China: A Sexuality and Gender Equality Focus

Although there are not many statistics which delve into how many homosexual, transgender, or bisexual individuals within China. homosexuality is a social discussion that has divided the country. Based on a survey taken in China, over 54% of citizens do not accept homosexuality. This is more than half of the entire population who do not approve of same sex relationships. To further this lack of acceptance, homosexual couples are prohibited from marrying in China. The government also limits many other aspects of same sex couples rights such as prohibiting adoption of children, and not restricting or regulating discrimination against homosexuals. There is an ongoing increase within acceptance of homosexuality due to social media access, entertainment, and globalization, but the Chinese government still limits access to such sources, and thus furthers the argument that China has a long way to go to further acceptance of LGBTQ people throughout the country. 

Premarital sex is another controversial social issue in China, and is also regulated. China seems to be a semi-restrictive society when it comes to premarital sex in that it is regulated, but often disregarded and worked around. It is in accordance with Chinese tradition that a woman remains a virgin until the night of her wedding, and that night there is a ritual where the woman bleeds on white sheets during sex to symbolize her virginity being taken from her by her husband. Although even this ritual is often faked to ensure a lasting marriage and impression, the Chinese government looks down on premarital sex. Sex Ed is often not even taught in schools, rather the only real talk of intercourse education comes through the discussion and strict policy regarding abstinence. Again, attitudes regarding premarital sex are changing due to the same reasons stated above, but a shocking 70% of Chinese citizens have admitted to having premarital sex even with the strict ideology regarding the act. There is also a double standard in which women are primarily blamed for giving up their virginity to the man before marriage, and some textbooks even target women for being the leading cause behind the large number of premarital sex cases in the country. Women are, in turn, viewed as slightly inferior to men in China. China still has a long way to go in accepting women's rights and the rights of homosexuals, but I would argue that they are moving in a positive direction.