LGBTQ+

Ahead of International Women's Day, several WeChat public accounts advocating for women's and minority rights were shut down

Ahead of International Women's Day, multiple WeChat public accounts advocating for women's and minority rights were shut down. According to incomplete statistics, the banned accounts include: "Xiaowusheng Psychology," an organization focusing on mental health for sexual minorities; "Dongxia Primavera," which addresses feminist and leftist youth issues; "Letters from Two Strangers," a Gen Z feminist account; "HerStoryNow" run by grassroots feminist groups, "自由娜拉NORA" (Freedom NORA), an independent media outlet focusing on human trafficking and the rights of people with mental disabilities, "Belonging Space," a team dedicated to the mental health of women and sexual minorities, "流放地" (Place of Exile) advocating for sexual minority rights, and "艾大荀," an account operated by female public welfare activists.

Such mass bans seem to occur annually, like some kind of sacrificial ritual. My recollection is that the first instance happened during IDAHOTB in 2021. Back then, on WeChat's interface, banned public accounts would display as "Untitled Public Account（未命名公众号）." In response, some members of the LGBTQ+ community added the prefix "Untitled（未命名）" to their online aliases as a form of protest. Yet now people have even grown accustomed to it.