A group of gays and lesbians in Beijing have held the country's first public appeal for the support of same sex marriage in China.
A gay man handing out red carnations wrapped in leaflets calling for the acceptance of gay love and marriage in eijing's central business district on Feb 14. (Photo by Dinah Gardner)
"Love has no boundaries; it is nothing to do with gender," the flyer read. "We are homosexuals. We also want a life together with our loved one please support all kinds of partnerships and all kinds of love. Please support same sex marriage."
This kind of action is very unusual in China; unauthorised public protests are usually broken up the police. In 2005 a gay and lesbian culture festival was broken up by the police on the grounds the organisers had not sought permission to hold the event.
"We were concerned about security, we had lots of meetings about that," said Xian, one of the protest's lesbian organisers.
"This is different, our action can be considered kind of political. So we chose this area because we think there will be less police here. Also there are a lot of white collar workers here, higher educated people, the group we are seeking support from." Their protest, which lasted about 20 minutes, went ahead undisturbed.
Many of those who accepted the flowers said they supported the action and gay marriage in China.
"I think it's only fair; it's everybody's right to get married," said Liu Peng, a 21-year-old student of banking. "I support them. I think it's great."
"I don't know when China will have gay marriage," he added. "Not now, but in the future I think China will have gay marriage but I can't say when, maybe far in the future." Lie said he was not gay.
Rain Xia, a 25-year-old straight male said: "It's kind of surprising to get this kind of thing [public call for gay marriage]. I never expected it was this. But I can understand them and I support them. It's a human right for everyone to be able to get married."
But not everyone was so sympathetic. His colleague, Christina Wang, said she did not support the protest.
"I don't support this because of my religion," the 31-year-old headhunter, who is married, said. "I am a Christian and I don't think it's right. I don't think it's healthy to be gay."
Xian said she felt it was the right time to make this kind of protest because China's gays and lesbians are growing more confident.
"We're doing it now because there are now so many lesbians ready to come out and to stand up for their rights," she said. "When we started organising this we had no trouble at all finding people. In fact we had trouble finding boys." Only one gay man helped hand out flowers.
Ming Ming, who was helping to film the protest, said she was surprised how attitudes towards gays have changed over the past few years.
"Compared to a few years ago people seem more open to gays and gay marriage and more accepting. The change is really noticeable."
Xian said she was happy with the way the protest had gone.
"I think it was a success," she said. "People said they supported us. One girl took a flower and said it's great because she's a lesbian too."
While life has become easier for China's urban gays and lesbians and the media has become more queer friendly, many homosexuals still end up in conventional marriages because of familial and societal pressure.
Renowned sexologist, Li Yinhe, has submitted proposals to legalise gay marriage in China three times at the annual meeting of parliament. Each proposal was rejected. The country's gays and lesbians were hoping she would submit a fourth proposal this month, but Li wrote in a recent blog entry that she was retiring from campaigning for sexuality-related civil rights because of pressure from her higher-ups. The professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences as once listed as one of China's 50 Most Influential People by Asiaweek magazine.
"Gay marriage is not something that our country can accept at this stage of its cultural development," wrote Li. "History will change when it must. And perhaps I will only be able to be a bystander when the change comes, rather than a participant."
Reader's Comments
hope to see this happen in s'pore
wa a nee
It's too bad only one gay man participated in the protest, but it's a begining. I applaud the courage of lesbians there in Beijing and around the world for that matter!
whoever involved will be remembered in history.
The comment I wouldl like to make is -- where are the images of the lesbian sisters who formed the majority of the activists on the street !?! I am glad that one strong gay man participated, but we need to see the images of the women!
Ganbateh!!!
Mmmmmm
my tear was dropped down when i read this articles, so dramatic in such a tremendous development and era of globalizations like this
Hope gays people in Indonesia do some things!!
Cha yo....!
oops....close my house...
Message Written From:3SG Ahmad(ActTheFool)
Singaporean(my msn is planters_sachok@hotmail.com)
I support all rights, even the basketball player that came out and expressed his hate for gays it is his right but worng ha ha
A few more brave men will surely come forward as time goes on.
If this had been held in any other place, one doubts that it might have passed off as peacefully.
A very brave and wonderful step to a civil society in China a land of 1.3 billion souls and growing.
Singapore....??
Give me a break!!!
This accursed country even still consider gay sex a crime, let alone marriage.
Even only half of the youngsters are tolerant to gay people.
As I am more into "gay theme", I was very surprised to find a great many gay activities in acient China among the novels and literatures. I believe it was accepted in acient China. I don't know when and how Chinese change their attitudes toward homosexual activites. I wish we, as gay Chinese, will be accepted by our motherland and our family soon!
I've found that my friends in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China are much more gung ho and fearless when it comes to self-identity and fighting for it.
Good job guys, and keep it up! We definitely need more role models, and to keep hearing such stories to keep our spirits up and inspire the rest of us to better things.
By then, the conflict will be diminished, but unfortortunately, it may never end totally. Just like all other kinds of discrimination. Why? Because it's human nature. Until we all realize that we're all part of the "man" kind.... Surprised? Well, the truth is, not everyone knows that!
It is great news that there are more than just a few good people moving things forward for our LGBT sisters and brothers in Beijing.
Sending all my SOLIDARITY and SUPPORT to our queer comrades in CHINA!
Let's move the middle kingdom into one where ALL people are free to love, live & thrive with dignity. . . where ever they chose to sit amidst the big and beautiful RAINBOW.
Still, whether you are straight or bi or gay or transgender or anything in between apart from the 2 mainstream genders, I believe that as a human, one should be entitled to a happy relationship and the right to consummate your happiness with your beloved.
"Not healthy to be gay": Such words only serve to expose the self-loathing and hatred uttered by such individuals. It only drives in the pain in my heart, surely a slim fraction of what all LBGTs must feel. Some days, I just ponder the point of being a human when all we do is sow discord, disharmony and misery among one another. And then, I look at myself and realise that all is not so bad. After all, I love myself and thus affirm my existence on Earth. :)
I doubt our little country will witness such an event. The well intended organizer for the infamous "Nation Party" were labelled as "sick" by some & the media sensationise the whole issue, let alone if some brave LGBT starts giving leaflet or flowers, I guess the ISA will come in good use.
Using religion to veil his/her opinion simply sheild their inner voice of discrimination towards PLU.
sghill
If Chinese people just looked at their own history - how many bisexual (or gay?) Emperors there have been in the past - they would understand that it's just human nature.
Good luck to all those involved in the campaign. I hope our messages of support get forwarded somehow to Xian, Ming Ming & Li Yinhe.
Perhaps Ms Li could help forward our comments to those law-makers who have closed minds, yet are aware of how the world views China as she gradually opens up.
hope more and more people endeavor to promote a right consciousness to others and accept the normal phonomenon~~
let us wait and see with our patience and don't make a hasty decision~~
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