China's Blued, once the world's largest gay dating app, has been largely shut down by Beijing authorities in what appears to be a growing crackdown on queer spaces in the country.
In 2012, Li Keqiang, China's then-executive vice premier, shook hands with Ma Baoli, the founder of Blued, at an event. That meeting served as proof that Blued was not a platform for outcasts but one worth recognizing and investing in.
Blued was born out of an even longer-surviving gay online forum, making it a remarkable example of how skillful "dancers" like Ma navigate the delicate game of controlling what's allowed on the Chinese internet.
However, Blued's fate reflects that of many tech companies in China, where failure can be catastrophic due to government crackdowns.
The book profiles several other dancers, including those who quit after they could no longer tolerate censorship and those who fled the country after watching peers get arrested.
The author views "dancing out" - moving away from power centers like Beijing and Shanghai - as a form of passive resistance.
In 2012, Li Keqiang, China's then-executive vice premier, shook hands with Ma Baoli, the founder of Blued, at an event. That meeting served as proof that Blued was not a platform for outcasts but one worth recognizing and investing in.
Blued was born out of an even longer-surviving gay online forum, making it a remarkable example of how skillful "dancers" like Ma navigate the delicate game of controlling what's allowed on the Chinese internet.
However, Blued's fate reflects that of many tech companies in China, where failure can be catastrophic due to government crackdowns.
The book profiles several other dancers, including those who quit after they could no longer tolerate censorship and those who fled the country after watching peers get arrested.
The author views "dancing out" - moving away from power centers like Beijing and Shanghai - as a form of passive resistance.
China's Blued shutting down is super sad, feels like the govt is just trying to erase the LGBTQ+ community 
. I mean, think about it, in 2012 Li Keqiang was already getting all warm and fuzzy with Ma Baoli, but now its like they're trying to snuff out the progress 
. The way Blued was able to navigate the internet landscape and become a major player is still pretty impressive, but I guess when you're living in a country where one wrong move can mean catastrophic consequences, you gotta be super careful 
.
. Its not exactly a radical move, but I guess when you're talking about your life and freedom, sometimes that's all you can do 
. The author makes this point about how passive resistance is still a form of resistance, even if its not the most proactive one 
.
it was like the OG gay dating app back in the day remember when your uncle would say "go talk to the nice chinese boys on Blued"? anyway i guess thats the price they pay for playing with fire 
governments can be super strict and it looks like china's just trying to keep things under control. its weird tho because blued was actually supposed to help people connect and stuff but now its being shut down? that just seems so wrong 
this is so sad news 
.
. And now it's just...lost forever 
.
. I don't blame anyone who had to leave the country after watching their friends get arrested - it's not worth it, you know? 
!
i mean, isn't tech supposed to be all about freedom of expression? 
it's just so worrying thinking about these "dancers" who got forced out because of the government 
i feel for all the people who were using blued to connect and be themselves 
like who gets to decide what's allowed online anyway? 
it's crazy how easily china's government can silence these kinds of platforms. I feel so bad for the ppl who used to use Blued and now they can't anymore