{"id":695035,"date":"2023-08-30T19:30:59","date_gmt":"2023-08-31T02:30:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chinadigitaltimes.net\/?p=695035"},"modified":"2023-09-18T14:12:33","modified_gmt":"2023-09-18T21:12:33","slug":"wechat-targets-lgbtq-and-feminist-accounts-in-mass-censorship-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chinadigitaltimes.net\/2023\/08\/wechat-targets-lgbtq-and-feminist-accounts-in-mass-censorship-event\/","title":{"rendered":"WeChat Targets LGBTQ+ and Feminist Accounts In Mass Censorship Event"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The sudden and unexplained closure of a number of WeChat accounts dedicated to gay, trans, asexual, and feminist issues marks the latest setback for LGBTQ+ and women\u2019s speech rights in China. The mass account closures happened on the eve of the August 22 Qixi Festival<\/a>, a traditional celebration of the union of lovers long denied a chance to be together. It was unclear whether the date of the closures was coincidental or intentionally symbolic. A partial list of the accounts closed<\/a> include: Flying Cat Brotherhood (\u98de\u5929\u732b\u5144\u5f1f\u76df f\u0113iti\u0101nm\u0101o xi\u014dngd\u00ec m\u00e9ng<\/em>), a gay men\u2019s group; Transtory (\u8239\u601d chu\u00e1ns\u012b<\/em>), a group for transgender people; Ace (\u65e0\u6027\u604b\u4e4b\u58f0w\u00fax\u00ecngli\u00e0n zh\u012b sh\u0113ng<\/em>), one for asexual people; Wandouhuang (\u8c4c\u8c46\u9ec4\u827a\u672f\u5c0f\u7ec4 w\u0101nd\u00f2uhu\u00e1ng y\u00ecsh\u00f9 xi\u01ceoz\u01d4<\/em>), an artists\u2019 group; Beijing Lala Salon (\u5317\u4eac\u62c9\u62c9\u6c99\u9f99 B\u011bij\u012bng l\u0101 l\u0101 sh\u0101l\u00f3ng xi\u01ceoz\u01d4<\/em>), for lesbian women; and PFLAG (\u5317\u4eac\u51fa\u8272\u4f19\u4f34 B\u011bij\u012bng ch\u016bs\u00e8 hu\u01d2b\u00e0n<\/em>), a group for the parents, families and friends of lesbians and gays. Radio Free Asia\u2019s Gu Ting reported on the closures<\/strong><\/a>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“Such accounts have been targeted once before two or three years ago,” said [veteran activist Li Tingting], who is better known in feminist circles as Li Maizi. “The government departments in charge of internet management have always targeted accounts linked to sexual minorities, which aren’t encouraged by the Chinese government.”

[…] A Shanghai-based lesbian who declined to give her name for fear of reprisals said she had been a member of Transtory and Ace.

“There must have been orders from higher up banning lesbians, gays and transgender folk,” she said. “It’s about awareness of one’s own gender, and what gender you think you are.” [
Source<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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There seemed to be a short window period when the word \u201cgay\u201d was more politically sensitive than \u201clesbian\u201d and \u201ctrans,\u201d but the situation has changed since CAC and other state-affiliated institution kept depicting the set of \u201cLGBT+\u201d as \u201cthe invasion of Western ideology.\u201d (4\/n)<\/p>— Heng\ud83d\udca4 (@Enlight06065226) August 22, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote>