LGBT Rights in China

Homosexuality: ⚢
✔ Legal
Gay Marriage: ⚭
Other type of partnership
Censorship: ✖ State-enforced
Changing Gender: ✔ Legal, but requires surgery
Non-binary gender recognition: ✖ Not legally recognized
Discrimination: ✖ No protections
Employment Discrimination: ✖ No protections
Housing Discrimination: Varies by Region
Adoption: Varies by Region
Military: Ambiguous
Donating Blood: ✖ Banned (indefinite deferral)
Conversion Therapy: ✖ Not banned
Age of Consent: ✔ Equal

Suggest Public Opinion Data

Public Opinion

Views on same-sex marriage or other legal recognition

Ranked #21 out of 27 regions surveyed. (Source: Ipsos, April–May, 2021)

(19%) Against

Support (63%)

Views on same-sex couples' right to adopt

Ranked #16 out of 27 regions surveyed. (Source: Ipsos, April–May, 2021)

(30%) Disagree

Agree (66%)

Acceptance of homosexuals as neighbors

Ranked #64 out of 79 regions surveyed. (Source: World Values Survey, 2017-2020)

Question: "On this list are various groups of people. Could you please mention any that you would not like to have as neighbors?"

(70.8%) Mentioned homosexuals

Did not mention homosexuals (27.7%)

Justifiability of homosexuality

Ranked #60 out of 79 regions surveyed. (Source: World Values Survey, 2017-2020)

Question: "Please tell me for each of the following statements whether you think it can always be justified, never be justified, or something in between."

(80.4%) Not justifiable

Justifiable (8.4%)

Opinion on same-sex couples as parents

Ranked #53 out of 74 regions surveyed. (Source: World Values Survey, 2017-2020)

Question: "Homosexual couples are as good parents as other couples"

(59.8%) Disagree

Agree (11.5%)

"Should society accept homosexuality?" (2013)

Ranked #24 out of 39 regions surveyed. (Source: Pew Research Center, June, 2013)

Question: "Should society accept homosexuality?"

(57%) No

Yes (21%)

Perceived Acceptance of Gay People

Ranked #69 out of 119 regions surveyed. (Source: Gallup, 2013)

Question: "Is the city or area where you live a good place or not a good place for homosexuals?"

(53%) Not a good place

Good place (14%)

History

Homosexual activity in China

Homosexual activity in China is legal.

Current status
Since 1997

Legal

Homosexuality was decriminalized in China in 1997 and was declassified as a mental disorders in 2001. According to a 2010 report by IGLHRC, "the Chinese government has remained largely silent on the issue of homosexuality."

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Same-sex marriage in China

Same-sex marriage in China is other type of partnership.

Current status
Since Jan 2017

Other type of partnership

There are no laws in China recognizing same-sex marriage in China. But Chinese activists say that legality may happen in the next couple of decades.

China allows " Legal Guardianship " system since March 2017.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Censorship of LGBT Issues in China

Censorship of LGBT Issues in China is state-enforced.

Current status

State-enforced

China censors LGBT content, including LGBT-themed films, TV shows, and media. According to The Guardian, the Chinese government has "banned all depictions of gay people on television," calling it "vulgar, immoral and unhealthy content." The popular "boy love" (BL) TV drama "Addicted" was banned in 2016.

A Chinese broadcaster, Mango TV, which broadcasts Eurovision blurred a rainbow flag during the semi-final of the show.

In April of 2022, a few lines of dialog were removed from the Chinese release of the film 'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.' The dialog referenced the gay romance between Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Right to change legal gender in China

Right to change legal gender in China is legal, but requires surgery.

Current status

Legal, but requires surgery

"Sex change operation technical management standard" allows surgeries, and "Reply on household registration change gender related issues after the project's citizens Transsexual" by the Police Ministry allowed the legal gender to be changed.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Jan 1, 2011–Sep 1, 2018

Ambiguous

Sex change laws are vague. Missing non binary options on documents.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in China

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in China is not legally recognized.

Current status

Not legally recognized

According to Wikipedia.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

LGBT discrimination in China

LGBT discrimination in China is no protections.

Current status

No protections

No protections for housing discrimination

Details · Accurate? Yes No

LGBT employment discrimination in China

LGBT employment discrimination in China is no protections.

Current status

No protections

Under Chinese Labour Law, there are no protections specifically protecting LGBT people.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

LGBT housing discrimination in China

LGBT housing discrimination in China is varies by region.

Current status

Varies by Region

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Same-sex adoption in China

Same-sex adoption in China is varies by region.

Current status
Since Sep 6, 2018

Varies by Region

Single nationwide. but laws might be pending for same sex couples in some areas.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Dec 4, 1982–Sep 6, 2018

Illegal

The China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) does not allow same-sex couples to adopt, nor does it allow foreign same-sex couples to adopt a baby from China.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Serving openly in military in China

Serving openly in military in China is ambiguous.

Current status
Since Oct 1, 1949

Ambiguous

For homosexuals the policy is don't ask don't tell banned for transgenders

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Oct 1, 1949–Sep 5, 2018

Legal

More gay friendly than in the USA. Discrimination protections pending regionally.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Blood donations by MSMs in China

Blood donations by MSMs in China is banned (indefinite deferral).

Current status
Since Jul 1, 2012

Banned (indefinite deferral)

Homosexual men who are sexually active with other men can not donate blood in China, however, in 2012, the Chinese Ministry of Health lifted the ban against lesbians donating blood.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

1998–Jul 1, 2012

Banned (indefinite deferral)

In 1998, China banned homosexual men and women from donating blood out of fear of spreading HIV.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Conversion therapy in China

Conversion therapy in China is not banned.

Current status

Not banned

Although a Beijing court ruled conversion therapy illegal in 2014, there is no outright ban and the practice remains widespread throughout China.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Equal age of consent in China

Equal age of consent in China is equal.

Current status
Since Oct 1, 1949

Equal

The age of consent in China is 14 for both same-sex and opposite sex couples.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Equality Index ?

41 / 100

Legal Rights

52 / 100

Public Opinion

30 / 100

Interest Rank ?

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Alternative names: Zhongquo (local name)

LGBT Rights in China

Public Opinion

Views on same-sex marriage or other legal recognition

Views on same-sex couples' right to adopt

Acceptance of homosexuals as neighbors

Justifiability of homosexuality

Opinion on same-sex couples as parents

"Should society accept homosexuality?" (2013)

Perceived Acceptance of Gay People

History

Homosexual activity in China

Same-sex marriage in China

Censorship of LGBT Issues in China

Right to change legal gender in China

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in China

LGBT discrimination in China

LGBT employment discrimination in China

LGBT housing discrimination in China

Same-sex adoption in China

Serving openly in military in China

Blood donations by MSMs in China

Conversion therapy in China

Equal age of consent in China

Top Contributors

China LGBT Organizations

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