KUALA LUMPUR (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – China’s acceptance of the U.N. Human Rights Council’s recommendations on LGBT+ rights is a “milestone”, gay rights groups said on Thursday, urging Beijing to work with activists to tackle inequality.
China this week agreed to five recommendations on LGBT+ issues made under the Council’s Universal Periodic Review, including adopting legislation banning discrimination within a year, said U.N. spokesman Rolando Gomez.
The Geneva-based Council reports on alleged human rights violations in each U.N. member state every five years and is currently reviewing China.
“This is very important for the LGBT community and could show a change in attitude toward LGBT issues from our government,” said an LGBT+ activist in China who asked to remain anonymous.
“It could be a kind of milestone. Hopefully more government departments will take action to help our LGBTIQ community.”
Same-sex relations are not illegal in China, which has a vibrant LGBT+ scene. But the government has shown no interest in legalizing same-sex marriage and launches periodic crackdowns on gay content online or elsewhere.
“It’s the first time our government has totally accepted U.N. recommendations on the LGBTIQ issue,” said the activist, adding that more needed to be done to promote diversity education in China.
“We hope this starts a trend that helps all LGBTIQ rights to become achievable in the future,” the activist added. “If more countries talk about LGBTIQ rights … It will affect others to change their attitude and policy.”
Socially conservative attitudes prevail across most of Asia where Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei outlaw sexual relations between men, and Indonesia has seen an increase in raids targeting LGBT+ people.