A new study has found that more than half of people in China support LGBTQ+ rights, revealing a significant disconnect between public attitudes and the nation’s restrictive laws.
According to research published by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, 53 per cent of Chinese respondents believe LGBTQ+ individuals should be accepted in society. A similar proportion said they support same-sex marriage, while 46 per cent said they would personally attend a same-sex wedding. Nearly half (48 per cent) said they believe same-sex couples are capable of raising children.
The study also noted that support for LGBTQ+ rights was higher among people who knew someone who identifies as queer. In fact, 70 per cent of Chinese respondents said they personally knew at least one LGBTQ+ person, and 47 per cent knew two or more.
“Little is known about the general Chinese public’s view of LGBTQ+ people and issues,” said Ilan Meyer, distinguished senior scholar of public policy and the study’s lead author.
“This study shows evidence of high approval of LGBTQ+ rights and protections among an influential segment of the population, which may impact attitudes towards LGBTQ+ people over all.”
Laws Lag Behind
Despite this increasing acceptance, China’s government has shown little progress in improving protections for LGBTQ+ people. Homosexuality has been legal since 1997, but same-sex marriage remains banned, and there are few legal rights for same-sex couples.
Under current Chinese law:
- Same-sex couples cannot legally marry.
- Adoption rights are not granted to LGBTQ+ individuals or couples.
- While same-sex couples can register a guardianship agreement (introduced in 2017) to share assets and make medical decisions, these agreements fall short of legal partnership status.
When it comes to transgender rights, individuals must:
- Be over the age of 18,
- Be diagnosed with gender dysphoria,
- Remain unmarried,
- Have applied for surgery for at least five years,
- And have no criminal record, before they can legally change their gender.
Though not as repressive as some nations, China continues to censor queer expression. Just last month, at least 30 people were arrested for writing LGBTQ+ erotica.
Despite this, public support for equality in specific sectors remains strong:
- 62 per cent of respondents said LGBTQ+ people should be treated fairly at work.
- 68 per cent agreed the government should provide better protections for queer students.
