Same-Sex Marriage In Fujian Province Draws Large, Cheering Crowd

In Fu’an, Fujian province on Tuesday, a pair of men publicly declared their love by holding an outdoor wedding that drew “countless eyeballs,” according to the video description.

Of course, China doesn’t recognize same-sex marriages or civil unions, so the display was merely symbolic. But it was a sweet display nonetheless.

In January 2010, AFP wrote, “State press splashed a front-page photo of China’s first publicly ‘married’ gay couple on Wednesday — the latest sign of new openness about homosexuality in a country where it has long been taboo.” In a country where homosexuality was “illegal” until 1997, that indeed was a big leap. And this? A small step, but one in the right direction.

While I don’t think it’s strictly necessary (or fair) to compare gay rights in China vs. the US, this factoid from a 2009 Guardian article by Tania Branigan has always struck me as significant, but in all the wrong ways for those in America:

Gay men and lesbians say there is less overt hostility than in the west and certainly less physical harassment. Li’s research [Li Yinghe, an academic at the prestigious Chinese Academy of Social Sciences] in cities suggests about 91% of people are happy to work with gay colleagues – a higher rate than in US surveys – and that 30% back gay marriage.

She argues that Chinese culture has historically been more tolerant than others: “We don’t have religions which are absolutely against homosexuality, for example. But the pressure to marry is huge – far greater than in the west.”

Wouldn’t that be something? If China, of all countries, outpaced the US in acceptance of gay couples.

    7 Responses to “Same-Sex Marriage In Fujian Province Draws Large, Cheering Crowd”

    1. bert

      “We don’t have religions which are absolutely against homosexuality, for example. But the pressure to marry is huge – far greater than in the west.”

      They also have a lot of other things, which some people might say they don’t have, due to no religious foundation.

      tit for tat.

      Reply
    2. King Tubby

      In contrast to the US and the Islamic world, this is one of the great things about China. And it should not be dismissed lightly.

      Again, Fujian my Sino home province.

      Yes, the PRC is still capable of teaching things to the West.

      Good one, My Two Star General.

      Reply
    3. King Tubby

      Bert. Shit, I must be getting slow.
      Get your ashes hauled, my friend.
      It tends to change one’s view of the world.

      Betram. Do you live in some crummy London bedsit?

      Reply

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