China has had its reservations about the LGBTQ+ community in its recent history, but under Xi Jinping’s rule only traditional heterosexual values are accepted.
Shanghai Gay Pride 2009. Kris Krug. CC BY-SA 2.0
The LGBTQ+ community has never had it easy in China — from constant surveillance and intimidation to censorship and even police detention, the community has been met with constant repression.
There was a period in the early 2000s, however, when it seemed as if things might have been changing. Gay clubs were flourishing, and there was a feeling of acceptance that came along with increased social services. Those days are gone, and the reality has become quite different under the rule of President Xi Jinping as China slowly becomes a more conservative country.
But it hasn’t always been like this. While many believe heterosexual traditions have been a hallmark of Chinese culture throughout history, this was not the case before the 19th century: centuries ago homosexuality wasn’t just accepted, but celebrated. One text entitled, “Passions of the Cut Sleeve” depicted an emperor and a servant sharing a bed. The emperor wanted to get out of bed, and to avoid disturbing the servant’s sleep, the emperor cut the sleeve the servant was resting on. While this act could be interpreted differently, the standard interpretation is that it was done out of love.
This work was celebrated by scholars and is proof that the intolerance of homosexuality has never been a traditional aspect of Chinese culture. But when Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong rose to power later on in the 20th century, there was a sudden shift in attitude.
LGBTQ Flag. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory - PNNL. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
He encouraged China to embrace modernity. That meant exposing the country to Western culture, which also included exposure to Western concepts of sexuality and, therefore, Western homophobia. Mao imported the notion that homosexuality was an illness and that same-sex attraction was a mental disorder that needed to be cured. Up until 1997, men caught engaging in homosexual acts could be persecuted with charges of “hooliganism,” a crime that that offended against public order.
Today being gay is not illegal in China, but that doesn’t mean the negative stigma around homosexuality has changed. When Xi Jinping became president in 2012, the old Western-inspired values on what a family should look like have come to dominate society once again, to the point where the pressure to remain in the closet became almost unbearable.
There are many people in the Chinese LGBTQ+ community who refuse to fake their “straightness” and have therefore left their homeland. This is known as “sexual migration” and mostly occurs due to both external and internal pressures.
Internet platforms have also stepped in to enforce the party line. The popular TV show “Friends” had a plotline involving main character Ross’ lesbian ex-wife which has been censored in China, along with any other mentions of the LGBTQ+ community and sex. The gay-dating service app Grindr has also been removed from China’s Apple app store.
China is growing more suspicious and even hostile to homosexuality, labeling it as a “Western influence.” Being bisexual, gay, or trans is ironically seen as a Western import and is increasingly not accepted. Homosexuality may have been decriminalized in 1997, but is still very much confined to the shadows.
Michelle Tian
Michelle is a senior at Boston University, majoring in journalism and minoring in philosophy. Her parents are first-generation immigrants from China, so her love for different cultures and traveling came naturally at a young age. After graduation, she hopes to continue sharing important messages through her work