Several accounts, mostly run by university students, were deleted on Tuesday night, sparking outrage and fears of tightening control over gay content in China.
WeChat deletes student accounts
The groups received warnings that they have “violated community rules”, and were not provided further explanation before their accounts were deleted, according to The Associated Press.
One of the deleted group’s managers said that they had been encouraged by their university to shut down their page or remove mention of the university before WeChat stepped into and started what is now an outrage for gay rights.
The New York Times also reported on how difficult it is to get the textbooks used by Chinese universities to reflect the actual realities of queer life in the country.
Two LGBTQ students issue a statement
On Wednesday, two students issued statements in response to their accounts being deleted, and also mentioned that some of their posts were also removed from the platform.
The groups are known for advocating LGBTQ and gender equality. They are also hands-on in supporting students on campus.
“Our activities will not stop due to the closure. On the contrary, we hope to use this opportunity to start again with a continued focus on gender and society, and to embrace courage and love,” Fudan University’s Zhihe Society Fudan University’s Zhihe Society said.
LGBTQ continue to face discrimination
Despite China having decriminalised LGBTQ in 1997, the community still faces discrimination. The outrage has forced a lot of people in the country to open up about the struggles they are still facing in the country — they welcomed the move saying “it was about time” they were silenced, meaning that all the discriminative undertones had finally manifested into an unbearable, but yet revealing noise. The students also received a lot of support online.
In 2019, the Oscar-winning Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody was released in Chinese cinemas, but references to the Queen singer’s sexuality and AIDS diagnosis were censored, according to BCC.
In 2018, another popular app in China said that all posts related to homosexuality would be taken down, but their move was put to a halt after massive outrage.