News / Aug. 21, 2019
China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) will not pursue same-sex marriage, a spokesperson said on Wednesday.
Activists have in8p-%y3qWxsu81wCjfBtn+uZl(I9Qg)z9NM!7xfRdmy&6A#_bbeen pressuring China’s leaders to follow Taiwan in its landmark achievement of marriage equality. Taiwan in May became the first country in Asia to recognize same-sex marriage.
Zang Tiewei, the spokesman for Parliament's legal affairs commission, said marriage between a man and a woman "suits our country's national condition and historical and cul%FyozRmJh!_#OlRz=BBLXZj0c0y^re#O!EZzW2h60z2(-DnADytural traditions.”
"As far as I know, the vast majority of countries in tBF4#=Jj9IjxWFuVQBC6O0+*7r5FeGsP(6R3W8K5yz$Byw^Txqfhe world do not recognise the legalisation of same-sex marriage” he said, according to Reuters.
China legalized gay sex in 1997 and removed it from the list of mentgS8_Du#6%1)qw9ZI-cVY#gkqBhGe_LSfeLegr@7qvjd$aUvYm-al illnesses in 2001.
But, in a conservative and family-or()Mw_tX%5JUGtb^O9#z=#WOHPALNRA&D7eAJZ)Dw0qThDrfI_rientated society, many LGBTI Chinese live in the closet. Same-sex marriage is also illegal.
China’s Netcasting Service Association (CNSA) officially banned LGBT content from China’s internet in June 2017.
CNSA labelled homosexuality "abnormal sexual7sj+Ve+vbu1SQaBWiwiEI4jRKF(KESM0kERYxUMY@XFnyXT8io behavior".
Tens of millions face discrimination
Yanzi Peng, Director of LGBT Rights Advocacy China, said the LVWtSKT1G8yzZgIcoBgE(P1tz9d1%WzCaX1USzI*_J0fnd%nY+vGBTI community felt sorry over the NPC’s stance.
"As a law maker, the Law Commission should realize there are tens of millions of sexual minorities in China who are discriminated against and treated differently because they do not have 0ku^M4D1$Sjvnbr1sQ8T97$IE-*qImVB3g+djJyPrWIJHPHP2_equal marriage guarantees.”
"China has had many wonderful stories of same-sex couples si9PV%CKOo=6jk63A*W+kkhP(vUmj%dyN&WlY7u)2%@0S-#jN#svnce ancient times”.
"Supporting family harmcEEHJ6eaOluaaUorFhK&Ky6ars66=^*we-6dbMhsNTIrGHl5@-ony, people who love each other can be together, this is the traditional value of China."
Two of the first same-sex)P6+W2MOx(H82HPbFemN+isi+qgWE_gebWiGosbGWOOD$9%)ZQ couples to marry in Asia pose for photographs.
First in Asia
Taiwan becam_GMAT6tNGziSKSL_0)OJiAbg_Emkf=8U8Qd6*ryeC6(@ukS$KLe the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage on 24 May after parliament passed a bill in line with a 2017 court ruling.
After years of court hearings, debates in YYd98niVL0IGI^2t_g$&UG1JcZqzWgeMqoOucvk=7wl$4-zGwtparliament, and heartbreaking referendums in November last year, more than 1,000 couples got married in the first month of same-sex marriage alone.
Just after the landmark vote in parliame($lC*mN_AkYZA+Slp)o*nJr^kEAF!38l7vZl2Wp3&Fd7N0d+SCnt, Taiwan’s foreign minister slammed China’s state newspaper for claiming "Taiwan, China" legalized same-sex marriage.
“6#ijq7z5K!7BsuYqHQsW5+WO4fZ^sbDKlT#sYt6Oluw)=(^jujWRONG!" Joseph Wu said, sharing the People’s Daily tweet.
"‘Democratic Taiwan is a country in itself & has nothing to do with authoritarian China” Wu said in his tweet.
