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Bringing Chinese LGBTQ+ rights to the attention of the community through a narrative of trauma and feelings. A digital healing approach to enhance the sense of belonging and well-being of the LGBTQ+ community.

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The experience does not currently enable purchasing of either digital or physical makeup products, but Nyx's Dastmalchi says that this will certainly be an element of metaverse spaces in the future. "I don't have a question. It is still messy, and whether they are the same or different products [to the physical world] is yet to be determined."

The Sandbox currently has three million users registered with a wallet and more than 21,000 unique landowners, which includes Adidas and Gucci, says The Sandbox co-founder Sebastien Borget. While neither have opened their spaces, purchasing of digital NFT-based assets is possible through The Sandbox, similar to Decentraland, where brands including Lottie London and Estée Lauder have held virtual events that rewarded visitors with POAPs. In the case of Estée Lauder, claiming a POAP also gave the visitor a wearable accessory.

Half of The Sandbox's audience is US-based while Korea, Japan and China also have considerable representation, Borget says. "We have been pushing to make the metaverse a place that is more diverse and inclusive; this is an opportunity to make things right," Borget says, adding that the company "has the intention but not necessarily the culture to claim being more diverse and inclusive," so it was important to bring in partners such as Hamid and Berry.

To claim a Nyx NFT, people can sign up on the People of Crypto website to get on a "welcome list" starting 9 June. They can then purchase an NFT starting on 16 June for a yet-to-be-determined amount that is less than $100. The reveal will happen on 19 June via NFT marketplace Opensea, then people can use these avatars in The Sandbox by connecting their crypto wallets. They are also able to customise details such as gender identity and sexuality, which will be indicated in the space via a bracelet. Some partners will be gifting avatars to people to enable that many people have access, says POC's Berry. Ten per cent of all proceeds will go to the Los Angeles LBGT Center.

For The Sandbox's upcoming July season, Borget expects as many as 80 experiences, compared to 25 this March. There are also plans underway to give popular PFP collections, such as World of Women and Bored Apes, three-dimensional avatar bodies that can move about the space, offering a key opportunity for fashion and beauty brands to dress them.

To measure success, Dastmalchi, of Nyx, will turn to its community for guidance on what's working and will look at metrics such as engagement, although she adds that bringing more diversity to the space will already be considered a success. "It's not your traditional KPIs," she says.

Comments, questions or feedback? Email us at feedback@voguebusiness.com.
More from this author: When it comes to Roblox, Gucci is not playing around Proofs of attendance are Web3's new status symbol Gucci to accept crypto in leap for luxury industry

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Web3 has a diversity problem: Enter non-binary avatars

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The experience does not currently enable purchasing of either digital or physical makeup products, but Nyx's Dastmalchi says that this will certainly be an element of metaverse spaces in the future. "I don't have a question. It is still messy, and whether they are the same or different products [to the physical world] is yet to be determined."

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Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication

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Printed from Oxford Research Encyclopedias, Communication. Under the terms of the licence agreement, an individual user may print out a single article for personal use (for details see Privacy Policy and Legal Notice).

date: 13 April 2023

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Migration-whether international or internal, forced or voluntary-intertwines with digital media, especially for sexual minorities and trans people who seek out platforms catering to lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ) people. Online networks foster transnational flows of ideas and information, which can enable international travel.

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The first case in China of a prison sentence for spreading the culture of delayed LGBT seems to symbolise the imminent end of official tolerance for a culture that cannot appear in the sunlight.

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Free-speech campaigners have slammed China's "flagrant disregard for fundamental human rights" after the author of a gay erotic novel was sentenced to more than a decade in prison for producing and selling pornographic materials.

The author, who writes under the pseudonym Tianyi and is from eastern China's Anhui province, was identified by the state-run Global Times only by her surname, Liu. The paper reported that police were alerted after the book Gongzhan, translated as Occupy, went viral last year. Police in the Anhui city of Wuhu, where Liu was sentenced, said the novel described obscene sexual behaviour between males, and was "full of perverted sexual acts such as violation and abuse".

Liu's jail sentence is 10-and-a-half years, and stems from a judicial interpretation dating back to 1998, according to the South China Morning Post. This states that if an author sells more than 5,000 copies of pornographic books, or makes more than 10,000 yuan (£1,123) from them, it is an "especially serious circumstance" that carries a sentence of imprisonment for not less a decade or life.

Liu is reported to have sold 7,000 copies of Occupy, which deals with a "forbidden love affair between a teacher and a student", and to have made illegal profits of 150,000 yuan. She has filed an appeal to the judgment, said the Global Times.

Shanghai lawyer Deng Xueping told the Global Times that the judgment was determined by a standard from 20 years ago, and that "our judicial explanation should advance with time". Internet users have also been vocal in their criticism of Liu's sentencing.

Homosexuality was decriminalised in China in 1997, but a 2016 UN survey found that only 5% of the country's LGBT community had come out publicly. In April, the Chinese social media site Weibo was heavily criticised for saying it would remove content "with pornographic implications, promoting bloody violence, or related to homosexuality", in order to "create a sunny and harmonious community environment". After users protested, Weibo backed down and said its campaign would only focus on pornographic and violent content.

The director of English PEN, Antonia Byatt, said the free-speech group was very concerned for Tianyi. PEN International campaigns manager Sahar Halaimzai called it "yet another episode in China's draconian crackdown on free expression and human rights".

"PEN International is deeply concerned about China's flagrant disregard for fundamental human rights and will closely follow the case of Tianyi as it unfolds," Halaimzai said, pointing to other recent cases including the disappearance of Chinese-born Swedish publisher Gui Minhai, the life imprisonment of Uighur academic Ilham Tohti on separatism-related charges, and Beijing's encroaching presence in Hong Kong, which has historically remained free from central government crackdowns on freedom of expression.

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Chinese writer Tianyi sentenced to decade in prison for gay erotic novel

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Free-speech campaigners have slammed China's "flagrant disregard for fundamental human rights" after the author of a gay erotic novel was sentenced to more than a decade in prison for producing and selling pornographic materials. The author, who writes under the pseudonym Tianyi and is from eastern China's Anhui province, was identified by the state-run Global Times only by her surname, Liu.

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The Beijing International Film Festival (BIF) 2018 has unceremoniously pulled the world-renowned hit Call Me by Your Name and the classic Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence. It was rumoured that the reason for the withdrawal was that the two films were about homosexuality.
China's online public opinion environment is cut off from the real one. Support for homosexuality on the internet seems like a trend and many homosexuals are proudly displaying their sexual orientation. However, in real life, many people have never been exposed to homosexuality and maintain the most primitive views of it, and with all the negative news about homosexuality in the press, acceptance is deteriorating.

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A 2021 report, "The Survival of Homosexuality in China", gives survey data based on the situation of gay people coming out, family and the workplace.
The biggest source of pressure is family: family and parents are still topics that the majority of gay people do not want to talk about. Many people can be open in the crowd and show their individuality in the workplace, but when it comes to family and parents most people still choose to avoid it.
The majority of gay people still face the pressure of their parents' lack of understanding and pressure to marry, and most of them choose to take one step at a time and compromise on their marriage.

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How does the lack of social support systems affect life of queer group in China and how can digital content be used in enhancing well-being?

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This study focuses on the trauma healing and mental health of LGBTQ+ community especially young queer women in China.

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LGBTG+ rights / Digital well-being

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In 2006, an article "Survey on the Current Situation of Homosexuality in China" published by Xinhua cited expert data showing that 30% to 35% of homosexuals had had strong suicidal thoughts and 9% to 13% had committed suicide; more than half had felt very distressed and seriously affected their lives and work because they were not understood.

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期间，为能找一个安静的地方通电话，吴维短暂地脱离了家人的视线，准确的说在8分钟后，他被爸爸还有奶奶找到了。家人担心吴维被报复，也担心他再次自杀，几乎寸步不离。

4月27日凌晨4点26分，基层公务员的吴维在厕所里实施自杀。这和他2015年离开大学入职现在单位的是同一个日期，整整四年后，他在几乎不用的微博上第一次公开承认自己是名同性恋，并控诉在单位遭遇的歧视和欺辱。

事情过去20天后，了结自己未能如愿的吴维，如今面临的是更痛苦的痛苦。工作单位是回不去了，又不知道去哪里，呆在家里数日子。他的微博账号被注销，如同他当时自杀的消息，也未激起更多人的关注。

5月14日，青岛一名15岁同性恋初中生留下遗书后失联。吴维感同身受该生的处境，并用新号转发该条微博，好在后来这名学生被找回。面对强大的社会成见，他们只能用生命去拒绝。

5月17日是国际不再恐同日。就在当天，海峡对岸的台湾地区通过"同婚专法"，同性可办理结婚登记。

这也是吴维自杀之后的第20天。虽然依旧失眠，但他换了一个崭新的头像，把签名改成了：能力有限，努力无限。对他来说，这是一个新的开始。

"我爸骂我说同性恋比抢劫、杀人、偷情还要恶心，那我死得恶心点，就死在厕所里。"4月27日凌晨，吴维精心挑选了地点，决定去死。他搬进去一盆点燃的炭火，为了杜绝生还可能性，还吞下了几十片安眠药。

他把这些年积压的话放在微博上，分成遗书和怨书两个部分，第一部分恨同事对他同性恋身份的排斥，第二部分恨父母的不接纳。"我已经腥闻在上，成了众矢之的"，用词激烈的好几千字。

这一切都是因为一篇论文开始的。当时，吴维选择了同性恋作为自己的研究生毕业论文主题，他花六个月的时间寻找大学所在市里的男同性恋，对其中的437个进行了访谈。后来这篇文章还刊发在某核心期刊，却成了他的隐患。

2015年4月27日，研究生还未毕业的他提前进入浙江某乡镇基层单位工作，负责单位的宣传，业余继续做他的同性恋相关研究。吴维想出一本关于中国男同性恋的书，如果够幸运，他也许能继续读博士。

乡镇体制内和同性恋这两个词的冲突使他畏手畏脚。他知道一旦暴露身份的后果。在他的研究里，三个条件的同志出柜率最低：体制内/管理层，已婚，和硕博这种教育程度较高的同性恋，他占了两个。有几个境遇和他类似的人说："一旦大家知道了你是同性恋，他们就会因为否认这个身份而否认掉你这个人。"

吴维决定小心翼翼地在同性恋和工作之间走钢丝，他和另外两个同事一起合租，为了不让他们发现自己的课题，总是一回家就关上门写作。有次有一位同事晚上需要电脑，他自己没有，问吴维借。"当时我真的是借不好，不借又不好，最后是借了，那天他把我的电脑拿走了一个多小时，心里忐忑得像做贼一样。"

入住之后半年，一位舍友终于张口问了他，"你是不是同性恋？"吴维和他在面试的时候就认识，他又是一本院校的学生，那天晚上就承认了自己是研究同性恋的。吴维说完就后悔，舍友像听到了范冰冰的独家八卦一样兴奋，半夜还在隔壁房间笑。

第二天，他去食堂吃早饭，走到哪里，人们的眼神就跟到哪里。从此之后，他的名字再也没办法和同性恋这个身份脱绑。如果有人说，"小吴，你昨天那篇推文阅读量很高，推得很好。"那总会有不知从哪里突然冒出来的下一句，"他是研究同性恋的。"

这样的境遇吴维在大学刚做同性恋论文的时候也经历过，一个熟人和女朋友吃饭，看到吴维打招呼介绍，"这是我老乡。对了，他是研究同性恋的。"任何事情都可以和同性恋这三个字扯上关联，不需要逻辑。

2015到2019年这四年里，不下600人听过吴维的故事，大家要么笑，要么沉默，他收到的帮助几乎为零。

同性恋这个身份有时还意味着更明确的事情，特别是在乡镇，流动缓慢的人群共享着更强的刻板成见--提到男同性恋，他们首先想到的艾滋病和滥交。男厕门背面出现了一些同性恋交友的信息，同事说肯定是吴维弄的；垃圾篓里有纸巾，吴维被嘲笑；如果感冒总是好不了，同事也会过来说："一般我们感冒吃点药就好了，你有没有去抽血呀？"；还有一次拆鸭棚，有人当着队组成员说吴维研究同性恋，肯定也和他们一样。

在四年里，这样的事情不胜枚举，但他几乎一次都没有反抗。"反抗也没有什么用，在这里大家这么想很正常，并且我越是反应强烈，他们肯定越闹越大。"这家单位寄托了吴维对未来的规划，他从来没有想过辞职。

"大学的时候我在一些小公司实习过，做人事专员，因为是小公司，所以工资待遇和劳动时间不怎么按劳动法，我招工的时候就会说一些承诺不了的事情，有的时候还需要去电线杆上贴牛皮癣的招工广告，觉得自己像是在做贼。"虽然体制内也有一些问题，但对去大公司没有自信，在小公司又要违背良心的情况下，至少它让吴维感到心安。

在此之前，他投递过其它的体制内单位，没有核心期刊的同学都被录用了，自己却连面试机会都没有拿到。这家单位是知道他毕业论文是同性恋，仍然愿意接受他的地方，吴维在这里投射过自己的希望。

他试图改变这里人对于同性恋的看法。更努力地工作，经常加班到凌晨，还会故意买一些小礼物去讨好那些攻讦自己凶猛的人，但他的努力并没有得到什么成效，反而愈演愈烈。

而且，反抗本身是危险的。2018年，吴维生气过一次，当时他需要写一篇推文，需要别的部门配合，但总拿不到资料。随后，他直接找到部门主任说自己不想干了，这样她会帮忙催一下，之后他被叫去负责资料的领导办公室。"因为上面有很多要求，他让我记一下，我说我没带笔，然后他就很凶地把我骂了一顿，听到心里很不是滋味的。"回到自己的工位上，吴维哭了。

不知道和这件事情有没有直接关系，后来评级的时候，他听到部门主任说自己不能升主任，因为不够成熟。他知道她喜欢的成熟是什么，坐在会客室掏出一根烟就能把百姓的心情平复下来的人，也是在男同性恋圈子里受欢迎的比较阳刚，有男子气概的那种人。吴维会有情绪，会哭，尽管善良和温柔，但在女生居多的部门里并不是什么突出的品质。后来，吴维和部门主任的关系越来越僵。

2015年，还只是平级同事们讨论吴维是同性恋身份，但在和部门主任弄僵之后，分管领导突然找吴维谈论论文的事情，还为此集体开了两次会。

"那之后无论是说话还是走路，别的同事总故意躲着我。"不仅如此，吴维眼睛只要盯着手机超过两分钟，部门主任也会知道然后问他。他不知道是谁在暗处盯着，但别人甚至可以上班的时候和家人打视频电话。

今年3月，除了做好本职工作外，吴维被部门主任派去坐窗口。按照吴维的描述，当时被派过去的人都是一群被放弃的人。吴维有这种被放弃的感觉。他认为不是工作能力不行，而是因为不招人喜欢。

单位还有另一个人也不招人喜欢，他是以前的副主任，因为犯错职务被取消，交接时删掉全部资料，还惊动了警察。可吴维自认在工作和人品上并没有提供什么令人指摘的材料，却因为同性恋成为"公敌"。

4月11日上午，吴维正在大厅工作。部门主任在工作群里发过来一张他坐在大厅工作的照片。吴维找不到原因，鼓起勇气问她："部长，怎么了？"她没有说话，发过来一个微笑的表情。第二天上午，吴维发现自己已被踢出群了，他呆不下去了。

整整30年里，自杀是吴维做过最不听话的事，最终还失败了。

他更擅长听话。因为高中学校会去抓人，上大学之前吴维从来没有去过网吧，直到高中毕业才有了QQ 号码。他是每个人身边都会有的，打电话时候总要听到嘟嘟声才会挂断的那种人。

他没有幸运地拥有一对坚强的父母。从知道他是同性恋以后，爸爸晕倒了两次，妈妈则总是以泪洗面。在浙江租住的房间里，吴维一直藏着一封母亲在2008年写的遗书。母亲长期在五金厂里做质检员，经常弯腰，脊椎出了问题。治病的经济负担和疼痛，说不上哪一个更让她痛苦，当时让她只能通过交代后事的方式来疏解。吴维把它放在房间里，在工作实在支撑不住的时候拿出来看。

生活一直都是逼仄。从小，妈妈就会在他面前说，你是超生的。当时为了躲避计生办的追究，她几乎每天都在逃亡，躲在林子里，躲在山里，一起逃的还有一个女人因为被抓失去了工作。"我妈生我很辛苦，为了生我，她吃了很多苦。"这样的自觉，几乎不需要别人来教他。

四岁的时候，吴维受过一次伤。他和小伙伴玩耍，互相抛掷铁块越过棉花杆，一不小心，同伴把铁块砸到了他头上，血从上向下流，滑过额头、鼻梁，那种触觉比痛感更快抵达。爸妈在田里劳作，是叔叔发现把他送去了医院。他不记得最后是谁付了医药费，事情最后的解决，是以小伙伴的妈妈牵着对方的手跟吴维道歉而结束的。

小学五年级，为了挣哥哥和自己的学费，爸妈出去打工，他跟着奶奶，变得更加听话。初中有时候去小姨家蹭饭，吴维就已经明白，吃小姨的饭，要给表妹送一本书。从小他就知道没有人是理所应当地对自己好，自己要乖一点，不要给家人添麻烦。

这种听话和懂事，减少了他在青春期身为同性恋的自我挣扎。甚至在大学以前，吴维从来没有表露过一点自己的感情。

也会有一些奇怪的时刻，比如当男生聚在一起选班花的时候，他总是提不起兴趣，掺和一下就走。宿舍里悄悄进行的A片观影，他并没有大家看起来那么兴奋。有的时候，他会对香港TVB电视剧的男性产生性冲动。

其实，从小学五年级开始，吴维对男性的偏向就有迹可循。对方是一个成绩很好的男生，总是举手回答问题。那时候吴维成绩不好，不会的作业只能拖着，等老师查作业的时候挨打。一般成绩好的都不会和成绩差的同学玩，但他会和吴维玩，还把作业给吴维抄。两个月之后，他告诉吴维，不能只抄作业，得弄懂。他在课间当起了私人辅导老师，老师说一次就过的知识点，他会花20分钟的时间一次次说。

他们一起玩弹珠，打电动游戏，一起抄歌词。吴维送给他一套完整的还珠格格画片，为此他收集了很久。直到有天吴维发现自己会吃醋了，男生分零食的时候如果给自己的是一样的分量，他心里会觉得有一些怪怪的。这段感情随着毕业慢慢淡掉了，分开的时候，吴维有一种此前换了三四次学校都没有的情愫。

这些都可以消解。他一心在学习上，很少喜欢上别人。就算喜欢，也要克制下去。在"整齐划一"的中学里，吴维生活的还算顺利。他注意到一些针对性别的欺凌，中性的女生大家就说像春哥，阴柔的男性大家就说是娘炮。"这些离我比较远，大家评价我最多的是脸上的痘痘。"吴维不参与，也意识不到自己和他们有什么关联。

进入大学之后，他开始有了很多小秘密。走在路上看着一个男生，会被朋友说 "感觉你像要把他吃了一样"，随便做一个心理测试，也会被说有同性缘。他对于男性的偏向越来越明显。很快，他通过网络，完成了自己的身份认同。

吴维试图在地下世界找同类。同志酒吧里尺度不小，在里面坐上两个小时就会有人来搭讪。但吴维不太融进去。"里面很多人穿潮服，我穿得比较老气。"在 QQ 群里和人聊天，他也要像查户口一样问对方的职业、年龄、习惯。有过3P经历的，吴维也会绕开。在这个没有法律和道德监督的领域，吴维对性伴侣关系的要求近乎传统。

即使在地下世界，出柜也是件危险的事情。他记得，有一个研究生同学和别人面基，结果被对方纠缠，电话都打到了同学爸妈那里。吴维不能想象这件事发生在自己身上的后果。后来，这位同学向他出柜，吴维知道对方有点喜欢自己，为避免感情纠纷，他没有出柜。

果然在公开出柜之后，家人里只有表妹小陈发消息说支持自己。她是一个耽美小说的爱好者，喜欢看的那类小说里，同性之爱的男主角们都有不低的颜值，能力也很强，就算社会里有一些阻碍，但他们总在反抗后然后在一起。

她认为哥哥吴维不太一样，但这也很正常，"更多的肯定是普通人嘛"。

其实如果更听话一点，吴维不会在硕士期间写那篇关于同性恋的论文，甚至可能满足爸妈的催婚，像更隐蔽的同性恋者那样找一个人结婚，顺便堵住单位同事和领导的怀疑。

四年里，他经人介绍，拒绝不了的都进行了不下十七次相亲，十个里面有八个都是自己拒绝的。曾经一位女生很喜欢他，有次在游泳馆没带手机，女生在外面等了两三个小时，但他越是感动就越觉得自己得拒绝。

吴维是矛盾的，他胆小到不敢在任何人面前出柜，却在大学时候敢追自己喜欢的男生。吴维不知道自己被拒绝了多少次，有的时候对方还会告诉别人。

吴维最喜欢的一个男生，是大学打暑假工时候认识的。对方有一张能称得上儒雅的脸，是吴维喜欢的长相。有次他们打台球后，男生请客吃饭，主动叫上了吴维，他觉得很感动，就经常关注和想起对方。有时候路过一颗柿子树，第一反应是要摘一些给对方送过去。

之后，吴维写了一封很长的表白邮件发给对方。好久没有回应，打电话过去，也没有人接听。最后还是通了，对方说："你好好照顾自己，去看看医生，（同性恋）是一种病。"吴维不觉得这是病，但还是没有说什么，把《没那么简单》听了好多遍。

进入基层工作之后，他几乎是放弃了爱情，不再奢望能够找到合适的对象。"每个人都是渴望爱情的，但是我不孤单，我已经习惯孤单了。"2018年，吴维贷款在长沙买了一套小公寓，这是他为自己养老准备的，万一一个人呢，他需要有个地方能够回去。

还有能做的事情，比如试图去为同志群体做一点事情，这是他一种更安全的自我认同。同性恋的研究，吴维坚持了七八年，但后来这条路也断了。

清明节前后，爸妈特意去浙江看了他，吴维的秘密被发现。上班回来的他，发现两台电脑全部被砸烂，同性恋的材料都没了，还有一些纸质文件也被翻出来烧成了灰。"我爸骂我，说我是同性恋，他要担心家里的祖坟被别人挖掉，这比抢劫、杀人、偷情还要恶心。"吴维崩溃了，这是距离他自杀一个月之前。

紧跟着在4月11日，他收到了部门主任的微笑表情。两周之后，他请假回了湖南老家。

到了老家，吴维发现自己只有大门的钥匙，房间却进不去。事后才知是舅舅来家里浇花时，把反锁后的卧室门钥匙都藏了起来。在他以为的人生最后两天里，吴维一个人睡在沙发上，点了几个外卖，什么东西都吃不下。

他有时候会想，自己到底错哪里。他买了两套房，一套给自己，一套给爸妈，要还四千多块的房贷，再加上自己住的房租一千块。最后，每个月六千多的工资，吴维只有几百块的生活费。

他也不需要用什么，晚上能吃一晚牛肉汤，只要论文能完成，他也是快乐的。过完今年，两个房产证就可以拿到，公积金的账户也存了四年，他可以稍微轻松一些了。但现在，他连自己家的卧室的门都进不了。

4月25日、26日，他去医院不同的医生那里拿到了两批次的安眠药。整理好了自己的遗书，资料，27日凌晨发给了叔叔，他决定走了。自杀之前，吴维在 QQ空间透露了自己的死亡计划，但只有两三个人给出回应，还是点赞。

叔叔凌晨从城里开车赶回来，此时吴维的意识已经很微弱。吞服安眠药死亡，并没有想象中的平静，吴维呕吐了大量的水。之后，他能听到有人在撞门，听到了有人把他抬上车，听到人带着哭腔说，"他全部都是冰冷冰冷的"。不知道过了多久，他洗胃之后醒过来，睁开眼睛看到了叔叔，还有婶婶坐在病床边上看着他，一直在哭。

这是叔叔第二次救他了。如同四年级那次受伤一样，爸妈仍没有及时出现。

但吴维知道那时候自己是被爱的，不会吃药的年纪，爸爸把调羹里放些糖，喂着他咀嚼下去。那时候他用来自杀的这栋房子还很新，好像有无限的空间可以扩展。吊顶有四米高，同时能容得下他的自我，天生就能够获得爱。

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同性恋公务员自杀背后：因写同志论文遭人非议，后被领导派坐窗口

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期间，为能找一个安静的地方通电话，吴维短暂地脱离了家人的视线，准确的说在8分钟后，他被爸爸还有奶奶找到了。家人担心吴维被报复，也担心他再次自杀，几乎寸步不离。 4月27日凌晨4点26分，基层公务员的吴维在厕所里实施自杀。这和他2015年离开大学入职现在单位的是同一个日期，整整四年后，他在几乎不用的微博上第一次公开承认自己是名同性恋，并控诉在单位遭遇的歧视和欺辱。 ...

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Gao Yan dies during Mid-Autumn Festival amid allegations of mistreatment at the hands of his class teacher.

Authorities in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong have sent an investigative team to an arts university to probe the suicide death of a rising dance star who was also an out gay man, state-backed media reported.

Gao Yan, 19, died by suicide while at his parental home in the northern province of Hebei, where he had gone to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, a time dedicated to family reunions.

Gao, who came first in a province-wide dance examination, had performed several times at the Spring Festival gala performance for state broadcaster CCTV in February, and who had already won a prestigious dance award, was about to begin his junior year majoring in dance at the Shandong University of Arts.

"There are suspicions that he had been bullied and suppressed by his class teacher for some time prior to his death," a report on the Chinese news portal Sina.com said.

"An investigative team has gone to Shandong University of Arts hoping to find out the truth and make some account on behalf of this beautiful youth."

"He loved his major and loved to dance so much ... and had promised his friends he would work hard for the postgraduate entrance examinations, and he had the potential to become a future dance star," the article said.

"Why is the school procrastinating? Was Gao Yan's suicide caused by [issues in] his family of origin, or [homophobic] discrimination by his class teacher?"

"Everyone should stay calm and wait for the team to investigate," it said.
Parents seek explanation
A post on the Wikipedia-like site Zhihu said the main reason Gao had been ostracized and suppressed by his class teacher was his sexual orientation.

"While same-sex marriage has not been legalized in our country, these groups still exist, and none of them have been declared illegal," the post said. "So you may not accept or understand them, but I hope you can learn to respect them."

"It's not as if they are affecting your daily life."

Gao's parents were seen in one video circulating on social media weeping and calling for an explanation from the school.

"We are from the countryside, and we have been here for eight days," Gao's father tells the camera. "Now we are waiting here for a statement, and we can't say anything."

"The school just keeps trying to avoid any responsibility, so we don't know what to do now; there's nothing we can do," he says.

Their comments drew a stinging rebuke from Li Jun, dean of dance at the Shandong University of Arts, who accused them of trying to profit from Gao's death.

Screenshots from Gao's chat history showed an exchange with his class teacher Zhang Dalu, in which Zhang tells Gao he's going to be assigned to a "low-quality" class for his junior year, despite his excellent performance and achievements to date.

A group of Gao's classmates also took to social media, speaking out on Zhang's behalf, saying "we believe our teacher, whom we know better than any of you."
Homophobia remains common
Some online reports suggested that Zhang had mocked Gao's sexual orientation with quips about a gender reassignment operation in Thailand.

A gay man who went to university in Shandong and gave only the surname Chen said homophobia is still fairly common in higher education in China.

"My classmates would often make fun of LGBT people, and [I would] feel uncomfortable after hearing it," Chen said.

Pan Zhigang, a member of the banned China Democracy Party currently living in Los Angeles, who is also a gay man, said growing intolerance of sexual minorities is directly linked to a change in official attitudes since ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping took power in 2012.

"They're not tolerant; they view such minorities as something alien," Pan told RFA. "This will always exist in a tyrannical system, and will never be absent from an authoritarian system."

LGBT+ groups have been increasingly moving away from the public sphere amid growing political restrictions on public speech under Xi Jinping.

In October 2021, LGBT Rights Advocacy China (also known as Queer Advocacy Online) announced it was ceasing all activities and shutting down its social media accounts.

The group had campaigned for LGBT+ rights, including same-sex marriage, and its founder Peng Yanzi once went undercover at an electroshock "conversion therapy" facility, successfully suing it.

It had also brought landmark cases to the court, including those granting custody rights to non-traditional families.
Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.

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Authorities in China's Shandong probe suicide death of outstanding gay dance student

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Gao Yan dies during Mid-Autumn Festival amid allegations of mistreatment at the hands of his class teacher. Authorities in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong have sent an investigative team to an arts university to probe the suicide death of a rising dance star who was also an out gay man, state-backed media reported.