Homosexuality in China historically was regarded as a normal facet of life and the existence of homosexuality in China has been well documented since ancient times. Many early Chinese emperors are speculated to have had homosexual relationships, accompanied by heterosexual ones. Opposition to homosexuality and the rise of homophobia did not become firmly established in China until the 19th and 20th centuries, through the Westernization efforts of the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China. Sodomy was banned in the People's Republic of China, until it was legalized in 1997.
Read more about Homosexuality In China: Terminology in China, Traditional Views of Homosexuality in China, Same-sex Love in Literature, Slang in Contemporary Chinese Gay Culture
Famous quotes containing the word china:
“Riot in Algeria, in Cyprus, in Alabama;
Aged in wrong, the empires are declining,
And China gathers, soundlessly, like evidence.
What shall I say to the young on such a morning?—
Mind is the one salvation?—also grammar?—
No; my little ones lean not toward revolt.”
—William Dewitt Snodgrass (b. 1926)