China's inevitable path to same-sex marriage
- By Ember Swift
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E-mail China.org.cn, July 25, 2015
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People in support of same-sex marriage rally outside the Supreme Court in Washington D.C., the United States, June 26, 2015. The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday ruled that there is a right to same-sex marriage in all 50 states across the country. (Xinhua) |
Regardless of the reason why the topic of marriage must first be seen through the lens of Chinese culture, the choice to marry is, ultimately, a personal issue. Personal issues only become political when injustice is involved. Once justice is made possible, the issue slips back into the realm of the personal where it belongs. As in Canada in 2003, after both celebration of and resistance to the marriage equality law had come and gone, same-sex couples simply began to get married, and in great numbers. By extension, they were finally able to benefit from the same tax breaks that married couples get; they were required to file extra paperwork to prove custody of their children; same-sex spouses were able to visit their loved ones in restricted hospital wards; and wills and testaments leaving legacies to same-sex spouses were finally honored. In the end, LGBTQ families were able to simply exist alongside straight families without fanfare. The only difference was that they had a newfound right to the exact same dignities their heterosexual neighbors took for granted. This is as it should be: no special rights, just equal rights.
The U.S. will likely encounter the same situation after the rush of celebration (and resistance) has come and gone. Life will go on. Same-sex marriage will do little to upset the order of things, as heterosexual people will always be the majority. The moral fiber of the society will not be punctured, as the religious right has proclaimed. It will, in fact, have been elevated by finally instating dignity for all. The U.S. will just have many more peaceful people who want nothing more than to have a functioning and happy family, without having to dance in the spotlight or hold rallies.
China may not be on course to engage in public discourse on this topic any time soon, but the LGBTQ community is growing in strength and visible numbers. As the country with the largest population on earth, it won't be long before the voices of the Chinese LGBTQ population - even if raised only in a whisper - will echo throughout the world. Yet, while there is strength in numbers, Chinese philosophy teaches us that there is also strength in subtle patience. China doesn't like to be outdone, especially by the U.S., but it isn't likely to follow suit anytime soon. That would be perceived as mimicry, an even greater loss of face than taking up the rear in terms of progressive policymaking.
China will eventually make quiet adjustments to marriage laws and legal rights for same-sex couples, but these changes will not be a result of a public outcry. They will happen unobtrusively, behind policymakers' closed doors, perhaps when such assurances are already assumed to be in place. What's more, it will happen because it will have been long overdue by then.
Until then, Chinese LGBTQ youth must remain strong and committed to truth. China, too, can be a "land of the free" and a "home of the brave," especially when freedom and bravery are each defined by our internal landscapes.
The author is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.formacion-profesional-a-distancia.com/opinion/emberswift.htm
Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
