While China’s censors may have approved the exhibition of gay French-Chinese movie "Seek McCartney," it is still a big “No” insofar as same-sex marriages is concerned.
In a landmark decision, a Changsa judge dismissed the lawsuit filed by a gay couple against the Civil Affairs Bureau of Changsa City which refused to officially recognize their marriage in June. The case was filed by 27-year-old Sun Wenlin who married 37-year-old security guard Hu Mingliang, reported The Guardian.
The couple applied for a marriage certificate on June 2, 2015, but the registry in the capital of Hunan Province turned down their application because Chinese laws allow marriage only between a man and a woman. Sun filed the lawsuit after six months, and the Furong District People’s Court accepted it on Jan. 5, 2015, reported Sixth Tone.
It is the first case of its kind in China which a Changsa court agreed to hear in January. By lunchtime on Wednesday, the three-hour trial hearing ended with the judge dismissing the case.
Sun said he would appeal the court’s decision which his lawyer, Shi Fulong, said provided insufficient grounds for dismissing the case. Shi, however, said it was inevitable for gay marriages to become a reality in China in the near future.
“Even if they win the case today, we will definitely win the future,” the lawyer said.
Many LGBT members consider the turn of events as a victory too for gays and lesbians because a court tackled the issue. “This is a moment because of all the news coverage, and people are gaining exposure,” The Washington Post quoted Ying Xi, director of the Beijing LGBT Center. Ying noted the sharp hike in awareness of gay issues compared to 2009 when they began street performance art in the Chinese capital city. Even state-owned Central China Television sent a reporter to interview Sun.