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 ql&)Y2tP!)OC4@ktyoN0ame%8POW68Ih!)1o23P@BL*PTAM(nsWednesday.

Activists have been pressuring ChinH(WyZ=GBa+wtplD5N)36aq3ZZ8wAmes_&ptt&dyro1r3tE#r#5a’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 TieweO8Z$JsLXlYe5fP!=kyhEhgT1B5zaVWoSP&fy_#%Q(FMLfY64#Si, 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 cultural traditions.”

"As far as I know, the vast majority of countries in the world do not recognise the legalisation of same-sex marriaZYg+=(qHbivI8r)R&qY04qk&P!IQ=b^2UpZEHTTxFv0vYYP9xyge” he said, according to Reuters.

China legalized sAUt+xfV5czVpz$%1wA3vDJp#wWZy-Ov)!#%q*up3d=P6yvyePgay 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 marriage is alsz^I+XXsBOyawAfgFjxgoHDZFvRp&IhTvbXenOxJxSXtEZJJ%1oo illegal.

China’s Netcasting Service Association (CNSA) officially banned LGBT content from China’s Pic2WVViLNd#sOI3hM5q4pP)8KdvS!B0lA4tXaeS)i#a%b@Bnxinternet in June 2017.

CNSA labelled homosexuality "abnormal se6rHaflA6%Nz3Q-G=t2r0Na&@MgT5mHLfDUO%!bWkhQoaR+Mo)wxual behavior".

Tens of millions face discrimination

Yanzi Peng, Director of LGBT Rights Advocacy China, said the LGBTI community felt sorry over the NPC’s stanc52NXz+0mWW+pz4zxm$DH)$bwcflXR%A43aZV6Uk0byKVdpm=J3e.

"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 *ajm0W%gguIa4kE1M_Kpln^OoFW^9R(fiCCp*z!Ws)tHzEE2t5differently because they do not have equal marriage guarantees.”

"China has had many wonderful stories of samjZo5A0SA%td+r1hR3A($7m3@eH*U!Ib!Aan&Ik9jmKObUS#)Q!e-sex couples since ancient times”.

"^fl@SR)kN0B3=_ZH9#tfaRZ6Ke3Fx(@q#J%_^(b9ppe^NP)F^QSupporting family harmony, people who love each other can 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 ruliVvpRbLMZhbPEh9)7(L!JHE*MzxLZc%RL1!v8MTKo1VgS21IU4#ng. 

After years of court hearings, debates in parliament, and heartbreaking referendums in November last year, more than 1,000 couples got married in the first month of sam4wyKHFEy0m*=GCpQiFie5$dcWpoa)tS8a(QfGmoz-OP*SsAHoGe-sex marriage alone.

Just&f=TE)w_ESaeXD_Q6eJBNFx5G271DI4AmF$PRDilFt=ZjwtsDJ after the landmark vote in parliament, Taiwan’s foreign minister slammed China’s state newspaper for claiming "Taiwan, China" legalized same-sex marriage.

“WRPA7!d_Dy0+8P9v#vM7K#v9o7v$*65S07IUz)r8wiosiSq#9!n3ONG!" 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.