Unlike the US, where Chinese pride symbols are illegal, Chinese Pride merchandising is perfectly legal. Each of the designs has been created by independent artists and is printed on high-quality products in a socially responsible way. By purchasing Chinese pride symbol merchandising, you’re helping to put money in the artists’ pockets. In this article, we’ll discuss the impact of Chinese Pride symbols on the lives of LGBTQ people in China.
Piaoquanjun’s badges
The Chinese pride symbol Piaoquanjun is known worldwide for its rainbow-colored badges. The emblem depicts elements associated with the sea, sky, and land and represents good fortune, beauty, and longevity. Finely woven threads in bold colors and textures contrast with the black background and encircle the badge’s edges. The design is also made to resemble a rainbow flag.
The incident occurred after an LGBT activist in Beijing, China, was handing out rainbow-coloured pride badges at a rally. However, security guards barred the event from entering. He was later arrested. The organiser, who identified himself only by an online alias, told state-run news outlet Global Times that two women were hospitalised. The incident sparked a furious debate in China, which has a long history of repression against LGBTIQ+ people.
Chinese state media, meanwhile, edited images of Mao badges worn by two gold medalists in cycling. But the Olympic Games, he argued, are more than just an athletic contest. The CCP has long viewed winning an Olympic gold medal as an important political project. So while the resurgence of the Mao badges is a strange phenomenon in the Xi Jinping era, it is a significant sign that China is on the right track.
The Chinese pride symbol Piaoquanjun is a well-known animal that adorns the hearts of the nation’s government officials. The badges were worn on the front of their robes and were embroidered with a variety of creatures, such as tigers and birds, which were symbols of bravery and authority in the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Lelush mascot
The Lelush mascot is a popular meme on Weibo, where users can post their own satires of Lelush’s miserable life. Many of these fans identify with Lelush, who is clinging to a life of exploitative contracts, looking for every opportunity to slack off at work. Others see themselves in Lelush and his attitude as a symbol of passive resistance for ordinary people.
Vladislav Sidorov, a 27-year-old Russian, is the face of the Lelush brand. He is one of the 25 finalists on Produce Camp 2021, a reality show produced by Chinese tech company Tencent. This reality TV show features a total of 90 local contestants and 11 from overseas. While there is a lack of information about his background, Lelush is an ode to the Chinese pride symbol.
Despite the fact that he was born in Beijing, Lelush’s mascot is a Chinese pride symbol. A year ago, he was held hostage at Produce Camp 2021 and held for three months. The mascot was then released after the hostages were released. The mascot was not the only ominous sign of his plight. The team was also held hostage on Produce Camp 2021 for three months.
Censorship of LGBTQ terms on social media
The recent censorship of dozens of LGBTQ accounts on Tencent’s WeChat social media platform has sent ripples across the LGBT community. The Chinese social media giant claimed that some of the accounts broke rules for information on the internet. However, this has not prevented some users from rallying around these LGBTQ accounts. As a result, some users have praised the closures and others reacted negatively to the news. In any case, it is important to note that while the Chinese government has decriminalised homosexuality, the LGBTQ community is still facing serious discrimination and restrictions in the country.
Although China decriminalized homosexuality in 1997, it still offers limited legal protection to its citizens. The practice of same-sex relationships remains taboo, despite legalization in neighboring Taiwan. In April, Weibo reversed its controversial ban on LGBTQ posts, but only after deleting numerous comments and posts with the hashtag #les. However, the Chinese state-run media outlet continues to censor terms that are related to homosexuality.
China’s conservative forces have been known to display their hatred towards homosexuality and other forms of gender nonconformity. In fact, some of their vocal opponents have even been branding themselves as “science writers,” and their Twitter account boasts over five million followers. Despite this, some LGBTQ people blame the crackdown on the wrong impression that homosexuality is a Western import, or that gay rights groups are vulnerable to foreign forces.
While it is clear that China is a deeply conservative society, its censorship of LGBTQ terms and the Chinese pride symbol is a cause for concern. These new regulations have been seen as a censorship of transnational LGBT culture, and are often accompanied by a sabotaging campaign against those of the LGBTQ community. The Chinese government is also attempting to silence dissent, citing concerns that the new legislation violates Chinese human rights.
Despite censorship of the LGBTQ terms on social media and the Chinese pride symbol, these terms are still being used in various contexts. Moreover, censorship of these terms on social media reveals a culture that is repressive of LGBTQ identities. In addition to the censorship of the LGBT community, Chinese television channels have begun broadcasting their own version of Eurovision. A series of controversial events have also been broadcast on Hunan/Mango TV, which was banned in China in 2018.
Impact of chinese pride symbol on lgbt people in China
In the past, June was celebrated as China’s LGBTQ Pride Month, and events were held in cities all over the country. But this year, the largest annual festival was cancelled due to local pressure. The number of events was relatively low, with most taking place underground. The government has been slowly allowing sexual minorities to have their own space. But despite this progress, the Chinese government has not shown a lot of respect for these communities.
In the past, homosexuality in China was illegal and considered a mental illness until 2001. Despite this change, same-sex marriage is still illegal and there are no laws against discrimination based on sexual orientation. In spite of the legal framework, many older Chinese consider homosexuality to be foreign. And mainstream Chinese media often censors LGBT content. In the past, Sina Weibo, a popular social network, was forced to apologize for purging gay-themed content on its site, sparking a huge backlash. However, the Chinese government is wary of mass mobilization and has yet to formally recognize the LGBT community.
The Chinese LGBT community faces severe discrimination in various social settings. The map below highlights the levels of discrimination by region. Those living in economically less developed regions were more likely to be negatively discriminated against. And this is where the Chinese pride symbol is likely to help. Although the Chinese LGBT community is generally supportive, it is still under-representative of their needs. That means that the Chinese LGBT community is still facing some challenges, despite its growing acceptance.
The events of Pride Day aimed to take advantage of public space and use compelling global LGBT rights symbolism to create an event that transcends local boundaries. The events also challenged the dominant queer political and cultural discourse. In some instances, they broke the barriers of visibility and unauthorized events, resulting in queer-friendly events in semi-private spaces and sometimes even entering mainstream society. As such, they are increasingly important to queer activists in China.
