An advocacy group that served as a safe space for the LGBTQ community in Beijing has been shut down as part of a government pressure campaign against gay rights groups. The Beijing LGBT Center's shuttering Monday is a critical blow for the community that used to publicly advocate for their rights. It's part of a wider crackdown that had started under China’s leader Xi Jinping. The center often hosted public speakers, film screenings and other events. Censorship online and pressure from the government has contributed to many LGBTQ+ organizations closing. The group LGBT Rights Advocacy, which brought strategic lawsuits to push for policy change and rights, closed down in 2021 after its founder was detained.
Given the anti China stance of the western news media, does anyone have conext on this story?
As far as I can tell, the only evidence presented that the government did this is one anonymous individual's insinuations, so I don't find it terribly compelling considering the history of stories where, for example, a private company closes a handful of advocacy accounts and western sources immediately blame the government.
Mind you, it totally could be true, the article just doesn't provide good reason to think so.
As far as I can tell, the only evidence presented that the government did this is one anonymous individual's insinuations, so I don't find it terribly compelling considering the history of stories where, for example, a private company closes a handful of advocacy accounts and western sources immediately blame the government.
Mind you, it totally could be true, the article just doesn't provide good reason to think so.