Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
definition of someone's personality nor as an exclusive form of sexuality. It wasn't until
Western concepts started infusing into China that homosexuality came to be seen as identi-
fying who someone was and as a (now discredited) psychological disorder.
Today in Beijing, the gay scene is visible but not particularly flamboyant. In some circles
it's accepted but is generally hush-hush and not talked about openly, especially inside fam-
ilies. With the older generation's deeply held beliefs about being married and continuing
the family lineage, a young homosexual person is likely to get peppered relentlessly with
questions by anxious family members about when they're going to settle down. If you're
of the school that believes social factors influence homosexuality, cities like Beijing will be
worth watching. With the out-of-kilter male-to-female ratio, there will be ample research
opportunities to look at how gender imbalances impact sexual orientation and society's at-
titudes. For more information about the LGBT community in Beijing, contact the Beijing
LGBT Center, via
www.bjlgbtcenter.org
.
EXPAT PROFILE: LGBT COMMUNITY
Twenty-six-year-old Michael comes from Belgium and has been working in foreign
affairs in Beijing for more than two years. Though his weekdays are almost swal-
lowed up by his job, he still has plenty of time for all the other things in life, including
spending time with his friends in Beijing's gay community.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE LGBT COMMUNITY IN BEIJING?
Considering that Beijing has more than 20 million inhabitants, I can only imagine
how big the gay community must be. Generally speaking, the gay scene in Beijing is
very open-minded and has a welcoming attitude toward newcomers.
The most distinctive factor of the community itself is that it actually consists of
two scenes: one that's more visible and one that's very underground. The major reas-
on for this is the discrepancy in the mindsets of the majority of the Chinese popula-
tion (but definitely not all of them) and that of the temporary residents (foreigners or
expats). As a result, the visible scene consists of a colorful mix of all nationalities,
whereas the underground scene is mostly Chinese.
