Gays feel pressure on Chinese Valentine's Day
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Today is qingrenjie - Chinese Valentine's Day. But unlike ordinary couples who can celebrate the day openly, pressure from family and society means most gay people spend the festival quietly, either online or in private.
When an Internet user asked whether Chinese's Valentine's Day embraces homosexuals, many netizens gave their views. Some expressed contempt for gay people but others thought they have the same right to enjoy Valentine's Day as anyone else.
"All I want is to be with my partner forever."
Xiao Liu has been with his partner for six years, since he graduated from college. But he has not yet had the courage to come out of the closet because of the tremendous pressure he fears he will face.
Liu says he does not care about romantic festivals. All he wants is to be with his partner forever. "I am almost 30. My parents are starting to push me to get married. I don't know what to do. My partner and I would love to get married. We live together as much as possible."
Different points of view
Xiao Chen, a college student said she thinks it is "quite normal" for homosexuals to go on dates with their partners on Valentine's Day. She says she was friends with a lesbian in high school. The girl told her to read an article entitled "Don't discriminate against gay people." It changed her ideas.
But Xiao Huang, from Nanning City has a totally different point of view. "I don't care how homosexuals spend Valentine's Day, so long as there are no gays or lesbians around me," he said.
Expert: We have no right to make pass judgment
Wei Qiaozhou from Guangxi Normal University said, "In China, the biggest problem homosexuals face in their daily lives is pressure from family and friends. Social prejudice from society also puts them under stress. The other big problem is that they find it hard to satisfy their sexual needs."
But apart from their different sexual orientation, homosexuals are no different from other people, Wei said.
"As long as they don't violate the law they should be able to spend Chinese Valentine's Day as they wish. We have no right to pass judgment."
