes it. The trend consists of setting up a contrast between two or more people or characters typically used to compare different gender stereotypes. These images intend to subvert those stereotypes of "me vs. other girls" memes by illustrating the characters finding love in each other.

While the trend was popularized in late 2019, examples existed prior to its launch. For example, on April 3rd, 2019, Redditor loonycatty posted a parody of images that deride "other girls" to the /r/notliketheothergirls subreddit.

How Is The 'Gatekeeping Yuri' Meme Used Online?

The gatekeeping yuri trend focuses on subverting the "me vs. other girls" pictures and redrawing those two people, not only women, as cute couples in love. For instance, Redditor Thomas_Crafty posted in December 2019 a variation of the meme, showing the characters from Bimbofication and Virgin vs. Chad celebrating Pride Month together.

Another example of the trend, uploaded by X user @DestinytoMoon, shows two panels, one of a woman receiving more likes online than the other, and another panel in which the two characters find love in each other.

For the full history of Gatekeeping Yuri, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's entry for even more information.