Altercation in a restaurant bathroom shows that China’s toilet revolution still has a long way to go.
By Qian Jinghua
An alleged assault on a lesbian couple at an upscale restaurant and bar in Shanghai on Sunday has the city’s LGBT community calling for a boycott of the establishment.
After drinks with friends on Sunday evening, the couple went to the women’s bathroom on their way out of The Nest, a lounge in the city’s ritzy Bund area. A female manager stopped one of the women, a 47-year-old surnamed Chang, mistaking her for a man.
“This manager chased us into the bathroom even after I said, ‘I’m a girl; I’m rightfully going to the bathroom,’” Chang told Sixth Tone on Tuesday.
According to Chang, the manager started shouting in Chinese, “You people, neither male nor female — I’ve seen plenty like you.” When Chang emerged from the bathroom stall, she said, she found male security guards pinning her partner to the ground and beating her. Chang tried to tear the men away but was punched in the head.
“My partner has bruises all over [her] face and body ... I have three lumps on my head,” Chang told Sixth Tone. On the night of the incident, their party of seven women went to the police station along with three of The Nest’s staff — the female manager and two men — but the police merely told them to work it out themselves. The following day, Chang and her partner underwent medical examinations, including CT scans, at a local hospital.
Mark Klingspon, managing director and partner at The Nest, sent Sixth Tone a bilingual statement on Tuesday saying that the company was “shocked and saddened to find allegations of a ‘hate crime’ circulating on social media.”
“While there was a security incident on Sunday evening starting from a misunderstanding, the magnitude of the accusations requires a review that goes beyond the reports filed with the authorities by both parties on the night,” the statement reads, explaining that the business plans to speak to everyone involved and examine all evidence to determine the facts and take appropriate action.
Klingspon told Sixth Tone on Tuesday evening that he would prepare a concluding statement once the review was complete, and that no one else was authorized to speak to media on behalf of The Nest. “I categorically deny that our business discriminates in any way against any one based on sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion or anything,” Klingspon added. “We fully embrace diversity with our guests and within our own team.”
Shanghai is regarded as one of China’s most queer-friendly cities, and many people from around the country and the world flock to the urban center for its open-minded atmosphere and vibrant cultural life, which includes the long-running ShanghaiPRIDE festival, Shanghai Queer Film Festival, and many gay bars.
Chang is an American who has lived in Shanghai since 2002, while her girlfriend is a Chinese national. “I always felt rather safe in this city because I don’t often frequent places I don’t know,” Chang said, adding that she had been a regular at The Nest. The establishment belongs to Muse Group, a major player in Shanghai’s nightlife scene. After the incident was publicized on Tuesday, prominent members of the city’s sizable LGBTIQ community called for allies to boycott the business and leave negative reviews online.
The right to use the bathroom, regardless of gender identity or presentation, has been a fraught issue around the world. In China, civil society groups such as Beijing Gender have campaigned for “gender-friendly toilets” that anyone can use, after transgender activist Chao Xiaomi was harassed when using a public bathroom in the capital.
Meanwhile, mothers have called for better breast-feeding facilities, and feminists have protested what they say are unequal ratios of bathrooms for men and women. Public welfare organizations, too, are doing their part to clean up the nation’s toilets. Last month, President Xi Jinping himself cheered on China’s “toilet revolution,” urging the nation to upgrade public facilities to improve quality of life and boost tourism.
But for individuals whose appearance challenges gender norms, using the bathroom can give rise to a moment of anxiety. Chang says that while she has been questioned before when using public bathrooms, she will usually explain that she is in the right place, and the person will apologize.
“It’s unbelievable that because I had to pee, we got beaten up,” she said. “I’m still in shock.”
Editor: Jessica Levine.
(Header image: Gleb Garanich/VCG)
You may also want to read:
Meet the Lawyers Fighting for LGBT Rights
Why Chinese Nationalists Have a Homophobia Problem
Unisex Toilets Suggest Officials Listening After All
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