Datum:
2 november 2018

From red to pink: LGBTI Rights in China

Ever since president Xi Jinping came to power, the human rights situation in China has deteriorated. Many human rights defenders are being arrested, freedom of speech is heavily restricted, the internet is subjected to strict censorship and on top of that is China executing more people in one year than all other countries together. On Friday 16 November we will briefly discuss this in a Masterclass, but mainly focus on LGBTI Rights in the People’s Republic of China. Because LGBTI Rights are Human Rights.

The People’s Republic of China is one of many countries in East Asia that has yet to recognize same-sex partnerships and address discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics. The current Marriage Law only recognizes union between a man and woman. In addition, the non-inclusive Marriage Law makes it almost impossible for lesbian, gay, and bisexual people in China to have children. This means that couples of same-sex are not permitted to use any assisted reproductive technology (ART), including in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Taiwan

In May 2017, a ground-breaking decision by the Constitutional Court to make same-sex marriage legal, put Taiwan on the map as the most progressive country in Asia. This decision was celebrated by rights campaigners domestically, across Asia and across the world. However, the road to marriage equality encountered a twist this year. In March 2018, conservative groups in Taiwan initiated referendum propositions trying to curtail the impact of the ruling via a referendum asking the public to vote on three propositions, which would prevent marriage equality from becoming a reality and infringe upon LGBTI rights. The referendums are expected to be held at the same time as the local elections on 24 November 2018.

Masterclass

On Friday 16 November we will discuss LGBTI Rights in the People’s Republic of China in a Masterclass for students. Entrance is free, but registration is required.

Interested? Sign up here.