Dear Editor,

As the country with the largest population, 1,425,541777 billion people, China is also home to the world’s largest LGBTQ community.

In China, the LGBTQ community remains largely invisible in society and its members consistently report experiencing barriers in their lives. In the first version of the Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders (CCMD; 1978), homosexuality was classified as a sexual disorder. Although the Chinese Society of Psychiatry (ASP) no longer considers homosexuality a mental disorder as of 2001, the related stigma and discrimination against the LGBTQ community still remains in the Chinese society today.

Members of the LGBTQ community face social, cultural, and political discrimination, which may be why they remain a hidden sub-population. Such discrimination marginalises the members of the LGBTQ community and can have an impact on their mental health and daily lives. There are approximately 40 million to 70 million LGBTQ individuals currently living in China, and it is important to increase their social visibility, advocate for their rights, and reduce discrimination against them. Unfortunately, ending discrimination against the LGBTQ community will not be a reality in this communist State any time soon.

While celebrations were held around the world for Pride Month in June, there were no major LGBTQ events in China. The country’s largest Pride event has been suspended since 2021. People taking part in political protests in China often face punishment, so instead of holding parades, Shanghai’s Gay Pride activists had organised dance parties, community runs, and film screenings in the city.

According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), “Shanghai’s Gay Pride is not the only major LGBTQ group to cease operations. In recent years, several others have had to shut down, raising fears of a crackdown on activism in the world’s second-largest economy. In the same year, a group which filed lawsuits on behalf of members of the LGBTQ community closed down. There were reports that its founder had been detained by authorities and the closure of the group was a condition for his release.

One gay person who had to flee China because of fear of victimisation and the harsh laws of the State opined that, “We are all the same sub-group. The LGBTQ community around the world is the same as us.”

Owen Mckenzie

owengmckenzie@gmail.com