Battle for Freedom: University Students’ Rainbow Protest

In May 2022, two Tsinghua University students faced disciplinary action for distributing rainbow flags on campus. To mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOT), They left ten flags in a supermarket on campus with a note encouraging others to take them to support LGBTQ+ rights.

The university identified the students through security cameras and harassed them by phone calls and uninvited visits to their dorm. On July 15th, one student received a disciplinary decision, which was a “serious warning,” and two days later, the other student also received a disciplinary decision, which was a “warning.” The disciplinary results will be kept in the students’ permanent record and will affect their participation in various honor selections, receipt of scholarships, future graduate studies, and political reviews for civil service examinations, among other things.