China’s biggest Pride festival and longest-running LGBT+ group, ShanghaiPRIDE, is stopping all its activities immediately. ShanghaiPRIDE announced it is ‘cancelling all upcoming activities and taking a break from scheduling any future events’.
Organizers say they made the decision ‘to protect the safety of all involved’. Unlike other countries, Shanghai’s Pride event doesn’t include a march or parade.
That’s because the Chinese authorities are opposed to anything that looks like a popular protest. However, the annual festival typically includes a Rainbow Bike Ride, Pride Run, film festival and forums.
These all went ahead in June. But now ShanghaiPRIDE is cancelling all future events including a Red Ribbon charity dinner in December.