>> reporter: some say chinese groups in china have been infiltrated by foreign forces to corrupt young minds and destabilize society. some now worried that foreign athletes calls for understanding may give even more to the back lash. >> i want to be a beacon of hope or a light for someone who might be struggling in the closet to know that they are worthy and they can exist as their true authentic selves in the world and in sports. >> reporter: but official embrace of that authentic citimight be confined to the bubble. as chinese officials work to erase every trace of lgbtq activity in public. most lgbtq activists we spoke to here reflect bondly on the beijing 2008 summer game. they say that felt like an opening up. it felt like tolerance but that was short-lived. under current leadership, they feel, those feats, rather, feel the chinese party ideology is leading society to reverse