Sunday (May 17) marked the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia. The UK Embassy in China published an article titled "Will the Rainbow Return?" on both its official Weibo and WeChat public accounts, reviewing the past 30 years of LGBT topics in China. The related post has already attracted over 100,000 views on WeChat.
The article mentioned that in 1997, homosexuality was decriminalized in China, with the deletion of the "hooliganism" charge that had been used for decades to punish same-sex behavior. It went on to note that in 2001, homosexuality was depathologized, as China’s Ministry of Health officially removed homosexuality from the list of mental illnesses. That same year, Beijing hosted its first Queer Film Festival.
In 2010, an event called "Hello, Comrade" expressed support for LGBT people through collecting smiles, attracting over 4,400 participants.
In 2014, Beijing’s No. 3 Intermediate Court, in the verdict of China’s first "gay conversion therapy" lawsuit, clearly stated "homosexuality is not a disease" and that "promoting homosexuality treatment constitutes false advertising."
In 2014, Beijing’s No. 3 Intermediate Court, in the verdict of China’s first "gay conversion therapy" lawsuit, clearly stated "homosexuality is not a disease" and that "promoting homosexuality treatment constitutes false advertising."
In 2016, regulations by the China Television Drama Production Industry Association were leaked, listing homosexuality as "abnormal sexual behavior" and unfit for television audiences.
In 2020, China’s longest-running annual celebration for sexual minorities, "ShanghaiPRIDE," announced the termination of all future activities. In 2021, campus LGBT groups faced mass social media bans. In 2023, China’s largest LGBTQ organization, the "Beijing LGBT Center," ceased operations.
Since June 2024, dozens of online BL (boys' love) fiction writers were detained by police, facing fines or legal penalties. In November 2025, two of the most popular dating apps among China’s LGBT+ community, Blued and Fanka, were removed from the mainland China Apple App Store.
In 2020, China’s longest-running annual celebration for sexual minorities, "ShanghaiPRIDE," announced the termination of all future activities. In 2021, campus LGBT groups faced mass social media bans. In 2023, China’s largest LGBTQ organization, the "Beijing LGBT Center," ceased operations.
Since June 2024, dozens of online BL (boys' love) fiction writers were detained by police, facing fines or legal penalties. In November 2025, two of the most popular dating apps among China’s LGBT+ community, Blued and Fanka, were removed from the mainland China Apple App Store.
As of 8:45am on Monday (May 18), the post on the UK Embassy’s WeChat account had attracted over 100,000 views, and there were more than 300 shares on Weibo.