Vigils were held in Hong Kong after the Orlando shooting. (Photo : Getty Images)
There is cause to say that China is still struggling to accept the LGBT community even after the baby steps it took toward tolerance of the third sex.
A report from CNN noted that while Chinese courts did rule against the traditional notion that homosexuality is a mental illness and should be "corrected" through mental therapy, the LGBT community in the country is still far from sowing acceptance from their fellow men.
LGBT in China
Until 2001, China had largely considered being gay as a mental disease that should be treated with medical therapies.
Even if the courts have already ruled against the practice, many are left scarred by the experience of having been dragged by their own family to a mental illness treatment facility for coming out as a homosexual.
Time featured a victim of this traditional mentality who is now striking back.
The moment the 37-year-old man surnamed Yu signed his divorce papers, his wife and family had him admitted to the Zhumadian No. 2 People's Hospital to undergo "conversion therapy" to treat his so-called "sexual preference disorder."
During his 19 days of stay in the facility, Yu said the nurses beat him, forced him to take drugs, and lashed him to sleep.
Because of that, Yu filed a legal case against the mental hospital in the central province of Henan for "limiting his personal liberty and inflicting emotional distress."
"He suffered a lot in the mental hospital, physically and mentally. He told me that several men took off all his clothes and laughed, 'we heard you are gay, let's see whether you are a man or a woman,'" Yu's lawyer Huang Rui explained.
Progress
In the nation's capital Beijing, people are still not allowed to participate in the PRIDE Parade due to the government's fear of a large group of people coming together to march on the city streets.
Fortunately, the LGBT found a home in Shanghai where many gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexuals join together for the PRIDE Parade.
In this Chinese city, thousands of Chinese members of the LGBT community gather to express their true self via film and other artistic means the homosexuals are known for.
"Last year we had 6,000 participants throughout the whole pride week. It's good progress," 43-year-old ShanghaiPRIDE co-founder Charlene Liu told the LA Times. "We're not as big as pride [festivals] overseas, like in L.A., San Francisco, Sydney and London. But given the situation we're in, I think we're progressing."
