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The group named in the ad isn’t listed among Election B.C.’s registered election advertising sponsors. A call to the group’s number listed in the ad didn’t generate a response.

The B.C. Liberals declined to comment (citing policy on any ads not by the party), and the NDP didn’t respond to media requests for a reaction.

Andrew Watson, manager of communications for Elections B.C., said there are no rules within the agency on regulating the content of ads like these, especially since the writ hasn’t yet been issued to signal the beginning of campaign season.

“Obviously, there are laws around libel, slander and hate speech, but those are not within our jurisdiction,” Watson said. “It’s not included in the Elections Act, and our role is to administer that act … During the campaign period, it is the advertising sponsors’ duty to register with us and file a financial report, but the Election Act doesn’t have any rules around the content.”

China — along with many places in the Far East — have an uneasy relationship with the LGBT community. While homosexuality is no longer illegal in most non-Muslim jurisdictions, the topic is still taboo throughout the region, and discussions are often pushed to the shadows of mainstream consciousness.

The strong social stigma can be seen in recent months in Taiwan — often deemed one of the most liberal societies in Asia — where attempts to legalize same-sex marriage have split public sentiment on the island, where traditional opponents have been equally as vocal as the younger generation of LGBT-rights supporters.