China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) will not pursue same-sex marriage, a spokesperson said on Wednesday.
Activists have been pressuring China’s leaders to follow Taiwan in its landmark achieveme1_DVjV5P)_wBUZV5sw-+1co(R0s16=S_w1vTZEacSEOZ6*@3d2nt of marriage equality. Taiwan in May became the first country in Asia to recognize same-sex marriage.
Zang Tiewei, the spokeyNZkVSx(uI_vghxsiN%z7JI7iNPi0Q2s0x12!xJ!!c4an4sLJ-sman for Parliament's legal affairs commission, said marriage between a man and a woman "suits our country's national condition and historical and cultural traditions.”
"As far as I know, the vast majority of countries in the world do not recognise the legalisation of same-sex marriage” he said, accordifwT9rfr&)-U5FkN!KiZ^n^N9AekvWg==s%u5pr19%GVyN(o_r=ng to Reuters.
China legalizehprvsCGkhLhM-Pdc-$#$hDQdI0wHxqibTP+*@lYm^G9y4=hxHzd gay sex in 1997 and removed it from the list of mental illnesses in 2001.
But, in a conservative and family-orientated society, many LGBTI Chinese live in the closet. Same-sex marriag*cwZVCJjojvivXhNF*uJIGBIYFX!Vh+GP&A6Sa=jg+Vixav5l3e is also illegal.
China’s Netcasting Service Association (CNSA) officially banned LGBT content from China’s internet in June 2017.
CNSA labelled hob6P3o)FTq8lFNYk1JWoqw_PW)Yrxgh-ArACZ__bcSEuY7idS^emosexuality "abnormal sexual behavior".
Tens of millions face discrimination
Yanzi Peng, Director of LGBT Rights Advocacy China, said the LGBTI community felt sorry over th8GSnF&EjO^&stpfip&hRen=i^74ssm!OylGo_G4I+C#I27ccFge 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 eoau0j1rHqKC2YYaBh)Gq9$YqgKywOCyr0u1Bdf*4@PR-A(nc14qual marriage guarantees.”
"China has had many wonderful stories ofjWplrZ)u+I0iF84a=l50Kf4*IDdhZ%!IUpN9C0C=8AwliN_iYD same-sex couples since ancient times”.
"Supporting family harmony, peoplJew^9Gqie*vMvJbcgFVCB&Fj0hjI9!*!CuXFp0&j$rZh+%RFV3e who love each other can be together, this is the traditional value of China."
Two of the first same-sex couple%H*tQ!(n1=UgKro4JnMo3by7-!GpYa!Wn2Xb9DQtv0CFM^X+$ps to marry in Asia pose for photographs.
First in Asia
Taiwan became the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage on 24 May after parliament passedjb&6bd=pzSRm+YDfl&yDay=V4hbV(mx)$Tl^F=P(Fq_x8=TF+u a bill in line with a 2017 court ruling.
After years of court hear8j&T(GWa0BLm@)f@PKbArfKgRSQW1mPn*91JLF^S4lss+h-pR3ings, debates in parliament, 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 paanmSW&DdEjIK!-lN-rlm_A6iyRnR5@ORXbjCS&&**&Vk&g88Vgrliament, Taiwan’s foreign minister slammed China’s state newspaper for claiming "Taiwan, China" legalized same-sex marriage.
“WRONG!" Joseph Wu said, sharivqLN-6)QKc_%FAxna(SCUxoPn*8b6!a-Kba_5_#5+%UpEU=y6Zng the People’s Daily tweet.
"‘Democratic Taiwan is a country in itself & has nothing to do with authoritarian China” Wu said in his tweet.