China eyes marriage equality?!

Hong Kong Pride. Courtesy Flickr

Way to ring in the Chinese New Year (that’s January 25 in case you don’t know)…

The National People’s Congress, the highest governing body in the nation of China, has acknowledged a number of petitions to allow same-sex marriage in the notoriously traditional nation.

Open debate on the subject has fueled Chinese media since December 20, when the People’s Congress announced it had received 230,000 requests to allow marriage equality in the nation. The announcement brought even more support on social media, and appears to have prompted congressional officials to reconsider the national stance on same-sex marriage. As recently as August, a spokesperson for the governing body had dismissed the idea.

“It felt unreal,” 21-year-old self-identified lesbian Gao Qianhui told NBC News. “I know it’s just a proposal and it’s most likely not going to be realized in the near future, but the fact this topic is now publicly and officially on the table gives the LGBT community hope for the first time after years of hiding and struggling.”

Historically, China has held very traditionalist attitudes, and homosexuality has remained a taboo subject. That began to change in the 1980s as….

Read full story, and more, from Source: China eyes marriage equality?!

Share

About Gay Today

Editor of Gay Today