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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.

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[-] Everyn@lemmygrad.ml 3 points 3 days ago

I watched this video like a year ago, and maybe it mentioned here or somewhere else, but i do remember hearing that the more reactionary sides of China when it comes to queernes are generally in the country side.

It's important to keep in kind that China is a massive country with one of the largest populations in the world, amongst also being a civilisation that has been around for thousands of years, it's stupid to think all chinese people are a monolith and view queernes the same, i know amongst young people in China queernes is viewed a lot better and pro-queer sentiments are growing.

It's also really dumb for rightwing and China bad people to try and depict China as this hell for queer people, it mostly comes from the fact that all they know about China is what western media and governments say about it.

[-] Envylike@lemmygrad.ml 29 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I would like to add that it's also not entirely fair to regard China's stance on queer rights as something monolithic across all of the country - I'd bet I would be able to live comfortably in Shanghai or Chongqing as a trans woman if I just don't step too much into the countryside. Sadly, I would also probably need to give up my dreams of visiting Xizang, but that's the way the cookie crumbles.

[-] cfgaussian@lemmygrad.ml 27 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Sadly, I would also probably need to give up my dreams of visiting Xizang

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.

[-] Envylike@lemmygrad.ml 10 points 1 month ago

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.

[-] cfgaussian@lemmygrad.ml 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

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.

[-] Flyberius@hexbear.net 15 points 1 month ago

Changsha 长沙 has a pretty vibrant LGBT scene too, from what I saw anyway. In case anyone wants to know.

[-] KrupskayaPraxis@lemmygrad.ml 9 points 1 month ago

I heard Chengdu also has a vibrant LGBT scene and that it is considered the queer capital of China

[-] Flyberius@hexbear.net 4 points 1 month ago

It is yeah. Also it has an amazing food scene

[-] ClathrateG@hexbear.net 18 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

In general I'd say it looks like China is behind the West on queer rights but only by maybe two or three decades

In some areas such as same-sex marriages not being legally recognised sure. In others China is ahead imo: they have state run clinics for trans youth to aid transition for younger people especially(the clinic in the article I linked is based in the Children’s Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai) whereas western countries like the US and UK have active anti-trans laws in place e.g. banning puberty blockers, changing their official definition of 'women' to be based on chromosome pairing etc

[-] Envylike@lemmygrad.ml 10 points 1 month ago

love the immediate injection of copium into the article too, that's how you know it's legit.

[-] pyromaiden@lemmygrad.ml 5 points 1 month ago

I mean, let's be fair here: the U.S. isn't monolithic on queer rights either and it can vary wildly from state to state. Some states want to outright kill us while others bend over backwards to give us what we need and most are in a broad area between the two often leaning one way or the other.

[-] Munrock@lemmygrad.ml 5 points 1 month ago

"This video is sponsored by War Thunder"

wrf? 😂

I've seen this guy's videos before. They're not too bad and I think he knows what's up but is one of the many content creators that masks it to keep his videos palatable to youtube liberals.

[-] pyromaiden@lemmygrad.ml 5 points 1 month ago

Pretty much everybody on YouTube is sponsored by War Thunder lmao. Easily the single most common sponsor I've seen regardless of channel.

[-] Marat@lemmygrad.ml 5 points 1 month ago

This isn't hate to youtubers who take it as a sponsor but warthunder would be so much better as a $40-60 game. Otherwise it's just sucks to play for something thag woukd actually be pretty fun.

Like imagine instead of progression you just...got to pick which era you play. Maybe you like the very early era, or later ones, or the cold war, or ww2. But noooo you have to grind because modern multi-player micro transaction game

[-] pyromaiden@lemmygrad.ml 3 points 1 month ago

I have no opinion on this as I've never played War Thunder. 🤷‍♀️

[-] Munrock@lemmygrad.ml 5 points 1 month ago

So much for the advertising

[-] TankieReplyBot@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 1 month ago

I found a YouTube link in your post. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:

this post was submitted on 13 Mar 2026
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