A prominent LGBTQ+ center in China is closing down after 15 years, another sign of the tightening of space for sexual orientation-focused organizations under Chinese President Xi Jinping.
In a statement on its WeChat account on Monday, the Beijing LGBT Center said it was terminating its operations effective immediately, saying only that the closing was due to a "force majeure.”
The center couldn’t be immediately reached for comment Tuesday morning, but one former volunteer for the organization said that the closure was a result of long-standing pressure. That person didn’t specify the exact source of the pressure, saying it came from different quarters, including at times from the center’s neighbors.