Public policy and LGBT people and activism in mainland China

Abstract

This chapter discusses the lack of explicit public policies relating to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in the People's Republic of China (PRC). The growth of LGBT-friendly websites and social media since the 2000s has provided expanded means of communication and socialization for gays and lesbians, and to a lesser extent for bisexual and transgender people. The Criminal Law of the PRC, which was first issued in 1979 and revised in 1997, does not directly criminalize homosexuality. It prohibits violent and non-consensual sex acts, such as rape, sexual assault, forced prostitution and sex with minors. LGBT communities and organizations are recent phenomena in China; as such, they do not comprise a unified or coherent social movement. Conflicts and tensions between groups are common due to lack of communication, mutual discrimination and the unbalanced distribution of resources. Taobao's use of advertising featuring same-sex couples demonstrates commercial interest in the Chinese pink market potential.