Group supports gays to 'speak up' in China
Source: Xinhua |
July 4, 2013, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
XIAO Kai, a gay man from central China's Henan Province, finally managed to have the courage to tell his parents about his sexual orientation with the help of a support group that is helping other gays like him to come out in the open.
Xiao is the single son of a rural family from a village outside the city of Pingdingshan, where traditional beliefs remain strong.
Although earlier he "settled down" with a "fake" girlfriend, he eventually realized that he had to tell them the truth.
"I was tired of fooling my parents and hurting others," said Xiao, who lives in the provincial capital Zhengzhou with his boyfriend.
Although the parents were shocked by his revelation, they eventually accepted it on condition that he would not bring his boyfriend to their village.
Xiao's courage largely came from a support network called Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) China, a non-governmental organization of nearly 150 families of lesbians and gays.
Founded in 2008, PFLAG China works to support the relatives and friends of gays and lesbians, as well as h闃縠lps gays and lesbians during the difficult "coming out" process.
The organization has set up a hotline to promote better understanding for those in the LGBT community that is manned by the parents of lesbians and gays who wish to share their stories and experiences.
Wu Tao, a PFLAG China worker who organizes events for the families of gays and lesbians, said large-scale meetings will be held in 11 cities.
Xiao took his parents to a meeting in Zhengzhou, where parents shared their stories and experiences. "As long as my family supports me, I can ignore all other humiliations or prejudices," he said.
Long-standing traditions regarding marriage and the continuation of one's bloodline have resulted in many "fake" marriages, with gay men marrying straight women to deflect pressure from their relatives.
China has at least 10 million "gay wives," according to sexologist Zhang Beichuan, who added that nearly 90 percent of gay men are already married to or will eventually marry heterosexual women.
The Chinese law has not specifically banned homosexual marriage, however, a high-profile official from the civil affair department publicly spoke against it few years ago. Zhang has called for amending the existing marriage law to allow same-sex marriage, as well as for more efforts to educate the public about the issue.
Xiao is the single son of a rural family from a village outside the city of Pingdingshan, where traditional beliefs remain strong.
Although earlier he "settled down" with a "fake" girlfriend, he eventually realized that he had to tell them the truth.
"I was tired of fooling my parents and hurting others," said Xiao, who lives in the provincial capital Zhengzhou with his boyfriend.
Although the parents were shocked by his revelation, they eventually accepted it on condition that he would not bring his boyfriend to their village.
Xiao's courage largely came from a support network called Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) China, a non-governmental organization of nearly 150 families of lesbians and gays.
Founded in 2008, PFLAG China works to support the relatives and friends of gays and lesbians, as well as h闃縠lps gays and lesbians during the difficult "coming out" process.
The organization has set up a hotline to promote better understanding for those in the LGBT community that is manned by the parents of lesbians and gays who wish to share their stories and experiences.
Wu Tao, a PFLAG China worker who organizes events for the families of gays and lesbians, said large-scale meetings will be held in 11 cities.
Xiao took his parents to a meeting in Zhengzhou, where parents shared their stories and experiences. "As long as my family supports me, I can ignore all other humiliations or prejudices," he said.
Long-standing traditions regarding marriage and the continuation of one's bloodline have resulted in many "fake" marriages, with gay men marrying straight women to deflect pressure from their relatives.
China has at least 10 million "gay wives," according to sexologist Zhang Beichuan, who added that nearly 90 percent of gay men are already married to or will eventually marry heterosexual women.
The Chinese law has not specifically banned homosexual marriage, however, a high-profile official from the civil affair department publicly spoke against it few years ago. Zhang has called for amending the existing marriage law to allow same-sex marriage, as well as for more efforts to educate the public about the issue.
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