Human Rights Watch has warned that the rights situation for LGBT people in China is worsening, citing increased censorship of social media accounts, films and Pride-related events during June.
The organisation said the restrictions reflect shrinking space for LGBT visibility, advocacy and community organising, with several affected events linked to foreign embassies and cultural institutions.
“Under Xi Jinping, the Chinese government’s intensifying repression and promotion of normative gender and sexuality has resulted in shrinking spaces for LGBT people,” said Yalkun Uluyol, China researcher at Human Rights Watch, in a media statement.
“Almost three decades since China decriminalised homosexuality, authorities’ paranoia about grassroots social movements has severely undermined LGBT people’s ability to gain visibility and equality.”
LGBT Content and Social Media Accounts Targeted
Human Rights Watch said that in May 2026, Chinese social media platform WeChat suspended multiple public channels featuring LGBT content after they reported on a positive response from the Research Office of China’s Supreme People’s Court regarding an online petition calling for protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
On 17 June, WeChat also suspended the account of Zhenzhen’s Rainbow, a channel run by Beijing’s Rainbow Violence Prevention Center, which supports LGBT people who have experienced gender-based violence. WeChat said the account violated regulations but provided no further details.
Pride Events and Films Face Restrictions
Human Rights Watch said Chinese authorities appear increasingly concerned about LGBT groups’ potential foreign connections.
On 19 June, Chinese social media platform Red Note reportedly banned the account of a Paris-based independent bookstore after it promoted a screening of a transgender-themed film in Paris.
The action followed the French Institute’s cancellation of LGBT-themed film screenings planned for 6 and 7 June in Beijing after police visits. Le Monde reported that the institute had concerns about the “continued harassment of the cultural center and its Chinese staff”.
Human Rights Watch also highlighted reported restrictions on other Pride-related events, including a gender expression event hosted by the Goethe-Institut in Beijing and the Rainbow Run organised by the Finnish embassy during Beijing Diversity Week.
According to Radio France International, police reportedly told organisers that the race was “contrary to Chinese culture” and followed and photographed diplomats who participated.
LGBT Rights and Activism Under Pressure
China decriminalised homosexuality in 1997 and removed it from the official list of mental disorders in 2001. However, same-sex couples still lack legal recognition. Chinese law also lacks explicit protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
LGBT communities in China have organised since at least 1998, with the internet and university campuses becoming important spaces for connection and activism. However, Human Rights Watch said restrictions have increased under President Xi Jinping, particularly following broader crackdowns on human rights advocates.
The organisation noted that legal changes, including the 2016 Charity Law and 2017 Law on the Management of Foreign NGO Activities, further limited LGBT organisations’ ability to operate.
Shanghai’s Pride events ended in 2020, and the Beijing LGBT Center, the country’s largest LGBT organisation, ceased operations in 2023.
Human Rights Watch Calls for Action
Human Rights Watch said the Chinese government’s suppression of LGBT speech and association, alongside the promotion of state-approved ideas about gender and sexuality, violates LGBT people’s rights.
“LGBT people in China are entitled to equality and basic rights, not hostility and marginalisation,” Uluyol said. “The Chinese government should immediately halt its censorship of LGBT content and events, while concerned governments, especially the European governments whose events were censored, should press the Chinese government to protect the rights of LGBT people.”
