Human rights activists and their lawyers have been detained, while internet censorship has increased. LGBT activists have turned to a novel tactic: submitting statements to the National People’s Congress, China’s legislature, which is soliciting opinions from the public on a draft of the “Marriage and Family” portion of the Civil Code through Friday. It was not clear what proportion of the suggestions pertained to same-sex marriage. While activists and experts acknowledge that legalizing same-sex marriage is still a far-off reality in China, they said appeals through the official channel will push the government to take the demand more seriously. At a briefing in August, a spokesman for the National People’s Congress Standing Committee’s Legislative Affairs Commission suggested that same-sex marriage does not suit Chinese society.

Source: thestar November 29, 2019 03:56 UTC