Chinese “Tongzhi” community, civil society, and online activism

This article discusses how LGBT activists in China employ different ICTs for their causes and the challenges that they face. The discussion is based on a review of relevant studies and some preliminary results from an ethnographic study of an LGBT organization Shen Lan in Tianjian, a major port city in northeastern China. The study suggests that in a heavily regulated political environment, many civil rights organizations such as the Shen Lan group takes a non-confrontational approach in their online and offline advocacy work, demonstrating a type of activism with Chinese characteristics.