The Asian View of Homosexuality - Research Paper Example

Insert Insert Grade Insert Insert Homosexuality in China Introduction The Asian view of homosexuality has always been conservative for many years. With respect to China, it is only back in the year 2001 that the view of this sexual orientation has begun to change. As a result of restrictions, there are numerous women who are knowingly or otherwise, trapped in awkward and often lonely relationships with homosexual men. It is only through modernization that the situation may have been changing in the recent years. In the country, the men of a homosexual relationship are referred to as "tongzhi". There are indications that there are a growing number of heterosexual relationships, which may be a cover up for men or women being engaged in homosexuality. As a result, there is a possibility that the number of such relationships may be increasing in the country. In recognition of this fact, this paper will examine the issue of homosexuality in China. This will be done with a close reference to the short story "The Bridegroom" by Ha Jin. The story is about a strange marriage between Beina and Baowen Huang who unexpectedly proposes to her to the shock of everyone who did not expect such a handsome young man would think of marrying her despite her “stocky and stout” figure as her guardian and the narrator describes (p 472). However, as months go by in their marriage, there are no signs of her having a child. It is only after eight months that Beina’s guardian discovers that her daughter married a man with homosexual orientations without feelings for women. It is also surprising that her daughter was seemingly comfortable with this situation. From this story, we are able to discover that homosexuality was an ancient practice in China but because of various issues, the men and women involved did not come out openly with it. One of the major challenges that the gay society faced in the story by Jin is that of a legal perspective towards their sexual orientation as will be discussed below. Legal Implications The legal environment was not favorable for the survival of the homosexuals. It is even to the surprise of the family members of Beina when it is discovered that Baowen and his “Buddies” were meeting at night in a club (Jin 474). The fear by the men or members of the gay community in the country to come out in the open was founded on the fact that they knew that their practice had legal implications. As a matter of fact, when the inspector of police in the story breaks the news of arrest to the families of the men in the story, he talks of sentencing the men “from six months to five years...” this is because the practice was associated to a crime committed by hooligans (Jin 475). Moreover, the arrests by law enforcers resulted in physical harm to the victims because they were treated harshly while in custody. Even the law enforcers like the police seem to frown upon the illegal conduct as defined by them at that time. As a result, the groups that gathered in clubs at night had to do it in secrecy because of regular interference from local police as indicated by the story by Jin. While China never had a law against homosexuality, the government considered it a social disgrace. The police regularly rounded up gays and lesbians and charged them with hooliganism or disturbing public order. Gays were harshly persecuted after Chinas 1949 communist revolution, condemned as indecent followers of Western capitalism. Even well into the 1990s it was common to hear Chinese people describe homosexuality as a disease spread by foreigners (Sommer 1019). Moreover, the attitude of the government towards gay groupings had a close resemblance with the way ethnic minorities were discriminated against. As a general principle, the government like the one in power at that time, associates any group, being civil rights activists or gay activists for that matter to be a threat to national security and this might be the reason they were treated as rebels. In the prevailing circumstances in China at that time, it was clear that the government of the day feared all sorts of minorities groups. One characteristic of the groups that created this unfounded fear by government is the ability of the groups to organize and unite themselves which may be translated as a threat. The problem arises in the country because the homosexuals are not viewed as individuals but rather as a group with a deviant ideology. The legal enforcement against the various individuals in the Chinese society practicing homosexuality was therefore heightened because they were collectively misunderstood. Apart from the legal impediments, the practice also has a heavy social bearing in the country as will be discussed in the following section. Social Implications The social environment seems to have been harsh to homosexuals like Baowen who surprisingly is educated. Homosexuality is a controversial subject in the country. As a matter of fact, it is rare to find discussions about the topic in the social circles. It is, therefore, surprising to note that the gathering at the police headquarters in the story by Jin is shocked to hear of something like “sodomy” existing in the society reminiscent of how the society turned a blind eye on the subject (p475). The press has also been identified to shy away from this social issue even though they should be responsible for informing the society on the reality. As a result of the lack of information on homosexuality, most people in the country despises the act even though they cannot certainly state whether it is a sin or not. To the men just like in the book, pressure to marry is greater in rural areas, where it is common for relatives and neighbors to keep close watch and find out who might be staying single for too long (Sullivan and Jackson 35). Stay single too long, and gossip begins to spread about possible physical or mental disabilities. Constant questioning ensues. For some jobs, such as in the military and civil service, marriage is a requirement for promotion. However, homosexuals have been acknowledged among the social Chinese environment for a number of years in the past. The issue was worsened with the arrival of the British that saw the introduction of sodomy law in the era of British colonial rule in 1865. Systematic mishandling of the homosexuals was a frequent occurrence in the historic Cultural Revolution in the country when most of the victims were assaulted, imprisoned and even executed. Socially, the homosexuals were regarded as misfits and therefore could not easily interact freely. It was therefore challenging for men like Baowen to freely express their feelings as well as make the society aware of their orientation. Culture and Homosexuality For a long time, Chinese traditionalists have argued that homosexuality undermines family values, causes mental disorders and even aiding in the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. In the conventional ways of their tradition, a mans job is to start a family in order to produce male heirs who will ensure the continued worship of the ancestors (Cui 90). Not surprisingly, a large number of Chinese homosexuals still marry to save appearances and lead clandestine sex lives. Traditionally, gay men have resorted to marrying women so that they are able to conceal their sexual orientation which may be a painful experience for their wives as indicated in the story. This is what we see in the story, as Baowen is even ready to marry a woman despised by many just to keep others away from him. Many middle-aged or older Chinese people believe that homosexuality does not exist or is another phenomenon that the West is trying to introduce into China. Aside from its important role in resisting the argument that homosexuality is a product of the West, History of Sexuality in China also represents an effort to theorize alternative paradigms for understanding sexual dissidence in non-Western contexts. As a result, gay men often find they have weaker bargaining power. Because in China men are charged with ensuring the continuity of the family line, they are pushed harder by parents to marry and have children. We see this in the story when the imprisoned Baowen begs his wife to keep the revelation that he is gay away from his parents: “Don’t let my mother know the truth ..” (Jin 480). As a result, there are many more gay men seeking a marriage of convenience than there are potential female partners. Most parents have a difficulty in accepting that their children are of a homosexual orientation. More often they are blinded to an extent that they cannot be able to look out and identify the most open signals that may usually tell that they are homosexuals. When they eventually discover it, they are caught up in an embarrassing and humiliating situation. Parents, who often make great sacrifices so their only child can succeed, see a successful heterosexual marriage and grandchildren as the signs of filial piety that they deserve. Many Chinese gay experts and advocates see this as the largest problem that the nations gays face. Medical Approach As the story unfolds, it is surprising to note the practice has been handled as a medical one. Moreover, The Chinese Psychiatric Association also listed homosexuality as a form of mental illness. It is even surprising to note that Chinese may even sometimes associate gay people with the victims of AIDS (Rubin 223). This type of stigma may sometimes make patients even refuse to go to hospitals that are believed to have received HIV/AIDS patients (Lingiardi and Drescher 25). When homosexuals are treated here for what most Chinese doctors regard as their mental illness, they are sometimes given painful electric shocks to discourage erotic thoughts. An alternative approach is to offer herbal medicines that induce vomiting. In either case, the idea is to stimulate an extremely unpleasant reaction that will be associated thereafter with erotic thoughts, and thus reduce the patients ardor. This is probably why the nurse in the story was adding what the narrator only refers to as salt in the water bath. In addition, Baowen in his confession talks of having tried using herbal interventions to stop his feelings but to no avail. Conclusion With a mixture of denial and acceptance, discomfort and support, Chinese society is recognizing that homosexuality exists; hundreds of years after Western missionaries noted the prevalence of love between Chinese men. From a burgeoning gay bar scene in Beijing to semi-open wedding ceremonies in Shanghai and a renewed nationwide AIDS hot line, Chinas small gay population has begun to come out of the closet after years of arrests and social ostracism. Part of the reason for an easing of attitudes about homosexuality is a realization that if China continues its prudish ways, efforts to combat an already serious AIDS problem will be hampered. The Health Ministry says China has 400,000 carriers of the human immunodeficiency virus, which causes AIDS, although the real number is believed to much higher. While Chinas government officially says it wants to fight AIDS, a public service announcement on condom usage was pulled off TV last month because of a law banning the advertisement of sex-related products. China still has a long way to go before homosexuals achieve the level of acceptance they have in most parts of the West. In October, for example, a Beijing court ruled that homosexuality as abnormal and unacceptable to the Chinese public. While the state generally does not prosecute people for homosexuality any more, families and workplaces continue to be intolerant. Last year, for example, one Beijing family institutionalized their 31-year-old daughter for three months after she announced she was getting a divorce from her husband and wanted to date women. When she emerged from the hospital, she shaved her head in an act of rebellion and found a girlfriend, people who know of her said. Works Cited Cui, Junling. “Chinas Cracked Closet.” Foreign Policy, 154, (1), 2006, p90-91. Jin, Ha. 40 Short Stories: A Portable Anthology. Ed. Beverly, Lawn, 3rd Ed. New York: Bedford St.Martins, 2009. Print Lingiardi, Vittorio and Drescher, Jack (ed). The Mental Health Professions and Homosexuality: International Perspectives. New York: Routledge publishers, 2001. Print Rubin, Kyna. “The butterfly and the sword: AIDS in China.” Health Affairs,21, (3), 2002, p221-227. Sommer, Matthew. “Homoerotic Sensibilities in Late Imperial China.” The Journal of Asian Studies, 64, (4), 2005, p1017-1019. Sullivan, Gerard and Jackson, Peter A. (Ed). Gay and Lesbian Asia: Culture, Identity, Community. New York: The Haworth Press, 2001. Print Read More