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China's Weibo reverses ban on 'homosexual' content after outcry
Source: The Guardian
China's Weibo reverses ban on 'homosexual' content after outcry
Microblogging site’s move to create ‘harmonious’ environment prompted protests under the hashtag #Iamgay
Lily Kuo
Mon 16 Apr 2018 04.52 BST Last modified on Mon 16 Apr 2018 14.30 BST
One of China’s largest social media sites, Sina Weibo, has reversed a ban on online content “related to homosexuality” after outcry from the country’s internet users.
On Friday, Sina Weibo said that for the next three months it would be removing comics and videos “with pornographic implications, promoting bloody violence, or related to homosexuality”. The internet company said the initiative was in an effort to “create a sunny and harmonious community environment” and comply with the country’s cybersecurity laws.
In response, Weibo users posted photos with their partners, comments, and rainbow emojis, accompanied by the hashtags #iamgay and #iamgaynotapervert.
A woman in Shanghai wrote in a post that received more than 55,000 likes: “I am the mother of a gay son. My son and I love our country. No matter where we go we tell others loudly and proudly that we are from China ... But today … I suddenly [find] that in this strong country, Sina Weibo is discriminating against and attacking this sexual minority.”
-snip-
Microblogging site’s move to create ‘harmonious’ environment prompted protests under the hashtag #Iamgay
Lily Kuo
Mon 16 Apr 2018 04.52 BST Last modified on Mon 16 Apr 2018 14.30 BST
One of China’s largest social media sites, Sina Weibo, has reversed a ban on online content “related to homosexuality” after outcry from the country’s internet users.
On Friday, Sina Weibo said that for the next three months it would be removing comics and videos “with pornographic implications, promoting bloody violence, or related to homosexuality”. The internet company said the initiative was in an effort to “create a sunny and harmonious community environment” and comply with the country’s cybersecurity laws.
In response, Weibo users posted photos with their partners, comments, and rainbow emojis, accompanied by the hashtags #iamgay and #iamgaynotapervert.
A woman in Shanghai wrote in a post that received more than 55,000 likes: “I am the mother of a gay son. My son and I love our country. No matter where we go we tell others loudly and proudly that we are from China ... But today … I suddenly [find] that in this strong country, Sina Weibo is discriminating against and attacking this sexual minority.”
-snip-
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/16/china-weibo-bans-homosexual-content-protest
