Awareness

This is my second post in a day...quite the record for me. However, this is something I think (and know) is an important and growing issue in China.

I just came out of a lecture on "Homesexuality in China." One of the questions asked is, "Should a homosexual male be responsible for telling his female heterosexual bride that he is a homosexual?" Many individuals in China mask their true sexual orientation, go against their genetic nature, and marry the opposite sex in order to fit into the social norm. Several females in the lecture voiced that this is wholly unfair to the female brides...how can these males be so selfish and ruin these women's lives? Even if these women were to get a divorce, the damage would already be complete (especially if there is a child involved). However, the response was (not verbatim), "All these problems are caused by society, society's expectations that we all fit into this keyhole of characteristics." Society creates the stigmatism that surrounds non-normative social identities. Hence, from a certain perspective, these homosexual males do not have a choice; they are forced to hide their true selves in order to live a "normal" life.

China's current situation is not much different from that experienced by the homosexual community in the U.S. several decades ago (for those of you who have not, please watch the "Milk" film). Even now in the U.S., there is a highly visible residue of these past negative attitudes (though, of course, in some areas more than others). I believe that people fear what they do not know; thus, awareness is the key to moving forward with others. The challenge lies in finding effective ways to getting people to listen.