New trends in gender and sexuality today: LGBTQ

New trends in gender and
sexuality today: LGBTQ
LI XINZHUO, LU LINGZHI, LYNN WAKERMAN, PAMELA LOH, YUE SI EN Content
Background
New trends
Marriages of convenience
Parents advocate gay rights
Increase in online platforms
LGBTQ awareness and activism
Discrimination
Family
Government policies
Employment
Media censorship
Cancellation of events
Conclusion
Background
LGBTQ - An Umbrella Term
L: Lesbian
G: Gay
B: Bisexual
T: Transgender - A term used to describe someone whose gender
identity falls outside of the stereotypical gender norm.
•  Q:Queer/Questioning - An umbrella term sometimes used by
LGBTQA people to refer to the entire LGBT community / For
some, the process of exploring and discovering one's own sexual
orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. • 
• 
• 
• 
Background New Trends DiscriminaAon Conclusion
Background
Male
Female
Intersex
T, Q
L, G, B
Background New Trends DiscriminaAon Conclusion
History
Homosexuality has been documented in
China since ancient times.
•  “Duan Xiu” （断袖）
•  “Mo Jing” （磨镜）
Source: Hinsch, Bret. (1990). Passions of the Cut Sleeve. University of California Press. Pp. 31-­‐36. Background New Trends DiscriminaAon Conclusion
Landmarks: Legislation
•  1997: Decriminalization of “hooliganism”.
•  2001: Decision to remove homosexuality
from the list of mental diseases.
Background New Trends DiscriminaAon Conclusion
Estimated Population of L & G
•  2004 Gay Population: 5 to 10 Million
(XinHua News Agency)
•  39 to 52 Million Homosexual population
(Sociologist Li YinHe)
Background New Trends DiscriminaAon Conclusion
Introductory video
Background New Trends DiscriminaAon Conclusion
New trends
Marriages of Convenience
•  Used as a cover up for homosexuality
•  Gives rise to homowives (同妻tongqi) and
formality marriages (xinhun)
Background New Trends DiscriminaAon Conclusion
Homowives (tongqi 同妻)
●  Heterosexual women married to gay men
●  Estimated 10 - 16 million homowives in China
●  Majority unaware of husband’s sexual orientation at
point of marriage
●  Often lead emotionally and sexually barren lives
Background New Trends DiscriminaAon Conclusion
Homowives (tongqi 同妻)
●  Why are homowives so prevalent in China? Cultural
expectations and societal pressure of marriage and
procreation
●  Unexpected outcome: homowives advocate for
homosexuals’ equal rights and legalization of gay
marriage
●  More vocal about situation, raise awareness
Background New Trends DiscriminaAon Conclusion
Formality Marriages (xinghun)
● 
● 
● 
● 
Alternative to gay men marrying a heterosexual partner
Formality marriage between a gay and a lesbian
“Mutual support marriage”
Xinghun couples usually live separately, each
maintaining their own same gender partners
Background New Trends DiscriminaAon Conclusion
Formality Marriages (xinghun)
●  May result in familial estrangement
●  One-child policy: emotional ties between family
members more valued, more pressure to continue the
family line
●  Still highly conformist society
Background New Trends DiscriminaAon Conclusion
Formality Marriages (xinghun)
●  Less emotional harm than a heterosexual marrying a
homosexual
●  Time and energy required to maintain the semblance of
a heterosexual marriage while having a homosexual
relationship
●  Perpetuation of homophobia
●  Individuals will use it as cover-up
●  No change in societal mindset
Background New Trends DiscriminaAon Conclusion
Parents seeking for rights
●  More parents go from
mindset of denial to one
of acceptance
●  Join advocacy of gay
rights groups (E.g.
Parents, Families,
Friends of Lesbians and
Gays (PFLAG) China)
Background New Trends DiscriminaAon Conclusion
Online platforms
●  Allow gays in China to share their experiences online
●  Gay dating applications and websites
●  People in China are now able to learn more about gay
people through this websites since homosexuality is no
longer illegal
Background New Trends DiscriminaAon Conclusion
Transgender in China
●  “Woman trap in a Man’s body”
●  Estimated to have 400,000 transgender individuals in
china
●  The society has become more accepting towards
transgender
●  According to chinese law, one has to live as the opposite
gender for at least 2 years before reassignment surgery
can be approved
Background New Trends DiscriminaAon Conclusion
Qian Jinfan
●  Took female hormones
and dressed like a
woman at 80 years old
●  Married to a woman
before the transition
●  In the process, she
decided to share her
story with the media
Background New Trends DiscriminaAon Conclusion
LGBTQ awareness
●  Shanghai pride, a LGBTQ event
which was first held in 2009
●  Film on transgender identity and
homophobic violence was shown
during the film festival
Background New Trends DiscriminaAon Conclusion
Li Yinhe 李银河
●  Sociologist, author and LGBT
activist
●  In a long term relationship
with a transgender man after
husband’s death
●  Makes annual proposals to the
Chinese People’s Political
Consultative Conference
(CPPCC) for the legalisation of
gay marriage
Background New Trends DiscriminaAon Conclusion
Discrimination
Family
● 
● 
● 
● 
Homosexuality no longer criminalised Still morally “wrong”
Parents (older generation) unable to understand
Transgenders MUST tell immediate family before
surgical procedure
Background New Trends Discrimina4on
Conclusion
Family
●  Pressurise individuals to go
through electroshock
conversion therapy
●  Homosexuals lie that therapy
has been effective to escape
the pain
●  However, such treatment
clinics are illegal
Background New Trends Discrimina4on
Conclusion
Family
●  Many distance themselves
●  Start new lives with new identities
●  97% of transgendered interviewees have moved out of
their hometowns to seek more accepting communities
in larger cities
Background New Trends Discrimina4on
Conclusion
Government policies – homo/bi
●  Marriage rights not protected
Background New Trends Discrimina4on
Conclusion
Government policies – transgender
●  “Visible” difference
●  Lack of healthcare resources – basic healthcare not
guaranteed
●  Few organisations providing mental healthcare
Background New Trends Discrimina4on
Conclusion
Government policies – transgender
●  Lack of anti-discrimination laws
●  Legal rights not enforced
●  Police may hold prejudice - many transgender people
were beaten up by police
Background New Trends Discrimina4on
Conclusion
Employment – homo/bi
●  Might be denied promotion / fired due to sexual
orientation
●  January 2015: Mu Yi fired by employer after a video
revealed his sexual orientation
●  Sued his employer for compensation of 50,000 yuan
●  Verdict is pending
Background New Trends Discrimina4on
Conclusion
Employment – transgender
●  Qualification are nullified (records show a different
gender)
●  Social stigma restricts them from many job options
●  Forced into freelance industries / illegal trade (included
sex)
●  Not protected by laws
Background New Trends Discrimina4on
Conclusion
Jin Xing 金星
World renowned dancer
Married to a German
Has 3 children
Surgically altered gender
in 1995
●  Government banned her
from judging a televised
dance competition in
2012
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Background New Trends Discrimina4on
Conclusion
Media censorship
●  Posts promoting LGBT events
removed on social media
●  Slash fanfiction being removed (E.g.
Sherlock/Watson)
●  Movies with homosexual content
banned from theatres
Background New Trends Discrimina4on
Conclusion
Cancellation of events
●  Gay Pride Parade (Shanghai,
2009)
●  Mr. Gay China pageant (2010)
●  Valentine’s Day kissing contest
(Beijing, 2011)
●  Negative feelings of anger and
hurt
Background New Trends Discrimina4on
Conclusion
Conclusion
“Freedom is perhaps the most important thing in the
Western world, but for us Chinese people, the most
important thing is harmony.” – Anonymous man from
Guangzhou
Background New Trends DiscriminaAon Conclusion
Thank you!
References
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