A student has accused his former vocational school of expelling him over a speech he gave on gay rights more than a year ago, highlighting the challenges many LGBT students continue to face despite heightened awareness and gradually changing attitudes. The student, Hu Siyi, said he was asked to leave Beijing Economy and Trade Senior Technique School after it learned that he had delivered a speech on anti-gay discrimination at an event in December 2019, according to a post Sunday on microblogging platform Weibo that has since been widely shared. “I was under 18 when I was expelled,” Hu, who identifies as gay, wrote in the post, which included photos identifying him and documentation of his medically diagnosed depression. “They deprived me of my right to an education.” On Tuesday, Hu told Sixth Tone that he had given the speech to an audience of some 700 people at an event associated with The Human Library, a project that began in Denmark two decades ago. It encourages volunteers to share their stories and challenge stereotypes, and has gained popularity in Chinese schools.