Beijing Queer film festival cancelled after harassment from authorities
www.theguardian.com
Forums for discussion of feminist and LGBTQ+ views face growing intolerance from Chinese state, say experts

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/61143788

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Chinese Police had increased pressure on the festival through repeated phone calls in recent weeks, it is understood.

[…]

The Chinese authorities have grown increasingly intolerant of open discussion of feminist or LGBTQ+ issues. Film festivals in particular attract particular scrutiny because they provide an opportunity to platform narratives that sit outside the Communist party’s worldview.

Beijing Independent film festival, China’s most prominent independent film festival, was closed down in 2014 after the authorities detained the founders and shut off the electricity supply to the venue. Last year, an independent Chinese film festival that was due to be held in New York was cancelled after harassment from the Chinese authorities, an incident which raised concern about transnational repression.

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Hongwei Bao, a professor of Chinese studies at the University of St Andrews who focuses on LGBT issues, said that the festival was “a beacon for LGBT resilience” in China.

“The shutdown of the Love Queer Cinema Week has a chilling affect on the Chinese queer community,” Bao said.

In June this year, screenings of films with LGBTQ+ themes that were scheduled to be held in Beijing during Pride month at the Institut Français, a French cultural centre, were cancelled because of police harassment.

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Despite the increased pressure, Beijing Queer film festival remains a popular event. Several international film-makers whose work had been selected for the festival had travelled to China to participate. Last year, the festival received 200 volunteer applications, four times the number received in 2024.

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  • Jax@sh.itjust.works
    83·
    6 hours ago

    ML and hexbear won’t get caught discussing topics like this because they know how hypocritical it makes them look

    • TranscendentalEmpire@lemmy.today
      32·
      4 hours ago

      I mean I post on both those fairly regularly and am a lot closer to that political ideology than I am to a server like .world. I don’t really see how it’s hypocritical?

      I don’t think there are actually many people who would claim that China is a perfect society in every perceivable way. I think most just tend to compare the same issue with prominent Western countries, and in contrast… It’s hard to argue with a lot of the times.

      • Jax@sh.itjust.works
        32·
        3 hours ago

        You must not read comments too much if you’ve totally missed all the posts discussing trans rights, or lack thereof, in the U.S. while being painfully silent on posts like this.

        I mean shit, just a few weeks ago I was literally met with whataboutism on a post about a woman being executed for blasphemy in Iran.

        But what about the live execution?

        Says the .mler.

        I don’t have the patience to go through each and every individual instance of hypocrisy coming out of .ml or hexbear. Feel free to continue posting there.

        • TranscendentalEmpire@lemmy.today
          22·
          2 hours ago

          You must not read comments too much if you’ve totally missed all the posts discussing trans rights, or lack thereof, in the U.S. while being painfully silent on posts like this.

          In my experience most people on hex don’t post on .world?

          Plus… I am actively discussing this as someone who shares a lot of the same sentiment. You aren’t bringing anything to the current discussion, you’re just attacking a straw man.

          I was literally met with whataboutism on a post about a woman being executed for blasphemy in Iran.

          And? You’re currently their logical fallacy to justify your own logical fallacy.

          don’t have the patience to go through each and every individual instance of hypocrisy coming out of .ml or hexbear.

          I didn’t ask you too? I was giving you an opportunity to have a conversation about the topic you claimed no one would dare talk about out of fear of hypocrisy…you chose to complain about it instead?

          • Jax@sh.itjust.works
            21·
            1 hour ago

            Yeah this level of willfull ignorance is about what I’d expect from someone who frequents .ml and hexbear communities.

  • one_old_coder@piefed.socialEnglish
    25·
    9 hours ago

    LGBTQ+ views face growing intolerance from Chinese state

    Insert the “always has been” meme because I have seen this reaction from the chinese government for a very long time.

    • TranscendentalEmpire@lemmy.today
      6·
      7 hours ago

      Eh, there was a bit of a grace period where the government had bigger fish to fry. Any culture that was highly influenced by Confucianism can be more culturally conservative due to the importance of family hierarchy, but the current government seems to be a bit more culturally reactionary in regards to utilizing the state to enforce historic cultural norms.

      I think most leftist can and should be critical towards things like the apparent increase in the state directing and enforcing societal norms. Recognizing that the current politburo is lacking more representation than prior governments.

      That being said, it does seem that cultural reactionary sentiment appears to be a global trend regardless of ethnicity and culture. Where any state that is actually increasing protections for the LGBTQ community as a whole would seem to be the actual outlier.