Fridae

As mainland China continues to exert control over Hong Kong - including shutting down independent media outlets and dismantling trade unions - there are growing fears that the LGBTQ community is particularly vulnerable to losing the equality gains that have been made in recent decades.

One of the leading voices in the struggle for LGBTQ equality in Hong Kong is singer Denise Ho.

Ho was recently arrested because of her association with Stand News - a pro-democracy media group. She has since been released on bail.

During the arrest, Hong Kong police searched Ho's home, confiscated her passport, identification card, phones, and computers.

While Ho and other representatives of Stand News were being arrested, more than 200 police officers raided the Stand News office. Authorities froze more than $8 million of the newspaper's assets. The newspaper announced its closure in a statement 10 hours after the arrests and raid.

While homosexuality is legal in Hong Kong, and there are some limited anti-discrimination protections in place, the suppression of independent media outlets and the attempts to silence high-profile figures such as Denise Ho are worrying signs for what lies ahead for LGBTQ equality in Hong Kong.