1) Freedom of association and assembly, nominally guaranteed by law, is hardly
reflected in reality . All NGOs need endorsement from the government prior to
registration. So far no gay organization has successfully registered. Self
organized gatherings or activities cannot get approval from the local police,
as what happened in Dalian in November 2002 when local police banned a gay
gathering in a resort on the ground of possible “subversive” elements involved.
2) Most gays and lesbians live in silence and are eventually pressured to enter
heterosexual marriage. Research has shown that above 90% of adult gays and
lesbians who have reached middle age are in heterosexual marriage.
3) Even though homosexuality has been decriminalized and depathologized in
China in the past decade, there are no protective laws for gays and lesbians.
A person exposed or suspected to be gay might face dismissal from job or school.
Victims usually have no legal recourse to seeking protection against
discrimination as such.
4) Strict control over media is still in place over gay-related publicity in
the media. Homosexuality is still listed together with pornography as subjects
of taboo in mass media. Consequently, the general public have strongly negative
opinion toward gays and lesbians. Some gays and lesbians who have encountered
blackmails do not dare to report to the police.