In China, LGBT advocacy group shuts down due to increasing curbs on social action

A prominent LGBT advocacy group in China, which has spearheaded many of the court lawsuits advocating for expanded rights, has ceased operations due to increasing limits on social action. In a social media announcement made on November 4, Thursday, LGBT Rights Advocacy China declared that it was halting all activities and closing down its social media accounts. All of the group's operations have been halted, according to a member, AP reported.

“We are deeply regretful to tell everyone, Queer Advocacy Online will stop all of our work indefinitely,” the group said on WeChat, using the name of its social media account, according to AP. It deactivated its accounts on WeChat and Weibo, two popular Chinese social media platforms. Advocating for LGBT rights in China, the group worked across the country to advance rights and raise awareness of the community. It promoted same-sex marriage and battled workplace discrimination by assisting former employees in suing their employers. While there are many other organisations dedicated to assisting LGBT people, LGBT Rights Advocacy is one of the only a few that focuses on altering laws and policies.

LGBT Rights Advocacy China was co-founded in 2013 by Peng Yanzi and another activist named AQiang, ín a bid to achieve legal rights for gay people through smart lawsuits. One of their most high-profile cases occurred early in 2014, when Peng went undercover to a facility that claimed to be able to cure homosexuality with electroshock therapy. He sued the firm and won the lawsuit. The group frequently brought landmark cases to court, challenging the legislation to make room for non-traditional families, and frequently assisted in launching public debates on those problems.

China's LGBT community experiencing shift in dynamics

According to Xinhua, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said on November 5, Friday that they had dealt with 3,300 illegal social organisations. In addition, the ministry shut down 200 illicit websites and individual social media accounts that were not registered with any government organisation. It is unknown whether the group was closed down as part of the government campaign. The ministry did not react promptly to a faxed request for comment.

Homosexuality is not a crime in China, and there is a dynamic social scene where LGBT people can mingle without fear of harassment. However, limits on advocacy organisations and online censorship have increased. WeChat locked down dozens of LGBT-related handles maintained by university students and non-profit organisations in July. One LGBT blogger, who also declined to be identified for fear of repercussions, stated that it is becoming increasingly difficult to run an LGBT group in the present climate, noting that WeChat and other social media platforms are deleting similar content, according to AP. After 11 years of operation, Shanghai Pride suspended its annual event in 2020 and stated that it would no longer be held.

(With inputs from agencies)

Image: AP