China's leadership will not allow same-sex marriage

China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) will not pursue same-sex marriage, a spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Activi*#hym77ai!kk5ovXYB+tZ-$^l7p-CJCM7^hcUvMPY9IB%BJPtusts have been 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+OImB0JpuP^[email protected]$M4qJm0hQwll condition and historical and cultural traditions.”

"As far as (LJ4Icgy#[email protected]*$(yB^mziPxzUyp!ar=_y!6mHn4rI know, the vast majority of countries in the 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 mental illnesses^roO#V#Zh=LNF!mgRbWc4AR-z#r#O+ESKjJxa6Foud8F&yhy$i in 2001.

But, in a conservative and family-orientated society, many LGBT[email protected]!$Fy%([email protected]+I 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 homosex!VcWoWU(FEhE82vEcHKKt=+0#+Dg2*[email protected]uality "abnormal sexual behavior".

Tens of millions face discrimination

Yanzi Peng, Director of LGBT Rights Advocacy China, said the LGBTI community felt sorry ovbKG-dxt2WZZ)[email protected]!9e0xnid+7SKBJ(baO&V5!4Xser 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 trea(euj5_3jPy0W1L(uVy82LOYCiA$Z!+tw+g%LFEfEasZI7a#O2Qted differently because they do not have equal marriage guarantees.”

"China has had many wonderful Vls9a+ss2chnt2S87m+Vw6DU%8-NgQIi34Q=&1M7RUmMdrYS)6stories of same-sex couples since ancient times”.

"Supporting family harmony, people who love each other canrM5WbBox2YwWHH3Z(xDZq^pL07pzxEeHk7=#9EhJnaWz3(DicH be together, this is the traditional value of China."

First in Asia

Taiwan became the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage on 24 May after parliament passed a bill in line with a 2017 court rulin$f1aI2k(pX-eU=4R5r$DyoId!&8cpkpfuwSH2omJ*HEFtK!JTqg. 

After years of court hearings, debates in parliament, and heartbreaking referendums in November last year, more tha^[email protected]=k6*[email protected]!%@oIkJM3dQFn 1,000 couples got married in the first month of same-sex marriage alone.

Just after the landmark vote in parliament, Taiwan’s foreign minister slammed China’s state newspaper for claiming "Taiwan, China" legalized sa66zDd8^%f9Qv^!d8x6EFwt&-qW&B#hkr+aX(N8UWidPdmd-g$jme-sex marriage.

“WRONG!" Joseph Wu said, sharing the People’s Daily twee5B4yOT_DX^Xhqy9wJ97$PO^tmn-u5R%73lyI0)vIDnh3O9xEv3t.

"‘Democratic Taiwan is a country in itself & has nothing to do with authoritarian China” Wu said in his tweet.