"History shows us that minorities do not count until they are counted."
May 18, 2016 8:40 AM   Subscribe

What is it like to be queer in China? UNDP has just launched Being LGBTI in China – A National Survey on Social Attitudes towards Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Gender Expression. With 30,000 respondents, the survey is the largest to date on the topic in China.

The study finds that a surprisingly low number of LGBTI individuals choose to be open regarding their sexual orientation or gender identity — less than 5.5 percent were “fully open” in their schools, workplaces and religious communities, and 14.6 percent to their families. Those who disclosed their identity also faced more discrimination, which often related to gender expression as well as sexual orientation. But the high levels of acceptance among the non-minority respondents, especially the youth, indicate an encouraging shift in attitudes toward the LGBTI community.

From the report's introduction: Most importantly, however, the survey paints a country in transition, where the majority of people do not hold negative, nor stereotypical views of sexual and gender minorities. They simply “do not know”. This provides an enormous opportunity to turn the undecided into supporters of equality.

The report comes just one week after a Chinese court rejected the first gender discrimination suit filed by a transgender person in China.
posted by showbiz_liz (2 comments total) 17 users marked this as a favorite
 
This is a fascinating post and I am surprised it has gotten no replies. Let's hope the future for LGBTI people in China is easier, and the transition from hate to acceptance happens quicker than it did in the west.
posted by marienbad at 2:19 PM on May 18, 2016 [1 favorite]


a surprisingly low number of LGBTI individuals choose to be open regarding their sexual orientation or gender identity

I find this unsurprising. When teaching, I start the year by mentioning that all students are welcome and will receive respect. The first time I taught a class of international students I discovered that "it doesn't matter if you're gay or straight, cis or trans" prompted open, derisive laughter.

with young people being more open towards and accepting of sexual and gender diversity.

That summary is far too optimistic. More open ~= open.

two-thirds in the post-90s generation "don't mind getting close to" gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex people, compared with 56.3 percent of those born before 1970, the report said.


Being immediately ostracized by 30% of the young and 60% of the old seems like a pretty understandable reason not to come out.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 4:49 PM on May 18, 2016 [5 favorites]


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