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Homosexuality has a long history in human civilization， and the population of gay people in China is not negligible. On January 30， a special wedding in Beijing provoked a firestorm of debate on the legalization of gay and lesbian marriage. The cause of all this controversy is that the couple who committed themselves to each other in a public wedding ceremony were two males.
Official estimates released for the first time in 2004 put the number of gay men in China at between 5 million and 10 million. But more recent studies by Zhang Beichuan， an expert studying HIV and LGBT （lesbian， gay， bisexual and transgender） issues at Qingdao University， indicate that the number of gay and lesbian people on the Chinese mainland could be as high as 30 million.
The public has differing opinions on the legalization of same-sex marriage. Supporters say that as long as two people love each other， they should be able to marry. And because sexual orientation is not chosen， gay people are entitled to the same rights enjoyed by others and shouldn’t be denied the right to marry their lovers. However， opponents maintain that same-sex marriage is against tradition， and that legal recognition will lead to unpredictable consequences.
Supporters
Tao Ting （Company employee）： Legalizing same-sex marriage will benefit not only homosexuals， but society as a whole.
Physiologically， homosexuality is neither a disorder nor a disease， but rather a normal variant of sexual orientation. A person’s sexual orientation never compromises the social roles they play. Gay people are just the same as the straight ones in terms of capabilities and talent. In fact， it is said that many highly respected individuals of ancient and modern times were gay， including artists and thinkers such as Plato， Michelangelo， Leonardo Da Vinci and others.
The legalization of same-sex marriage would undoubtedly be good news for gay people. They would be able to be more reasonable and open in the pursuit of their happiness. Moreover， not only would gay people’s legitimate rights be protected by such legislation， it would also keep gay or lesbian people from resorting to extreme means in their fight for social recognition.
Zhang Yawen （Rednet.cn）： Same-sex marriage has been legally recognized by Switzerland， Belgium， Canada， the Netherlands， Spain， among others. Nowadays， more and more countries follow suit.
Many gay people are gentle， kindhearted， passionate， honest， well-mannered， loyal to their country， and filial to their parents. But just because of their sexual orientation， they are treated with prejudice and discrimination and have to live in darkness with fewer dignities. A person’s particular sexual orientation never means that they are indecent or immoral. We should not force everybody to accept one uniform mindset or pursue “cultural hegemony，” but accept homosexuals with a tolerant and rational attitude.
Li Yinhe （Sexologist and activist for LGBT rights）： Legally acknowledging same-sex marriage will only benefit society， and will not harm it in any way.
First of all， being gay is not against Chinese law， and gay people have the same rights as every other Chinese citizen. Their right to marry should also be acknowledged.
Second， Chinese culture tends to show more tolerance toward homosexuality. The nation should make use of this advantageous situation and use it as a firm proof on its commitment to protecting human rights.
Third， the legalization of same-sex marriage will normalize and stabilize sexual relationships between homosexuals， helping reduce the spread of venereal diseases.
Fourth， China has gained successful experiences in protecting the interests of vulnerable groups such as ethnic minorities， women and children. Protecting homosexuals will improve the nation’s international image and create a more open， tolerant and harmonious social atmosphere.
Opponents
Li Tie （Editor of the Times Weekly）： Allowing same-sex marriage may lead society down the slippery slope toward legalizing polygamy and bestiality.
“Marriage is about personal choice. People are free to do anything as long as it doesn’t hurt others.” This is a frequently cited reason to support same-sex marriage. However， this is not true in every situation. For example， dueling has been prohibited by law even though it depends on free will.
If every consensual relationship leads to marriage， does it mean we should permit marriages between fathers and daughters， brothers and sisters or mothers and sons？ Or should groups of three or even more people be allowed to marry？ Would this right even be extended to allow marriages between humans and animals？
Marriage is the cornerstone of human society. Changes to the definition of marriage will cause catastrophic damage to the whole of society. Please imagine what it would mean for families and society if the concepts of mom， dad and relatives are all changed. The marriage system would easily collapse then.
Moreover， marriage itself is not a private matter， but associated with many public functions such as medical insurance， housing benefits and tax reductions. As marriage is protected by public powers， its public nature is obvious. Homosexuals do not lack freedom. They are free to love， live together， swear oaths of fidelity， or even invite relatives and friends to celebrate their relationships， as all of these are personal matters. But when it comes to legal marriages， it is a matter of law.
We should also be cautious of the adverse consequences that legalizing same-sex marriage has had in some countries. Research shows that 29 percent of children adopted by same-sex parents have been victims of sexual molestation compared to 0.6 percent in families with heterosexual parents. Same-sex families are more unstable， and children in such families may lack the love of a father or mother.
Chen Qiuye （Blog.ifeng.com）： As a matter of fact， the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Convention on Economic， Social and Cultural Rights clearly states that marriage is between male and female adults. It is true that people have the right to get married， but only to someone of the opposite gender. Gay and lesbian people do not lack the right to get married， but rather give it up because of their sexual orientation.
Legalizing same-sex marriage may also seduce more bisexuals and those who are questioning their sexual orientation into same-sex marriage， inevitably harming social morals and causing more licentious activities.
Without the restrictions of traditional ethics and sincere affection between males and females， marriage would become an empty title and the family system could possibly collapse.
Official estimates released for the first time in 2004 put the number of gay men in China at between 5 million and 10 million. But more recent studies by Zhang Beichuan， an expert studying HIV and LGBT （lesbian， gay， bisexual and transgender） issues at Qingdao University， indicate that the number of gay and lesbian people on the Chinese mainland could be as high as 30 million.
The public has differing opinions on the legalization of same-sex marriage. Supporters say that as long as two people love each other， they should be able to marry. And because sexual orientation is not chosen， gay people are entitled to the same rights enjoyed by others and shouldn’t be denied the right to marry their lovers. However， opponents maintain that same-sex marriage is against tradition， and that legal recognition will lead to unpredictable consequences.
Supporters
Tao Ting （Company employee）： Legalizing same-sex marriage will benefit not only homosexuals， but society as a whole.
Physiologically， homosexuality is neither a disorder nor a disease， but rather a normal variant of sexual orientation. A person’s sexual orientation never compromises the social roles they play. Gay people are just the same as the straight ones in terms of capabilities and talent. In fact， it is said that many highly respected individuals of ancient and modern times were gay， including artists and thinkers such as Plato， Michelangelo， Leonardo Da Vinci and others.
The legalization of same-sex marriage would undoubtedly be good news for gay people. They would be able to be more reasonable and open in the pursuit of their happiness. Moreover， not only would gay people’s legitimate rights be protected by such legislation， it would also keep gay or lesbian people from resorting to extreme means in their fight for social recognition.
Zhang Yawen （Rednet.cn）： Same-sex marriage has been legally recognized by Switzerland， Belgium， Canada， the Netherlands， Spain， among others. Nowadays， more and more countries follow suit.
Many gay people are gentle， kindhearted， passionate， honest， well-mannered， loyal to their country， and filial to their parents. But just because of their sexual orientation， they are treated with prejudice and discrimination and have to live in darkness with fewer dignities. A person’s particular sexual orientation never means that they are indecent or immoral. We should not force everybody to accept one uniform mindset or pursue “cultural hegemony，” but accept homosexuals with a tolerant and rational attitude.
Li Yinhe （Sexologist and activist for LGBT rights）： Legally acknowledging same-sex marriage will only benefit society， and will not harm it in any way.
First of all， being gay is not against Chinese law， and gay people have the same rights as every other Chinese citizen. Their right to marry should also be acknowledged.
Second， Chinese culture tends to show more tolerance toward homosexuality. The nation should make use of this advantageous situation and use it as a firm proof on its commitment to protecting human rights.
Third， the legalization of same-sex marriage will normalize and stabilize sexual relationships between homosexuals， helping reduce the spread of venereal diseases.
Fourth， China has gained successful experiences in protecting the interests of vulnerable groups such as ethnic minorities， women and children. Protecting homosexuals will improve the nation’s international image and create a more open， tolerant and harmonious social atmosphere.
Opponents
Li Tie （Editor of the Times Weekly）： Allowing same-sex marriage may lead society down the slippery slope toward legalizing polygamy and bestiality.
“Marriage is about personal choice. People are free to do anything as long as it doesn’t hurt others.” This is a frequently cited reason to support same-sex marriage. However， this is not true in every situation. For example， dueling has been prohibited by law even though it depends on free will.
If every consensual relationship leads to marriage， does it mean we should permit marriages between fathers and daughters， brothers and sisters or mothers and sons？ Or should groups of three or even more people be allowed to marry？ Would this right even be extended to allow marriages between humans and animals？
Marriage is the cornerstone of human society. Changes to the definition of marriage will cause catastrophic damage to the whole of society. Please imagine what it would mean for families and society if the concepts of mom， dad and relatives are all changed. The marriage system would easily collapse then.
Moreover， marriage itself is not a private matter， but associated with many public functions such as medical insurance， housing benefits and tax reductions. As marriage is protected by public powers， its public nature is obvious. Homosexuals do not lack freedom. They are free to love， live together， swear oaths of fidelity， or even invite relatives and friends to celebrate their relationships， as all of these are personal matters. But when it comes to legal marriages， it is a matter of law.
We should also be cautious of the adverse consequences that legalizing same-sex marriage has had in some countries. Research shows that 29 percent of children adopted by same-sex parents have been victims of sexual molestation compared to 0.6 percent in families with heterosexual parents. Same-sex families are more unstable， and children in such families may lack the love of a father or mother.
Chen Qiuye （Blog.ifeng.com）： As a matter of fact， the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Convention on Economic， Social and Cultural Rights clearly states that marriage is between male and female adults. It is true that people have the right to get married， but only to someone of the opposite gender. Gay and lesbian people do not lack the right to get married， but rather give it up because of their sexual orientation.
Legalizing same-sex marriage may also seduce more bisexuals and those who are questioning their sexual orientation into same-sex marriage， inevitably harming social morals and causing more licentious activities.
Without the restrictions of traditional ethics and sincere affection between males and females， marriage would become an empty title and the family system could possibly collapse.