Goths across China are now coming out of the shadows and into the light of social media to show off their clothing, lipstick, and eyeliner to a Chinese metro system.
The whole thing began on March 10th, when a young woman was prevented from entering a Guangzhou subway station by security because her gothic make-up was deemed “too frightening” and might upset other commuters. She was told that she would have to clean up her face if she wanted to ride the metro.
Afterward, the woman posted about the experience on Weibo, challenging the authorities to cite any actual law that bars her from riding the subway while wearing gothic make-up. The Guangzhou Metro responded by apologizing for the incident, explaining that the staff member responsible had been suspended for “inappropriate behavior.”
However, that has done little to stem the backlash against the organization. A viral hashtag “#selfieforGuangzhoumetro” has popped up online featuring hundreds of Chinese goths sharing photos of themselves and asking the metro system if they would also be barred from entering simply for their choice of style:
Generally, metro systems in China don’t seem to have any specific dress code, though sometimes informal ones are enforced by commuters. On Halloween last year, an angry uncle on the Qingdao subway loudly told one costumed young woman that she looked like a “prostitute.”