Legal status Homosexuality in China

adult, consensual , non-commercial homosexuality has been legal in china since 1997, when national penal code revised. homosexuality removed ministry of health s list of mental illnesses in 2001 , public health campaign against hiv/aids pandemic include education men have sex men. officially, overt police enforcement against gay people restricted gay people engaging in sex acts in public or prostitution, illegal heterosexuals.

however, despite these changes, no civil rights law exists address discrimination or harassment on basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. households headed same-sex couples not permitted adopt children , not have same privileges heterosexual married couples.

research conducted chinese journal of human sexuality in 2014 showed 85 percent of 921 respondents supported same-sex marriage, while 2 percent of them oppose idea, , 13 percent of them said not sure.

on january 5, 2016, court in changsha, southern hunan province, agreed hear lawsuit of 26-year-old sun wenlin filed in december 2015 against furong district civil affairs bureau june 2015 refusal of right register marry 36-year-old male partner, hu mingliang. on april 13, 2016, hundreds of gay marriage supporters outside, changsha court ruled against sun, vowed appeal, citing importance of case lgbt progress in china. on may 17, 2016, sun , hu married in private ceremony in changsha, expressing intention organize 99 lgbt weddings across country in order normalize gay marriage in china.