OUT
CHINA

“I hoped to create a diverse space where people can share their stories and be themselves”

 

Ada is from Hangzhou and the founder of Sunflower LGBT-Hangzhou and r & B bisexual group. Sunflower LGBT-Hangzhou started from 2010, with sunflower standing for sunshine and positivity. “We are a very warm and sunflower-like organization”, she said. Sunflower LGBT-Hangzhou’s headquarter is in Hangzhou and it aims to create and develop a LGBT community based on diversity, equality, and harmony.

 

“The signature event of Sunflower is “3322”, it has over 100 sessions so far.”

 

Although China does not allow LGBT people to parade, Sunflower has organized people to support and speak out for LGBTQ community during annual Hangzhou Marathon. They all stand in front of people and be proud of themselves. Moreover, there are more and more LGBT organizations like Sunflowers are being built all over China, in order to fight for LGBT community and human rights. Unfortunately, as the world’s largest LGBTQ community, China still cannot provide an equal society for sexual minorities, let alone human rights and same sex marriage. Indeed, we have a long way to go. The challenges and tough situations that LGBTQ people are now facing in China cannot be solved in another day. However, we have to hold our faith and we have to persist in fighting and encouraging each other.   

 

Ada is a smart and talent girl who identified herself as a bisexual. Unlike gay or lesbian, bisexual is the minority of the minority. Ada talked about her own experience regarding the discrimination from within the community. This is the reason why Ada developed r & B group. She explained that “r” means neither straight nor gay, “B” means bisexual, and that group provides a space to encourage bisexual people speak out for themselves and share different stories. Actually, Ada represents many of bisexual people in China. They are all brilliant, charming, and kind. There is nothing wrong with them, but they are not only suffering the discrimination from the society and many of straight people, but also suffering the discrimination from those people who identified themselves as gay or lesbian. If we want human rights, equality, and respect, of course we must give out all the same, especially the allies who stand with us together. Again, we have a long way to go. The first step is fighting against discrimination.     

 

“We should choose who we want to love, and live earnestly.”

 

I was so impressive by Ada’s smile; it was so beautiful and honest. I cannot image how many girls like Ada living in China nowadays. They deserve equal rights to love despite the gender and to marry their true love. More than 7 percent of population are LGBTQ in China, it means that more than 90 million people in China  belong to LGBTQ community. Even though China has sort of conservative culture background, we still need to eliminate the public’s misunderstanding about LGBTQ. One of major reason that result in the misunderstanding is inaccurate education. Today, we are sharing people’s stories and we are showing people who we are. We are not different and we are the same human.