This article requires pre-publication review by an uninvolved reviewer (one not substantially involved in writing the article). –Article last amended: Apr 3 at 6:15:34 UTC (history) |
| This article requires pre-publication review by an uninvolved reviewer (one not substantially involved in writing the article). –Article last amended: Apr 3 at 6:15:34 UTC (history) |
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
- A double suicide revealed the challenging circumstances faced by transgenders in China
“We will be together forever.”
It is a caption of a photo showing two hugging, posted on Twitter, now X.
This is not the beginning of a romantic tale, but the tragic end of a depressing love story.
On 5 November last year, in {{w|Zhongshan|Chungshan}}, China. Cheng and Chung poisoned themselves with lethal substances to death in a hotel as the sky turned dark. Their bodies were discovered a day later.
Instead of dying down quietly, the double suicides triggered a series of events.
Both Cheng and Chung were male-to-female transgenders. They had received {{w|Feminizing hormone therapy|hormone therapy}} as part of the feminising treatment and shared their daily lives on Twitter. Not a few of those tweets were pessimistic. Some even carried suicidal thoughts.
- Combined pressure from society and authorities
Lives for the transgender community of China have been difficult, for not being accepted by the conservative society that triumphs over traditional family values and stigmatises sexual minorities. The pressure grew heavier after the new restrictions by the government.
In December 2022, the Chinese authorities demanded online shopping platforms ban a list of drugs that include popular types of hormones, the crucial medications to induce feminization and produce physical changes. Activists said the ban had sent the community into a state of panic, with a “significant increase” of suicide cases observed in the following months.
The wave of deaths continued into the new year in 2024, as the double suicides prompted a police investigation.
- Police probe
Just a month after the suicidal cases, on 6 December, police in Chungshan detained a man, surnamed Wang. Chinese Wikinews, citing sources close to the matter, said Wang was a purchasing agent. These agents were on the rise in the transgender groups as a result of the new policy and the shortage of doctors to administer hormones, despite being banned years ago.
In the aftermath of the crackdown, transgenders in China were forced to acquire the medication through illegal channels. The purchasing agents continued shipping prohibited substances from overseas, and secretly sold them to the transgenders. Wang went further and bought capsules to prepare hormone medication for the transgender buyers, and had therefore earned his reputation in the group.
Some others went with easier paths, such as purchasing animal drugs or chemicals that could be easily found on the internet, to mix the potion by themselves.
Chinese Wikinews reported the chemicals that killed Ching and Chung were purchased by them earlier without difficulties, while Wong produced the poisonous capsule for them.
Sources said Wong had no knowledge that the capsules would be used to end their lives. He was then with his friend Ku on the train from the nearby city of {{w|Dongguan|Tungkuan}} to his home in {{w|Guangzhou|Canton}}.
The police continued the probe and raided Wang and his roommate Yu, seizing electronic devices and large amounts of medicines, including the psychoactive drug that was acquired legally by Yu from a hospital. Wong and Yu were said to have had a problematic affair. Unverified claims made recently on social media accused Wang of once raping overdosed Yu.
After attempting to injure herself, Yu was released from police detention. Wang, on the other hand, was later charged with obstructing the administration of drugs for the illegal purchase of drugs and capsules.
Wang, diagnosed with {{w|bipolar disorder|bipolar disorder}}, was brought to the procuratorate. His parents were told of the indictment only after Ku revealed the situation. According to Ku, they seemed to be uncaring of the events and only submitted Wang’s medical record to the prosecutors after the seven-day appeal period. The prosecutors eventually pressed on with psychiatric evaluation before trial.
- Despair but with hope
Wang’s friends tried to make contact with Wang and his parents but made no progress. A sense of despair was growing.
Lu, a friend of Wang, chose a drug overdose and passed away on 8 January after four days in a coma.
Struggling with self-harm for months, Yu jumped to death on 19 February.
Nine days later, Ku went with Yu, after finishing the follow-up for the deceased.
The series of deaths had sent shockwaves. As for Cheng’s Twitter, scheduled tweets were published after her death. One cursed the medical workers working in the psychological ward of two hospitals: “You shall never rest in peace”. Another accused her “scumbag” parents of domestic violence.
Condolences flooded the comment section of the tweets with the hopelessness of the community. To them, the future for the trans is gloomy and distressful.
Challenges may still lie ahead, but some wished to shed light on those peers who stayed alive.
“If you choose to commit suicide, I will probably raid your home and beat you with all my strength. For others, feel free to drop in at QQ [instant messaging platform in China] when you are feeling down. In short, please, please don’t die.”
