A prominent mainland sexologist has called for a change in public perceptions of 'rent boys', men providing sexual services to homosexuals, saying he believes that male prostitutes have become an integral part of the social fabric of an increasingly market-driven economy.
Tong Ge , who recently wrote a ground-breaking book on his research on rent boys, said male prostitutes deserved to be treated humanely.
He wrote his weighty book based on more than 500 interviews with male prostitutes, pimps and their clients, offering an insight into a secretive but highly organised world.
Tong said he realised how shallow his understanding of the life of male prostitutes was when he started his research project nearly three years ago.
He described his project as exhausting and time-consuming as the male prostitutes 'would either mistake me for a client or try to get rid of me with some nonsense'.
'But once I gained their trust the conversations I had were the most touching and rewarding of my life.'