Because thats the most ridiculous thing. She doesn't read a male at all

I know right? It's clear as day the one with the ponytail is a woman. I didn't even "question" it's a woman I'm looking at.

Is this an asian thing? Or a tik tok thing?

It's a trend, not specific to asia - a tale as old as homophobia. Remember Shakespeare? On his stage, men often played the role of a "woman", in mannerism and costume. I wouldn't be surprised if women played the role of "gay men" and men played the role of "lesbians" back in the days.

But "cosplay", people dressing up like their favorite manga and anime characters, which originated in Japan, may have made it worse? Women, be they non-asian or asian, western or non-western, often play the role of "gay men" in cosplay to give the audience the false idea that e.g. "two hot men are kissing", when it's either a man and a woman, or two women doing so that they hide with a ton of photoshop and editing.

The number of men playing the role of "lesbians" has also been on the rise in cosplay ...

Yes, but this is part of the underlying problem, of pretending we can't see someone's sex, and pretending a straight couple is gay.

Good point! I'd consider women playing the role of "gay men" and men playing the role of "lesbians" an urgent issue myself.

One because it's the base of "transgenderism", for men to pretend to be "women" and for women to pretend to be "men", and two because it implies gay men are "women in men's bodies" and lesbians are "men in women's bodies". Gay men are not like women, and lesbians are not like men. The audience would fail to understand that, especially now that "transgenderism" has taken over them and they are too far gone.