| OutUK's Adrian Gillan has visited the spectacular Beijing the capital of China and a country that's home to one in four of the world's LGBTs - that's over 100 million queers! | |
| First things first, being gay never was explicitly illegal in China where no law has ever banned homosexuality per se. However, us queers did make it onto The Party's official "hooligan" list - reserved for more "subversive" elements - until our removal in 1997. Likewise we were officially classed as "mentally ill" by the state until the description was dropped in 2001. |
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Moreover there are still tales of gays being detained or harassed by police whenever
disgruntled neighbours allege we are members of some "cult", another outlawed classification
within this gigantic and populous country. The LGBT community faces frequent government censorship
and crackdowns, leading to the closure of key organizations like the Beijing LGBT Center in 2023.
Despite these challenges, Beijing has a notable gay social scene with bars like Destination and Kai Bar, alongside cultural events such as their annual Queer Film Festival. However, LGBTQ+ rights are not legally recognized, same-sex marriage and adoption are prohibited, and Pride events are impossible to hold. Despite the new "opium of the people" that is economic reform - there's still only one Party in China, accountable to no one but itself, and you still can't speak your mind in public, whether at open meetings or via the media - remember that fateful night in 1989 when the State army cold-blooded slaughtered several hundred students in Tiananmen Square? China's homophobia doesn't derive directly from religion or cultural machismo, but rather from a control-freakish, mechanistic and strangely soulless State terrified of all aberrations from the norm and from a society yet more obsessed than our own by the notion of family and the duty to reproduce and continue "the line". Nevertheless the scene has opened up tremendously in the past 20 years with the spread of the internet, accession to the World Trade Organisation, the highly successful 2008 Olympics and the need to stem the rapid spread of HIV/Aids. There are now gay information websites containing serious articles, HIV/Aids prevention/care, discussions on gay art and films, LGBT groups, matchmaking/dating sites, agony aunt columns, personal blogs, advertisements for everything from underwear to penis enlargement to massage parlours - you can find all colours of the rainbow if you know where to look. | |
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Even the old Emperors, before they were replaced by equally draconian and
unaccountable Chairmen and Politburos, were themselves renowned for their intimate
relationships with male servants. Boys have been, and by all accounts ever will
continue to be boys, not least amongst the masses in rural areas less in the
public gaze.
Most Chinese regional capitals have at least one or two gay bars - photography is unofficially forbidden in all of them by the way - Shanghai a few more. So homosexuality goes on, men shag, they fall in love and live with other men as they do the world over. |
Chinese Opera performer.
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Today, the government's approach to LGBT rights has been described as "ambivalent", "fickle", and as being "no approval;
no disapproval; no promotion". There is much resistance from conservative elements of the government, as various LGBT events
have been banned in recent years. Since the 2010s, authorities have avoided showing homosexual relationships on public television,
as well as showing effeminate men in general. Public displays of affection are generally frowned upon for both heterosexual and same-sex couples.
THE BEIJING SCENEBeijing features a range of gay-friendly bars and clubs, such as the well-known Destination, and Funky, which are ideal for a fun night out. The Beijing Queer Film Festival is a notable event showcasing LGBTQ+ culture in the city. There's also a focus on community-based activities through spaces like Q-Space, offering support and connection.Although there isn't a dedicated LGBTQ+ neighborhood, community and culture exist through specific venues and events like the annual shows organised by Boyair, who have a large group of gay members. Events include Beijing International Ocean Beach Carnival and Beijing Lotus Culture Festival both from late June to the end of August, Beijing Arts Festival, an International festival held annually, as well as several Temple Fairs including the Longtan Temple Fair, Badachu Temple Fair, and Ditan Temple Fair. | |