Chinese university appears to ask for lists of LGBTQ+ students for ‘investigation’

Survey by Shanghai University that asked colleges to research the political stance and ‘state of mind’ of members of LGBTQ+ communities has sparked alarm

Vincent Ni China affairs correspondent, and Helen Davidson
Sun 29 Aug 2021 01.35 BST

A well-known Chinese university appears to have asked its colleges to make lists of their LGBTQ+ students and report on their “state of mind”, according to a purported internal directive published online on both Chinese and foreign social media platforms.

Shanghai University has not confirmed the request or responded to queries about its intention, but it has sparked alarm among young Chinese people, coming after a crackdown on campus groups and organisations supporting LGBTQ+ and feminist communities.

The “Campus Survey”, citing “relevant requirements”, asked colleges to “investigate [and] research” students identified as LGBTQ+. It also requested information on the students’ state of mind and psychological condition, including political stance, social contacts, and mental health status. The questionnaire did not explain what “relevant requirements” it was referring to.

Students and activists have expressed concern that the information-gathering exercise could signal further targeting of students. Some legal experts on Weibo are questioning whether such a practice would violate China’s new data privacy law.

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