I agree with your editorial, “Let reason prevail in debate on gay rights” (July 20). I can’t say I was not initially taken aback by the headlines concerning the forced shutting down of university LGBT groups in mainland China, but I had a better picture after a closer look at the news. I was not privy to the activities of such groups that were shut down, but I had previously noticed LGBT groups with Chinese students promoting a platform that went way beyond advancing the LGBT cause, such as strongly questioning China’s human rights record. Curiously, they were not that many. Chinese culture, when it comes to this matter, is relatively conservative and it is not alone in Asia – most countries, even the most democratic ones, such as South Korea and Japan, are extremely traditional in this regard. If anything, comparatively speaking, the Chinese government has had a somewhat non-interfering position, unlike other Asian governments that engage in active prosecution. The recent policy of banning such groups from WeChat could be seen as more of a preventive measure, given the current heightened tensions and risks of politicisation. Such conventional views require gentle education in the interest of avoiding upheaval, like the first TV drama produced in Hong Kong with same-sex romance at its centre. A congratulatory note should be sent to ViuTV on their socially relevant foray into the subject with Ossan’s Love, a remake of the popular Japanese drama with the same title.