HONG KONG, China (AFP) — A Hong Kong arts hub cancelled the revival of an LGBTQ-themed play hours before tickets went on sale on Saturday, the cast said, after complaints that it “defames” the Chinese city.

“We Are Gay” was written by Candace Chong, one of Hong Kong’s most celebrated playwrights, and describes a love triangle between three men.

It was first staged in Hong Kong in 2022 and was due to return to a centre in the West Kowloon Cultural District in November, but was cancelled about two hours before tickets were to go on sale.

The cancellation appeared to be another stinging defeat for Hong Kong’s LGBTQ community after lawmakers voted down a bill in September that would have granted limited rights to same-sex couples.

“The team will continue rehearsals and explore alternative performance options, as this is what brings us the most happiness,” the play’s cast said in a statement.

The West Kowloon Cultural District is run by a statutory body whose members are appointed by the government.

Officials from Hong Kong’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB), which administers cultural activities in the finance hub, told AFP on Saturday that it supported the venue’s decision to cancel the booking.

It said the West Kowloon Cultural District had received “a large number of complaints” alleging that the play “promotes confrontation and defames Hong Kong”.

The Beijing-backed newspapers Ta Kung Pao and Wen Wei Po both published articles on Saturday that criticised Chong for “waging political opposition under the guise of cultural work” in Hong Kong, and saying that “We Are Gay” was written to satirise the city.

Cast member Anthony Wong said in a social media post after the cancellation that there is “no depiction of the government or its policies” in the play.

Organisers of Pink Dot Hong Kong, one of the city’s largest events to celebrate diversity and promote LGBTQ rights, said in July it would not go ahead as planned because the West Kowloon Cultural District had denied it a venue “without explanation”.