China Cancels Transgender Icon's Dance Shows, Raising LGBTQ Crackdown Fears

Chinese authorities have abruptly cancelled several performances of Jin Xing, a well-known transgender dancer and TV host. The move has sparked fears of Beijing's tightening grip on the ideological and cultural expression of the LGBTQ+ community.

Jin, known for her modern dance and candid television persona, is a rare figure of success and visibility in a nation where transgender individuals often face social stigma and discrimination. But a string of recent cancellations by local authorities has cast a shadow over her public engagements. Her dance troupe's performance of Sunrise, a play by renowned Chinese playwright Cao Yu, was cancelled in Guangzhou late last year. Authorities cited insufficient documentation as the reason, but subsequent cancellations in Foshan, Suzhou and Shanghai followed without any explanation, reported CNN.

The cancellations come amid a broader crackdown on what Chinese authorities perceive as Western influences, including LGBTQ+ rights. Some fear that Jin's public profile as a transgender icon may have drawn unwanted scrutiny from officials.

“Things seem to have changed. Maybe the earlier shift towards a more liberal atmosphere was the problem,” Sam Winter, an Associate Professor at an Australian university, said.

Jin herself expressed confusion over the cancellations. In an interview with France 24, she said she had been performing across China for four decades without issue. “Even today, I am still questioning why,” she said, referencing the recent cancellations.

She took the unusual step of criticising the authorities in a now-deleted Weibo post after her Guangzhou show was scrapped. “Please don't abuse your public power!” she wrote, demanding an explanation for the decision.

Such direct challenges to Chinese officials are rare and risky. Guangzhou's Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism denied any misconduct, attributing the cancellation to incomplete paperwork.

Some social media users have speculated that Jin's use of a rainbow flag during an earlier performance might have provoked the backlash. The rainbow flag, a global symbol of LGBTQ+ pride, is viewed with suspicion by Chinese authorities.

Jin's success story has long been a source of hope for China's LGBTQ+ community. She has broken boundaries in a country where gender-affirming surgery remains expensive and difficult to access. “I am myself and represent only myself. I will always be Jin Xing, and it has nothing to do with gender,” she wrote on Weibo.

The LGBTQ+ community in China faces growing challenges. Homosexuality was decriminalised in 1997 and removed from the country's list of mental disorders in 2001. Yet under President Xi Jinping's leadership, authorities have ramped up social controls.

Pride events have been banned, support groups have been disbanded, and films featuring same-sex themes have been censored. Activists have faced police harassment, and online discussion of LGBTQ+ issues remains tightly controlled.