China and the LGBTQ+ Community

Michael Matthews
The past five years have brought more progress to the global LGBTQ+ community than
in the two decades that preceded them. With the United States and 12 other countries legalizing
same-sex marriage in the past five years alone, the cultural impact of such a rapid sea change
cannot be understated. China, although straggling in providing equal rights and protections to the
LGBTQ+ community within its borders, is not immune to this change. Recent encroachment by
the government upon the community has been rebutted by the Chinese people, such as in 2017
when the government quickly reversed its decision to suppress discussion of the LGBTQ+
community on social media. These shifting attitudes are just another swing in China’s
relationship with its LGBTQ+ population, a relationship that has swung to both extremes.
As far back as the Shang dynasty (16th-11th centuries BCE), homosexuality and the
LGBTQ+ community have been documented in China’s culture. At the time, there was no stigma
associated with being transgender or queer, and this attitude persisted through Imperial China,
with same-sex marriages not uncommonplace. There is extensive documentation of this history,
as many emperors took on male lovers, often servants. These lovers were documented and
reported by the government in annual reports, and as a result homosexual behavior was not
considered taboo. One term used at the time to describe this kind of relationship as “cut sleeve”,
as it was said Emperor Ai of Han, when called for a meeting, had cut his sleeve after finding his
male lover sleeping upon it. Such openness to queer behavior was challenged in 1546 with an
attempted ban on homosexual activity, however it was largely ignored and did not impact
cultural norms.
Unlike many other countries, heterosexism in China is not rooted in religious beliefs, but
instead in Confucian ideals, specifically that of Filial Piety, or a commitment to family
hierarchies and continuing the family line. There are five types of relationships in Confucianism,
two of which are father to son and husband to wife. Same-sex behavior threatens both of these
ideals, firstly by eliminating the power dynamic in a heterosexual relationship and secondly by
inhibiting procreation. This breach of moral code is the root of most of the stigma against the
LGBTQ+ community for most Chinese people. An exception can be made, however, for Chinese
Muslims, as religious beliefs then become a major factor in acceptance, or the lack thereof.
Xinjiang is, compared to the other provinces, relatively rife with discrimination against lesbians
as a result of Islamic pressures.
A shift in attitudes away from acceptance began soon after Westernization kickstarted in
the late Qing dynasty and early Republic of China. By the 20th century, legal consequences were
placed upon homosexual behavior, which had by then become described as “sodomy”. When
Mao took power and the Cultural Revolution took hold, heavy persecution and stigma was
imposed upon the LGBTQ+ community, with both transgender identities and homosexuality
classified as mental illnesses in the Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders 3. In 2001
homosexuality was removed from the classification, but transgender identities remain on the list
to this day. Preceding that change was the 1997 lifting of the ban on homosexual activity.
Another relatively recent shift was the legalization of gender reassignment surgery.
 Now, a large generation gap persists, with young Chinese digital natives being much
more likely to accept and understand LGBTQ+ people. Commonly, LGBTQ+ youth find it
difficult to broach the subject with older relatives, as homosexuality was so well-repressed in the
past that much of the older population has never encountered someone who is not cisgender and
heterosexual. To help broach the subject and build an understanding, a recent highly-publicized
trend has been coming out and wedding cruises, where LGBTQ+ bring their unexpected families
to a cruise ship in international waters where open and honest discussion can take place, without
government interference. Authorities have threatened to stop the cruises in the past, but enough
cruises have occurred for them to be featured in multiple foreign press outlets. In these cruises,
open panels are held with volunteer counselors present, with volunteers helping to mediate first-
time discussions of sexuality and gender between LGBTQ+ people and their loved ones. In
addition, a symbolic multi-couple same-sex marriage ceremony is performed in front of the
cruise ship’s guests. Notably, the ceremony is performed in the traditional Chinese manner, with
the lovers crossing each other’s arms and drinking wine in celebration. On such cruises, there
have been incidents of violence breaking out, but usually such situations are quickly resolved
and are rare.
Discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in China doesn’t stop at marriage inequality.
There are no codified legal protections against housing discrimination, healthcare discrimination,
or employment discrimination, and abortion is banned for same-sex couples. Further, gay men
are not permitted to donate blood, like in the United States, and serving in the military while
openly LGBTQ+ is illegal. There are some paltry legal protections for the LGBTQ+ community,
with conversion therapy banned since December 2014 and gender reassignment surgeries
permitted. However, in 2009 the Chinese government placed a ban on minors revising their legal
gender, as there was an arbitrary age limit, 20, imposed upon the procedures. The Shanxi
province makes an exception, allowing minors to apply for the change as long as they also
provide some of their parent’s identification.
With this understanding of the situation for the Chinese LGBQ+ community, research
has been done into the attitudes towards transgender and queer people in each province. In this
research, conducted by Yuanyuan Wang, Zhishan Hu, and Ke Peng, three separate sets of data
were collected. The first, tolerance by heterosexuals, surveyed heterosexuals throughout China
on their perceptions of the LGBTQ+ community. The second, self-perceived discrimination
reported by LGBTQ+ people, captured the lived experience of queer and transgender people.
The third built upon the second, and examined self-perceived discrimination through different
lenses and spheres of life. Although not demonstrating causality, there was a correlation found
between higher economic development and improved treatment and perceptions of the LGBTQ+
community. For example, provinces in the northwest with relatively little economic development
harbored some of the most negative perceptions of the community, specifically gay men and
transgender people.
Interestingly, reported acceptance and tolerance of various sub-communities of the larger
LGBTQ+ community is rather high, according to the first set of data. This acceptance vanishes
when confronted with the prospect of a family member identifying as queer or transgender, as
can be seen below.

This finding makes complete sense when the previously discussed Confucian ideals of
filial piety are considered. With family playing such a pivotal role in Chinese culture, it is no
surprise a “violation” of filial duties would incur an intolerant response from heterosexual
Chinese people. This occurs in the data for each province, suggesting a common experience
throughout mainland China.
It is often noted that the conversation of tolerance should be framed more in rural and
urban terms. Often regarded as a very queer and transgender friendly and cosmopolitan city in
China is Shanghai. In the global English-language media, Shanghai often plays host to an
eclectic mix of LGBTQ+ interview subjects. Shanghai is not alone in harboring a thriving
LGBTQ+ community, as Beijing and other large urban centers throughout the nation are known
to be more and more open to queer and transgender residents. Cities also have more international
visitors and access to information, so it is not unimaginable those factors could also play a role in
the cities being a haven for the community.
In the second set of data, concerning perceived discrimination reported by LGBTQ+
people around China, it can be seen there is a near-universal experience of unequal treatment,
with little variation. Out of all of the sub-communities, the best-faring is the lesbian population,
which faces slightly less discrimination than the others throughout China. In the figure below,
the darker the orange, the more discrimination reported by LGBTQ+ residents of the province.

Finally, the third set of data delves deeper into perceived discrimination, highlighting
differences in the experience within various spheres of life. In general, lesbians and bisexuals
feel more comfortable in experiences with medical services than gay men and transgender people
do. In fact, transgender people experienced heightened levels of discrimination levels in medical
services when compared to the other sub-communities. Unfortunately, healthcare is the only
sphere that could even remotely be considered comfortable and inclusive for the LGBTQ+
community in China. In every other sphere, each sub-community faces mild to harsh
discrimination, with lesbians in Xinjiang reporting an alarming concentration of discrimination
from religious communities, likely attributable largely due to Islamic religious influence on
perceptions of lesbians as well as lower economic development compared to more urban
provinces.

In the media, LGBTQ+ respondents described subpar coverage of their community, as

well as biased reporting against it. Alarmingly, social services were also a highly-reported source
of discrimination for queer and transgender Chinese citizens, particularly in Qinghai.
Also studied was the rate at which LGBTQ+ people of the various sub-communities
disclosed their identity in different spheres of life. The majority of lesbians reported disclosing
their sexual orientation to their family and school, while a majority of gay men reported the same
in only one sphere: medical service. Interestingly, transgender respondents were more likely to
share their identity when receiving social services, even in the face of discrimination.
 China’s long and turbulent relationship with the LGBTQ+ community appears to be at a
crux, with queer and transgender citizens longing for the protections and equality they deserve.
As generational changes continue to take place, and an increasingly globalized society continues
to engage with a rapidly changing world, it isn’t far-fetched to imagine a China with equality for
transgender and queer people. Although traditional Confucian ideals heavily influence the
experience of this community, the relatively rapid progress of the past twenty years shows that
real change is within grasp.

Sources
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