China attempts to ban gay online content

NEW regulations from China’s online regulator have placed gay content in the category of “abnormal sexual behaviour”.

The China Netcasting Services Association, which audits online content, has placed gay content in the same category as incest and sexual violence, SBS Sexuality has reported.

Content must adhere to “socialist core values” and must not promote anything that could “hurt the feelings of the nation”.

“It’s so harmful to the industry and the culture,” said filmmaker Fan Popo.

“Obviously now the government has realised how powerful the internet can be, they want to manage it more than ever.”

Fan has directed LGBTI documentaries including Mama Rainbow, about the mothers of gay and lesbian children.

He said he hopes the regulations will be less strict than they appear.

“There are a lot of regulations in China that are not seriously enforced,” he said.

“Otherwise it will affect a lot of online videos—including mine, which would be deleted for their [LGBTI] content.”

Popo sued government censors in 2015 for pulling Mama Rainbow from online access.

Last year, the popular gay series Addicted (Heroin) was banned mid-season from online broadcast.

Lesbian dating app Rela was shut down in China earlier this year after the company supported parents of LGBTI children finding a partner.