On International Day Against Homophobia, British Embassy Reviews China's Shift from Openness to Restriction on Gay Issues

(CNA, Shanghai, May 17, by reporter Liao Wen-chi) Today is the "International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia." The British Embassy in China published an article reviewing the process of China's official attitude towards homosexuality over the past 30 years, from gradual opening to gradual tightening, sparking much discussion among Chinese netizens, with opinions both for and against. On May 17, the "International Day Against Homophobia," the British Embassy in China's WeChat public account published an article titled "Will the Rainbow Return?" It reviewed historical events in the development of gay rights in China, starting in 1997 when China amended its criminal law to remove the "hooliganism" crime that punished homosexual acts, decriminalizing homosexuality in China. In 2001, the Chinese Ministry of Health officially removed homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses. In the same year, Beijing hosted the first "Beijing Queer Film Festival." In 2010, an activity called "Hello, Comrade" collected smiles to express support for the LGBT community, attracting over 4,400 participants. In 2014, the Beijing No. 3 Intermediate People's Court, in its verdict on China's first "gay conversion therapy" lawsuit, explicitly stated that "homosexuality is not a disease" and that "promoting gay therapy constitutes false advertising." However, this liberal trend took a sharp downturn in 2016. That year, leaked regulations from the China Television Drama Production Industry Association listed homosexuality as an "abnormal sexual behavior" unsuitable for television audiences. In 2020, "ShanghaiPRIDE," China's longest-running annual celebration for sexual minorities, announced the termination of all future activities. On July 6, 2021, the WeChat accounts of over a dozen campus LGBT organizations, including those at Peking University, Fudan University, and Renmin University of China, were removed overnight. On May 15, 2023, the "Beijing LGBT Center," China's largest LGBTQ organization, announced it would cease operations "due to force majeure." Since June 2024, dozens of online danmei (boys' love) writers, mostly young women, have been arrested by Chinese police, facing fines or criminal charges. In November 2025, the two most popular dating apps among China's LGBT+ community, Blued and "Fanka," were removed from Apple's App Store in the China region. As of 5 p.m. today, the article had 82,000 reads, over 5,000 likes, 10,000 shares, and over 400 comments. Some expressed support for the gay community, saying "History is regressing," "Developed countries are developed in more than just their economies (with a rainbow flag emoji)," "Respect every sexual orientation," and "Well done, I support this." Other netizens who were not supportive said, "Not criminalized, not considered a disease, but there's no need to encourage it, right?" "Anglistan, you should worry more about yourselves," "Complaint submitted," and "Reported." Some netizens sarcastically remarked, "May your UK be full of rainbows." These comments led other netizens to express their frustration, saying, "I'm exhausted after reading the comments section."