China's Oldest Queer Film Fest Cancelled
Beijing Queer film festival, due to start Friday, shut down after police harassment and repeated phone calls, highlighting China's growing intolerance of LGBTQ+ issues
The Beijing Queer film festival, one of China's oldest independent film festivals, has been cancelled due to a campaign of sustained harassment from authorities. The festival, founded in 2001 by a group of Peking University students, was scheduled to begin on Friday in China's capital.
The cancellation comes after police increased pressure on the festival through repeated phone calls in recent weeks. This is not the first time a film festival in China has faced harassment from the authorities. In 2014, the Beijing Independent film festival was closed down after the authorities detained the founders and shut off the electricity supply to the venue.
The Beijing Queer film festival was a significant event, providing a public forum for films and discussions exploring LGBTQ+ issues. It was seen as 'a beacon for LGBT resilience' in China, according to Hongwei Bao, a professor of Chinese studies at the University of St Andrews.
The Chinese government under Xi has been relentlessly tightening social and ideological control, according to Maya Wang, the deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch. This has led to a growing intolerance of open discussion of feminist or LGBTQ+ issues. The cancellation of the Beijing Queer film festival is the latest example of this trend.
## Why it matters The cancellation of the Beijing Queer film festival has significant implications for the LGBTQ+ community in China. It highlights the growing intolerance of LGBTQ+ issues and the increasing pressure on independent film festivals and other events that promote diversity and inclusivity. The incident also raises concerns about transnational repression, as an independent Chinese film festival that was due to be held in New York was cancelled after harassment from the Chinese authorities last year.
The cancellation of the festival is a blow to the LGBTQ+ community in China, which already faces significant challenges and discrimination. It is a reminder of the need for continued support and solidarity with LGBTQ+ individuals and organizations in China and around the world.
