The Chengdu Hunters have made a statement on the team’s Weibo page today in celebration of Pride month, becoming the first Chinese Overwatch League team to do so.
Several teams have made supportive posts about the LGBTQ+ community in the past, but some thought the Chinese OWL teams would be reluctant to because of how LGBTQ+ people are treated in China. Despite same-sex sexual activity being legal in the country for over 20 years now, LGBTQ+ people still face legal and social challenges, such as same-sex marriage and the ability to adopt a child.
It’s not a crime to post about LGBTQ+ on Weibo, but it’s generally frowned upon and there’s no law preventing discrimination against that community throughout China. Chengdu, in particular, is known as one of the most LGBTQ+-friendly cities in all of China, however, so if any team was going to make a statement, the Hunters were at the top of that list.
Multiple North American teams were even behind the Hunters in making LGBTQ+ supportive posts. The team has yet to post a similar message on Twitter, however, with its last tweet being about the Overwatch anniversary and some art.
More organizations might notice how Chengdu is taking a stand for LGBTQ+ rights and follow suit, regardless of what backlash they might face for their comments. This specific post has been met with mostly positive feedback, though.
