When homophobia strikes

By Wang Weipeng (Published by the Global Times)

On April 16th, on the playground of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, two female students suddenly rushed to the scoreboard and held a banner which read, "Restore the traditional Chinese ethics and safeguard the core values of socialism; Curb the mental corruption caused by Western ideologies and keep homosexuals off our campus."

Danny Wang is a LGBTI rights activist and Case4Space champion

The two are currently pursuing doctoral degrees in medical study. Later, the coach of the girl's basketball team also expressed his support for the students. He argued that while sexual minorities can have a say in asking for rights, why can't anti-homosexuality groups have the right to demonstrate their views against the LGBTQI community.

This incident has created an outcry online. Those in favor of the girls' views insisted that as an imported outcome, homosexuality has created a more promiscuous sexual lifestyle, which furthers the epidemic of HIV. Others believe that these types of actions will only cause bullying toward the LGBTQI community. 

Personally, I do not see a need in making scathing criticism about the students or the coach, because the coverage of this incidents itself shows that the homosexual community is getting more visibility. 

The buzz around the incident has caused more awareness concerning the LGBTQI community and hopefully people will begin to have more of an understanding so that there can be a reshaping of the general view of the group.

However, this does not mean that we can sit back and ignore insidious homophobic trends lurking in universities. Those defamatory speeches about the LGBTQI community can cause social ostracism toward the group and act as psychological detergent for those to embrace themselves and pursue their dreams. 

Another lesson is that gender education is needed more than ever. Before the discrimination is further cemented, objectively-based gender education can help avert the situation from getting worse. Being gay, a student and part-time teacher, I can say it is getting better in Beijing. The booming pink economy, more coverage in mainstream media and vibrant social lives can show this. Be that as it may, more efforts should be made to make further steps in LGBTQI awareness and education.

This article was published on the Global Times Metropolitan section Two Cents page, a space for reader submissions, including opinion, humor and satire. The ideas expressed are those of the author alone, and do not represent the position of the Global Times or the United Nations