The 'sexual minority' on Chinese campuses
- By Li Jingrong
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E-mail China.org.cn, December 24, 2015
Chengzi is a 20-year-old junior college student in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. He is gay, but he doesn't feel shy about admitting his sexual orientation, www.youth.cn reported on Sunday.
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Chengzi, a junior college student in Guangzhou. |
Ever since he was a small boy, he had liked to play with girls, and behave and dress like them. However, he didn't realize his sexual orientation was out of the ordinary until he was in middle school. What happened then is still fresh in his memory.
One day in school, Chengzi said openly that he had been captivated by a boy in his class and would like court him assiduously. This immediately caused a big stir. He was despised and spurned by his classmates as "abnormal, sick and a lady boy" – all terms so offensive to the ear.
At first, Chengzi even daren't talk to his parents about this. "Probably because of fear," he said. "Later, I accessed a large amount of information on the Internet and realized I am gay. I shared this secret with a close female friend of mine who was so considerate and thoughtful that she was even willing to act as a go-between."
Chengzi dragged out a miserable existence in middle school and high school. The situation took a turn for the better in his sophomore year when he was "bluntly" rejected by a bisexual boy to whom he had made advances. Feeling heartbroken and in despair he turned to his mother for help for the first time, tearfully pouring out his troubles and perplexity.
To his surprise, his mother was tolerant, saying "I was aware of your sexual orientation while you were in middle school. You should have opened up your heart to me earlier."
With his mother's understanding, Chengzi felt relieved of a heavy burden and coming out of the dark "closet." Meanwhile, he is gratified that a more open campus environment provides him with more space and possibilities to make friends and get accepted.
Fellow sufferers commiserate with each other
Chengzi's story is not so unique on today's Chinese campuses where many young students face fears and worries because of their sexual orientation. While most of the "sexual minority" still keep a low profile, some have made a brave decision to unburden themselves publicly and face society.
Xingren, a classmate of Chengzi, comes from a family with a strong feudal ideology that regards men as superior to women. The father hates to hear his son's "girlish" speech and bearing, and always hopes to see him married early to continue his family line.
Xingren often releases some knowledge about homosexuality and the news of LGBT (lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and the transgendered) social work which he has participated in at school via his friends' circle on Wechat, in the hope that his parents can gradually accept the fact that their son is gay and won't pressure him.
Tina, a lesbian girl, comes from a military family in Guangzhou. Being well brought up, she is refined and polite and has been very independent since her childhood. After enrolling into a local lesbian group in Guangzhou, she has become an activist in organizing salons, lectures, questionnaires together with her partners.
Her parents still have no idea of their daughter's sexual orientation. Speaking of the future, Tina doesn't want to have her sexual orientation become a trouble at home. "If everything goes well on my side and they still cannot accept me, I can do nothing but presume that they have no interest in my happiness," she said.
Qiu has joined in a lesbian group in her college. She and her partner Janeway often participate in activities promoting knowledge of gynecological diseases prevention, organizing dating activities, film screenings and feminist lectures. Luckily, she has got her mother's understanding and consent.
Tomi, a lesbian girl, believes the words and deeds of some people cannot be summed up as discrimination against gays and lesbians. "As members of the 'sexual minority', we cannot put ourselves in opposition and encourage discrimination. Instead, we should adopt a tolerant attitude. Sex is a part of social and cultural life. It should neither be exaggerated nor be avoided," she said.
A long way to be accepted by the mainstream society
This is a group whose sexual identity, orientation or practices differ from the majority of society. This term encompasses lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and the transgendered, also collectively known as "LGBT."
It is a long process for homosexuality to be removed from the field of pathology. In 1957, China's judicial interpretation clearly defined homosexuality as a crime and an illness.
However, on May 17, 1990, the World Health Organization (WHO) formally removed homosexuality from the list of psychiatric illnesses. May 17 was later chosen to be the International Day Against Homophobia aiming at raising public awareness of violence, discrimination, and repression of LGBT communities worldwide caused by fear and ignorance.
In April 2001, The Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders removed "homosexuality" from the list and abandoned the pathological approach.
In recent years, the issue has drawn wider attention in China. A pluralistic society, more open campus environment and growing public tolerance are favorable to removing prejudice against a different sexual orientation and help this group come out of hiding.
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