Very interesting video that goes into far more depth about the situation of queer people in China than a lot of English-language media does. It's actually nuanced and researched; not just "China Bad" nonsense (it does mention the state surveillance meme and there's a brief jab at "Tankies" in the beginning - somewhat deserved IMO - but other than that it's mostly nuanced).
The big takeaway I got from it is that nationalism, patriarchy, Confucianism, and the birth rate are the biggest factors for why queer rights aren't expanding. Basically there are systemic issues but it's largely cultural & social taboos that are the deciding factor. In general I'd say it looks like China is behind the West on queer rights but only by maybe two or three decades and not anymore near the level of somewhere like Uganda or Saudi Arabia as anti-China libs keep trying to claim.
Not great, but room for improvement. I have faith that conditions will improve.
Why? There's a difference between living somewhere and visiting as a tourist. Most places in China are very welcoming to tourists. Are you worried about the permit? As far as i know getting a permit to visit Xizang-Tibet nowadays is fairly easy if you just book with a tourist company that has a lot of experience organizing trips and can handle the paperwork for you.
Even in rural areas as a visitor you would encounter much less discrimination or hostility toward your identity than a local who is queer would. Conservative attitudes mainly target people in the community through family pressure and social expectations. Outsiders can have an advantage in this dynamic because they are not subject to the same expectations.
I'm mostly just worried about disturbing the locals, especially the religious ones, don't wanna turn into a freak show. Maybe I'm just scared idk.
Yeah i get that. But as far as i know Buddhists are pretty chill with queer people, right? And like i said, as a tourist you automatically get better treatment because your money supports the local economy. I think you have more cause to worry about altitude sickness than about a few awkward social interactions.