China slaps performance ban on famous transgender TV host Jin Xing who seeks explanation
Officials curtail hit show by LGBTQ icon after rainbow flag onstage incident, move reignites spectre of anti-transgender sentiment
Famed Chinese transgender icon and TV host Jin Xing has reportedly faced an official ban on performing in the southern city of Guangzhou, allegedly due to her pro-LGBTQ stance.
This apparent ban has prompted her to seek an explanation publicly on social media in a move which has reignited significant online anti-LGBTQ sentiments.
The controversy arose on October 22 when Jin, who has nearly 14 million followers on Weibo, disclosed that her stage adaptation of Cao Yu’s classic work Sunrise was denied approval by Guangzhou Municipal Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau for its scheduled performance in December.
Jin self-directs and stars in the stage play, and since its debut in Shanghai in May 2021, the play has been well-received in many cities such as Beijing, Xiamen, Suzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing and Nanjing.
In the social media post, she described the Guangzhou ban as an “abuse of public power” by the Director of the Approval Department at the Tourism Bureau, a woman surnamed Song.
Jin directly tagged the official, and demanded an explanation.
