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China: Dua Lipa 'proud' of fans ejected from concert for waving LGBT flags

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The pop singer Dua Lipa has praised her fans’ bravery after some audience members at her concert in Shanghai were forcefully removed for dancing in their seats and apparently waving flags in support of gay rights.

Videos posted on social media after the show in China on Wednesday evening showed security staff pulling people from their seats and crowd members apparently being attacked by security guards outside the National Exhibition and Convention Centre.

The British singer tweeted that she was horrified by the incident. “I will stand by you all for your love and beliefs and I am proud and grateful that you felt safe enough to show your pride at my show. What you did takes a lot of bravery. I always want my music to bring strength, hope and unity. I was horrified by what happened and I send love to all my fans involved.”

Lipa, 23, has been vocal in her support of the LGBT community, and appeared to be upset on stage during her performance. She told the audience: “I want to create a really safe environment for us all to have fun … I want us all to dance. I want us all to sing. I want us all to just have a really good time.”

Although homosexuality is not illegal in China – the country decriminalised it in 1997 and LGBT visibility has increased – there has been creeping cultural censorship since Xi Jinping came to power in November 2012.

In November 2017, Human Rights Watch interviewed 17 Chinese LGBT people who said they had been pressured into undergoing conversion therapy because of family and social pressures. Read more via the Guardian