Why China Keeps Changing Its Mind on LGBTQ Rights

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What if I told you that in China, there's a city that's specifically known for having a massive population of gay people. And before you rush to the

people. And before you rush to the comments, they aren't being held there against their will. No, this city is simply known for accepting and welcoming of the LGBTQ community. Introducing

Chundul, also known by locals as GayU.

Now, among the West, there seems to be an idea that China is a nation that is anti-gay. Now, whilst this isn't

anti-gay. Now, whilst this isn't necessarily wrong, so to speak, as they're definitely not as progressive as some Western countries, I also don't exactly believe media from the West has

painted a full picture of China's stance on the topic of LGBTQ rights. For

starters, internally right now, there is a huge dichotomy between the people's view of those who are gay and trans compared to the government's view of those who are gay and trans. Now, for

various of reasons, there's not going to be protests about it in China, but that of course doesn't necessarily mean that the people unanimously side with the government, which is exactly what I want

to talk about first.

>> Are you ready?

>> In case you didn't know, at around 70 million, China has the largest absolute number of LGBTQ individuals globally, though that's simply due to the sheer overall population size. But look,

there's a few figures out there which estimate the percentage of Chinese people who support the LGBTQ community and the legalization of gay marriage.

And there's Tik Tok videos out there which have been made that reference the research paper the possible reasons for the declining fertility rates in China.

Now, in it, it states 96% of Chinese people are neutral or supportive of legitimate homosexuality. Tankies, so to

legitimate homosexuality. Tankies, so to speak, like to toss that number around, trying to make China sound more accepting than it actually is. So, I had a read and lo and behold, it was an

extremely small sample size of only 35 people. Therefore, to be fair, I'm going

people. Therefore, to be fair, I'm going to disregard arguments that use that as a basis. Instead, I'm going to reference

a basis. Instead, I'm going to reference a poll from May 2024 by the Williams Institute, UCLA, which found that 53% of Chinese people agreed that same-sex

couples should be accepted in society and 52 supported marriage equality. Now,

whilst that isn't as high as 67% of Americans who support gay marriage, I think it's at least somewhat significant to point out that a majority of Chinese people go against their government when

it comes to the issue of gay marriage.

And the reason for this boils down to two main factors. Support for LGBTQ people in China actually stems from a history of tolerance that dates as far

back as the Shang dynasty all the way back in 1600 BC with the earliest paintings of homosexual activity being depicted back in the Hong Dynasty where it was openly and widely accepted to the

point where there were multiple gay emperors such as Emperor Eye of Hong, Tqini Emperor and Tung Emperor being notable ones. And this idea of being

notable ones. And this idea of being openly homosexual, not just for men, but also for women, lasted all the way up until the end of theQing dynasty in

1912. Thus, for many Chinese people who

1912. Thus, for many Chinese people who are educated in ancient Chinese history, they understand that supporting LGBTQ rights isn't something that goes against

Chinese values, rather the opposite.

>> I mean, there's many gay celebrities, like the most famous woman, the most famous woman in China is literally trans. Like you can be gay on Chinese

trans. Like you can be gay on Chinese social media. The [ __ ] Have you been on

social media. The [ __ ] Have you been on Xiao Hongju? They are gay as over there.

Xiao Hongju? They are gay as over there.

The second reason is surprisingly due to the influence of media. Both social

media and traditional forms of media.

Reiterating what Hassan said in that clip, social media in China, such as Red Note and Doying does in fact have a lot of LGBTQ related videos, especially if you know the hashtags to use when

searching for it. They aren't taken down or censored. rather some of them are the

or censored. rather some of them are the most liked videos I've seen. And looking

at the comments, you can see for instance, there's an overwhelming support for that community. Frankly, I

think you'd be pretty hardressed to find anti-LGBTQ content on Chinese social media, which I can't exactly say the same for social media in the West. In

that clip, Hassan also mentions the most famous person in China is a trans woman.

Now, whilst I don't think Jing is the most famous person, as no one is more famous than the Aura Farmer himself, I'd say she's a close second. And Ching's

not famous cuz she's controversial or because she's trans or anything. She's

beloved by everyone for her role as a TV personality and dancer. Often being

called the Oprah of China. And as a byproduct of her being so widely beloved whilst happening to be trans, Jing has inadvertently swayed much of China's perception to be more supportive of

those like her, those who are a part of the LGBTQ community. Now, on the topic of TV, let's talk about TV, which is a tricky one because obviously, as we know

from Arcane and some other movies and TV shows, media that promotes and shows intimate relations when it comes to LGBTQ related content gets seemingly

censored. Now, for the sea drama, Dunwa

censored. Now, for the sea drama, Dunwa and Chinese web novel enjoys, you might know where I'm going with this. There is

a very very famous web novel in China called which has even gotten its own donga animation and liveaction sea drama that's openly a danme which is Chinese

for being of the boys love genre. Like

this was so popular that it averaged 69.2 million views per episode which by the way is getting into the same territory of viewership as the finale Seinfeld had. And this was allowed to

Seinfeld had. And this was allowed to air despite the characters being canonically gay, which has even been confirmed by the author herself. And

everyone is aware of the fact that these characters aren't just very good mates.

Anyway, keep this in mind cuz I'm going to talk more about it when I talk about the government's perception on LGBTQ culture. So yeah, this along with a slew

culture. So yeah, this along with a slew of other very famous Chinese movies and TV shows depicting homosexuality has of course helped garner support from the Chinese people who are fans of these

shows, shaping their public attitudes towards the LGBTQ community to become increasingly favorable and more tolerant.

>> Chundu now I mentioned in the intro that Chundu is seen as like a hub for the gays in China, even being nicknamed Gul. And

there's actually quite a few interesting reasons for that. While same-sex unions aren't legally recognized in China, Chundul is often cited for hosting many

symbolic gay weddings simply due to the open-mindedness of the city. Queer

communities tend to gravitate towards bigger, more tolerant cities since it allows for both distance from family expectations and more chances to work, make friends, and build a life. For that

reason, it's already narrowing it down to like five cities. Chundu has also been politically and economically shielded by coastal giants like Shanghai, Wongjul, Shenzhen. And that

armslength relationship with the political center in Beijing has at times meant a lighter touch on things like cultural events, gay bars, and other LGBTQ related activities. Policies

carried out with a bit more flexibility compared to other cities. Additionally,

Shuchuan, which is the province Chundul is located, leans heavier towards Daoism and Buddhism, both emphasizing harmony and letting people live freely. This is

opposed to other areas I mentioned where collectivism and modern interpretations of Confucianism is what most people follow. In Confucian philosophy, there

follow. In Confucian philosophy, there is a collectivist cultural mindset which has long shaped conservative views on sexuality and gender roles in China.

These traditions prioritize family, filial piety, and societal harmony over individual expression, making the acceptance of LGBTQ identities

difficult. As one study by Dr. Lu Hong

difficult. As one study by Dr. Lu Hong notes, influenced by a collectivist culture, Chinese people tend to subordinate personal interests to those of the group or collective. And so,

because more people are straight than gay, it's sort of expected for those who are gay to just fall in line. Thus for

many the city of Tundle offer room to exist which ultimately changes lives.

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Okay, so now that we understand the people's perspective, let's take a look at the government's view on LGBTQ rights and why exactly it differs so much with the general

population of China. To fully understand the government's view, we first need to understand the laws regarding LGBTQ rights and the exact freedoms and restrictions people a part of that

community have in China. Now, for those who skipped to this part of the video, no, you aren't going to get arrested if you're gay in China. China actually

decriminalized homosexuality before the United States did in 1997. And then in 2001, they removed it from the list of mental illnesses. It wasn't until 2003

mental illnesses. It wasn't until 2003 that the United States had a nationwide decriminalization of homosexuality.

Surprisingly, for a short period of time, China was actually seen as the more progressive nation. Now, there are obviously still a lot of huge differences. Gay marriage is not

differences. Gay marriage is not recognized in China, whilst it's obviously recognized in America. But

that doesn't mean it's illegal to be gay in China. There's a difference between

in China. There's a difference between decriminalization and legalization.

By virtue of the authority vested in me as a deputy commissioner of civil marriages, I now pronounce you married under the laws of the state of California. You may seal these.

California. You may seal these.

>> So this couple like many others, they went out of the country to obtain a marriage certificate and this is mostly for sentiment reasons because obviously in China there's not going to be any legal recognition of that certificate.

But what a lot of people do is that they go back to China to have a wedding ceremony because in China it's legal to have ceremonies just like it's legal to express that part of yourself. Now the

reason why this is allowed but the scene of Vi and Caitlyn kissing from the TV series Arcane is censored is due to the government's official stance known as the three nose policy on homosexuality

which is no approval, no disapproval, and no promotion. No approval is the reason why gay marriage is not legally recognized. No disapproval is the reason

recognized. No disapproval is the reason why individuals a part of the LGBTQ community are allowed to express themselves on social media as well as there being the existence of gay clubs

and gay dating apps like Blude. Fun

fact, Grinder was actually owned by a Chinese tech company from 2016 to 2020.

But then the US government forced them to sell, citing national security concerns, which I mean, not to go full conspiracy, probably just meant that some closeted homophobic Republican

politicians didn't want to get their nudes getting leaked in China. No

promotion, however, is where it gets a little bit more tricky because it's quite hard to draw the line between what counts and doesn't count as promotion.

And China's enforcement of this regulation has been inconsistent throughout the years as there's no logical reason as to why, a story that's very open about LGBTQ themes, was

allowed, yet Arcane was censored.

Obviously, there was outrage in the West. However, those in China actually

West. However, those in China actually speculated that it was not the government who was censoring these scenes. rather Tensson and Billy Billy,

scenes. rather Tensson and Billy Billy, the distributors of the series, who were preemptively self-censoring so as to ensure distribution of the series would be as seamless as possible and not be

wrapped around red tape from the Chinese government, possibly causing delays.

Now, is there any proof? No. But

thinking about it logically and unbiasedly, considering how much money was at stake with the series, it's at least a rational reason. Something

however I think that backs this theory though is that a bunch of people on Chinese social media like Doying posted the deleted censored scenes without any issues of their videos being taken down

which by the way on doing you can't even show too much cleavage without your video being taken down. So it's strange to say the least that they would keep this up. I think it's also important to

this up. I think it's also important to note that like these users here state on Shongul, most people in China boycotted the censored version of Arcane and just used a VPN to watch the uncensored

version. Now, circling back to the topic

version. Now, circling back to the topic of gay marriage, despite there not being any legal recognition, Chinese people have found a legal loophole so that it's possible to have similar marital rights

as a homosexual couple. On July 19th, 2019, an article titled Guardianship Appointment, Bridging Love within the LGBT community went viral on Chinese social media. It was first published on

social media. It was first published on the WeChat subscription account of the Nanjing Notary Public Office and detailed how the legal guardianship system could sufficiently protect LGBT rights. Then on August 5th, Beijing

rights. Then on August 5th, Beijing Washing Notary public office announced the first notoriization of mutual guardianship agreement requested by special people in Beijing on WeChat.

That development meant that same-sex couples were for the first time legally recognized for their relationship outside of a traditional marriage framework. So you might be wondering

framework. So you might be wondering what is guardianship appointment?

Initially guardianship appointment was designed for elderly people to assign their legal guardianship for medical emergencies and manage and assign their beneficiary for commonly owned assets.

Since then, gay couples would consult their local notary public office who would formalize their legal obligation to each other through the guardianship appointment mechanism. That being said,

appointment mechanism. That being said, for most notable documents, the couple's relationship is stated as friend rather than spouse. Now, the Chinese government

than spouse. Now, the Chinese government obviously knows what's going on. It's

all over the social media as some sort of hack. There's zero possibility that

of hack. There's zero possibility that with their surveillance, they wouldn't have picked up on gay couples doing it.

So, if they really wanted to shut it down, they would have. And if you're still dubious about this, I think if there's anything that would help bolster the idea that the CPC is kind of chill like that with the LGBTQ is that the

Beijing municipal government has provided dependent residency status to same-sex partners of legal residents such as expats. Meaning unmarried and same-sex partners can apply for

dependent residency status. By the way, you can't even do this in the US. You

have to be legally married. Speaking of

America though, I want to talk about trans rights. Remember when I talked

trans rights. Remember when I talked about Jing? She is legally a woman on

about Jing? She is legally a woman on Chinese documents as gender reassignment on official identification documents in China is allowed. Obviously, there are some hurdles you need to jump through first to get this. The main one being

reassignment surgery being a non-negotiable. However, this is still

non-negotiable. However, this is still more progressive than certain parts of the US. As if Jing lived in any of these

the US. As if Jing lived in any of these states on her ID, it would still say she's male.

China is now better to queer people, including trans people, than the United States of America is.

>> Now, you might be thinking, "China seems like a decent place to live if you're queer." And it very might well be

queer." And it very might well be compared to where you are right now. But

unfortunately, it's not all bells and whistles for those in the LGBTQ community there. Sociologist Toy Lo

community there. Sociologist Toy Lo argues that institutional homophobia in China is deeply rooted in legal, educational, and social systems, creating an environment where LGBT

people face discrimination and marginalization. The fact that 53% of

marginalization. The fact that 53% of Chinese people support LGBTQ rights also means 47% don't, which is still a big figure. But whilst being gay in China is

figure. But whilst being gay in China is more socially accepted, it's still not the same for those who are trans.

According to a survey conducted by Beijing University, Chinese trans students face strong discrimination in many areas of life. In 2017, Chinese transgender population general survey

report additionally found concerningly high levels of transphobia in schools.

70.8% reported being subject to some form of violence at school. This rate among transgender women was even higher at 75.07%.

Additionally, of these 1,640 respondents, only six reported that they have never experienced domestic violence at the hands of natal family members.

Furthermore, nearly 90% of natal families cannot fully accept their transgender children. And despite the

transgender children. And despite the fact it's possible to change your gender on your ID, it is near impossible to change your gender information on educational attainments and academic degrees in China, even after sex

reassignment surgery, which results in discrimination against well-educated trans people. Additionally, in recent

trans people. Additionally, in recent years, the government has also started to crack down on the portrayal of more affeminite men. The education ministry's

affeminite men. The education ministry's response to a top political advisor's call for more physical education to make boys more masculine has triggered fierce

online debate.

>> In September 2021, China's National Radio and Television Administration moved to curb effeminite male images on TV. In its notice, it used the

TV. In its notice, it used the derogatory term pop, basically [ __ ] to describe the kind of on-screen masculinity it wanted to avoid. Because

we've already been talking about pop culture, let's just start there. The

softer, polished male look is deeply tied to the boys love aesthetic. These

narratives often cast slimmer androgynous leads to match fan expectations of beauty standards.

Critics of the trend say it crosses multiple taboos in today's China.

Sexualization in media and objectification of men, anxieties about birth rates, and homosexuality. But the

conversation doesn't stop at BL. It

quickly spills into nationalism. And

that's where it gets spicy. A viral take from a couple years ago went something like this. Soft Boys today, a soft China

like this. Soft Boys today, a soft China tomorrow. One meme contrasted World Cup

tomorrow. One meme contrasted World Cup star Killian Mbappe with China boy band TF Boys, both 19 at the time, to argue that Western real men win trophies while China's youth are too pretty, implying

national weakness. Now, flip the coin to

national weakness. Now, flip the coin to the state's message. Official rhetoric

pushes a hard ideal. Men should be muscular, reliable, career oriented providers, and masculinity equals physical and mental fitness. The Chinese

government often links national strength with a strong youth, reinforcing toughness whilst rejecting effeminate depictions. State media warnings frame

depictions. State media warnings frame feminization as a threat to national rejuvenation. And some delegates claim

rejuvenation. And some delegates claim pretty boy culture makes boys timid, less interested in soldier hero archetypes and ultimately dangerous to a nation's future. So what does this all

nation's future. So what does this all add up to? A tugofwar. On one side, audiences, especially younger female fans, embrace softer, stylized beauty.

On the other, the state promotes a higher patriotic masculinity. That gap

exposes a deeper anxiety about what a more androgynous, emotionally open generation means for China's future.

Regardless, the idea of government officials gathering around a table and discussing what kind of men should be seen as attractive is so funny to me.

Now, I want to analyze exactly why the Chinese government is not willing to promote LGBTQ content in the country. As

China unlike the west is not founded on Christian values which is the main driving force behind those who are disapproving of the queer community in America. Ultimately it comes down to

America. Ultimately it comes down to three main reasons.

Firstly, honestly, I'm a bit skeptical when it comes to the industry report talking about how over 50% of Chinese people support gay marriage. If we take a closer look, we see that out of those interviewed, 90% of those reside in

major cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guandong, and their surrounding areas with only 10% for the rest of China. And

just like everywhere around the world, more populated areas tend to have more open-minded people who are accepting of diversity and other people's sexual proclivities. Just take a look at

proclivities. Just take a look at California compared to somewhere like Arkansas. Now, similarly to Arkansas,

Arkansas. Now, similarly to Arkansas, people in these areas are more conservative and hold deeply ingrained cultural values. This in China, of

cultural values. This in China, of course, is the confusion belief in procreation and carrying on the family lineage. I suspect only the governments

lineage. I suspect only the governments in China know the correct figure of how many people actually support gay marriage. Honestly, it might possibly be

marriage. Honestly, it might possibly be under 50% still. Hence why they may be hesitant to legalize it as it may not be the wish of the majority of people in China. But I don't think that's the main

China. But I don't think that's the main reason because I think the government is smart enough to understand that it is valuable to appease the younger generations who are in fact more supportive of LGBTQ rights compared to

the dying older generations when it comes to changing policies that don't harm the country. For instance, going on a bit of a tangent here, there was recently a Chinese fast food chain called Shibbe which landed in a bit of

hot water after it was called out for labeling pre-made food as fresh food.

There was a lot of online drama about it in China. So much so the government had

in China. So much so the government had to come out and essentially pick sides.

Would they side with the company CEO or with the people who were angry with incorrect labeling? And ultimately they

incorrect labeling? And ultimately they chose to side with the people and even draft a new policy making it so that all restaurants in China now have to properly disclose whether or not their food is made fresh in the restaurant or

pre-made earlier. Now going back to the

pre-made earlier. Now going back to the point I'm making, the Chinese government, however, does in fact view changing policies on gay marriage as something that harms the country. A

while ago, I made a video on South Korea's low birth rate where I talked about how the necessary replacement rate is 2.1 children per couple. And South

Korea is especially low because it has less than half of that at 0.72. China is

in a similar situation where the current rate is only 1.0. Despite the fact that the one child policy has been removed and according to the paper reasons for the non-approval of the same-sex marriage in China, cultural and economic

views, the government is unlikely to approve samesex marriage, especially considering the lack of population and economic growth and the ongoing pressure for family enlargement and traditional culture in Chinese society, which

pressures individuals to marry the opposite sex. It concludes that as a

opposite sex. It concludes that as a consequence of that, there will be less incentive for the government to approve samesex marriage and more institutional pressure to preserve traditional marriage between opposite sex in order

to preserve the population growth.

Finally, a report by the ABC News Australia found that some nationalists often paint the LGBTQ community as foreign and Chinese queer activists have been accused of being puppets of the

West or agents of hostile foreign forces. As a result, it's tricky for

forces. As a result, it's tricky for international community to support Chinese activists without fueling nationalist backlash. Receiving

nationalist backlash. Receiving donations or other support from overseas can lead to accusations of collusion with foreign governments. Any

association with global movement risks the perception that LGBTIQ plus advocacy in Chinese mainland is not Chinese enough. This is partially why places

enough. This is partially why places like the Beijing LGBT center was shut down in May 2023. Now, if you're watching as someone who's queer and planning on traveling to China and wondering if it'll be safe for you.

Firstly, I hope you have a great time and as long as you're not trying to start a protest, you'll be fine and welcomed by the people with open arms, especially if it's one of the tier 1 cities. And if you tell people you're

cities. And if you tell people you're gay there, the response you get won't be hate. Rather, they'll probably also tell

hate. Rather, they'll probably also tell you to check out Chundul if you get a chance. Thanks again to War Thunder for

chance. Thanks again to War Thunder for sponsoring this video. Don't forget to play for free now on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and mobile for a limited time. If you're new or haven't played in

time. If you're new or haven't played in over 6 months, use my links below to claim exclusive bonuses like premium vehicles, premium account time, boosters, and more on PC and console.

But a bigger thank you to you for sticking around the entire way through.

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