A notable change occurred during the late 1990s and early 2000s, when sodomy was decriminalized in 1997 and the new Chinese Classification and Diagnostic Criteria of Mental Disorders removed homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses on April 20th, 2001, allowing tens of millions of gay Chinese residents to become ‘normal’ in one day.
Now Acknowledged: Homosexuals Exist in China
Olek Borelli
With a mixture of denial and acceptance, discomfort and support, Chinese society is recognizing that homosexuality exists.
A notable change occurred during the late 1990s and early 2000s, when sodomy was decriminalized in 1997 and the new Chinese Classification and Diagnostic Criteria of Mental Disorders removed homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses on April 20th, 2001, allowing tens of millions of gay Chinese residents to become ‘normal’ in one day.
In December 2004, China’s Sanitation Bureau released for the first time data on Chinese gays and AIDS. The accurate number of homosexuals living in China is still unclear, but based on international proportional statistics, it is estimated that there are more than 400 million gay people in China today. In the movie industry the topic of homosexuality has been concealed in the shadows; very few gay-related films have been produced so far.
Initially, the Beijing Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (first edition, December 2001) had a simple aim: to create an artistic space for expression concerning homosexuality, which couldn’t be allowed in the Chinese mainstream media. This second edition, which took place this April, saw its original intentions widened to the theme, "Sex Health" including issues such as sexual orientation, gender behaviours, gay theories, AIDS prevention, sex trade and society protection.
Unfortunately, despite the great success gained in its first edition, when perhaps it was sheer chauvinism that led to the university officials’ decision to allow the festival to go ahead, the festival this year was forced to change venue when campus officials refused to allow the event to continue.
Yang Yang, head of the Beijing gay cinema festival’s organizing committee, said this change was due to the festival’s subject matter. Organizers had told campus officials that the festival was an AIDS and sexual health event, for fear that authorities would ban it if they knew it was screening gay cinema.
Hosted by the prestigious Beijing University, the festival featured 12 gay and lesbian-related films, shorts and documentaries, all produced in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan in the past three years, namely: Shanghai Panic (Shanghai, 2002), Ignore the Gender (Beijing, 2001), Snake Boy (Shanghai, 2002), DYKE March (Beijing, 2002), Beautiful Men (Beijing, 2005), Withered in a Blooming Season (Beijing, 2005), Butterfly (Hong Kong, 2004), Ho Yuk-Let’s Love Hong Kong (Hong Kong, 2002), The Rules of Room 301 (Beijing, 2005), Star Appeal (Beijing, 2004), Baobao (Ji’nan, 2005) and Splendid Float (Taipei, 2004). In addition, two French movies, Jeanne et le Garçon Formidable (1997) and The Dream Life of Angels (1998) were screened at the Beijing French Cultural Centre.
