公开表明自己同性恋身份的台湾作家白先勇这样描绘自己的世界:在我们的王国里,只有黑夜,没有白天。天一亮,我们的王国便隐形起来了,因为这是一个极不合法的国度:我们没有政府,没有宪法,不被承认,不受尊重,我们有的只是一群乌合之众的国民。
同性恋族群是性少数人群,但在中国大陆,这个族群超过4000万人。比起西方利益群体,中国同性恋者发声的力度较弱,几乎没有社会组织,更遑论政治地位,但中国官方和社会开始越来越关注这一群体。在采访和调查中,《凤凰周刊》试图走进这个国民逾4000万的王国,探问这个沉默族群的生存状态和面临的困境。
2004年9月中旬,中国大陆官方首次进行的人群同性取向和同性恋者艾滋病病毒携带比例调查,进入数据统计阶段。此项调查现场负责人黑龙江省疾病控制中心病毒病控制所副所长吴玉华告诉《凤凰周刊》:中国大陆同性恋人群的基数,一般的说法是4000万,但我可以肯定地说,我们这次调查出来的数据要超出这个数目。
吴玉华说,为了此项调查,他们准备工作做了3年,具体调查时间是今年7月和8月。我们培训同性恋志愿者,由他们自己做调查。吴说,其实,同性恋者的实际数量并没增加,而是这个边缘人群开始越来越多地进入主流社会的视野。
此项调查属于中美艾滋病防治合作项目,由国家卫生部和美国卫生与社会服务部联合开展,卫生部下属中国性病艾滋病预防控制中心流行病学室主任吕繁是此项调查的官方负责人。卫生部某相关负责人在接受《凤凰周刊》采访时表示:实际上,4000万是个理论上的推算,与实际的数目相差应该不是很多。
长期致力于同性恋相关研究的青岛大学教授张北川告诉《凤凰周刊》,据他统计,大陆15岁至65岁的同性恋人数约在3000万,其中男性2000万,女性 1000万。张北川说:就像左撇子一般约占总人数的11%,在生物学的概念上,不分国家、种族、文化和贫富的差距,同性恋占总人数比例一般都在2%- 5%。
而此一比率在另两位同性恋研究专家潘绥铭、李银河那里的数字分别是2%和3%。对此李银河向《凤凰周刊》解释,这一方面是因为部分同性恋是临时性的,会转向异性恋,另外由于统计年龄段的差异。而按3%计,大陆同性恋的人数约为4000万。
4000万的庞大数字背后,是一个不容忽视的族群,也隐藏着不容忽视的问题。卫生部下属中国医科院皮炎所同性恋研究专家操宁夏认为,同性恋的数字是恒定的,关键在于这个人群本身存在的问题非常严峻:相比于这个人群感染艾滋病的生理危险,更严重的问题是同性恋的心理障碍--同性恋者普遍缺乏自我的社会认同。
众多同性恋者常自称是走不出阴影的人。
酒吧间里的同志们
走路扭扭捏捏,说话嗲声嗲气,举手投足都有点女人的味道。陈伟凯(化名)说:我很CC,在圈内像我这样的人很多。CC,是圈内的行话,指忸怩作态的脂粉气。在一家同性恋酒吧里,陈向本刊记者承认,他是个同性恋者。
白天,陈在上海虹桥一家广告公司任创意总监。他曾经为自己的娘娘腔感到害羞和苦恼,千方百计想克服同性恋嗜好,扭转自己的形象。然而,不管是加强锻炼还是治疗,都没有成功。在公司,他尽量压抑自己,使自己看起来正常些;但晚上到了酒吧里,他就彻底地放松了。
坦率地说,我和朋友们的心理状态是灰暗的,不管表现得多么坦荡,但实际都生活在社会的阴影中,生活在自我的阴影中。因为我们十分清楚,我们的行为是社会、家庭都不能容忍的。为了我们的自尊,我们必须深深地隐藏自己,有时觉得藏得越深越好。陈说。
坐落于上海淮海西路宋庆龄故居一旁的一家酒吧,是沪上有名的同志酒吧。在这些盛夏的夜晚,酒吧的空气里飘荡着古龙香水的味道,不同肤色、年龄的人们流连忘返;他们有像陈一样CC型的,也有光头、大胡子猛男型的。更多的人,与普通人没有什么两样。
作为上海首家同志吧,这家酒吧于1995年在威海路开业。刚开业就座无虚席,顾客90%是男性同性恋者。2000年,酒吧一度搬到上海最令人瞩目的标志性建筑金茂大厦里,港台一些娱乐明星也常来消费。2002年,酒吧搬到了现在的地段。
老板之一西蒙(化名)是美国人,今年46岁;他的男朋友是个中国人,相貌俊美秀气。面对《凤凰周刊》的采访,老板一方面表示欢迎,另一方面希望记者隐去他们的真实姓名。西蒙是个天主教徒,尽管《圣经》上不允许同性恋,但西蒙认为,他信仰主要教义,忽略细枝末节。
在开办酒吧的过程中,西蒙并没有遭遇到官方或警方的阻力。他们基本上是睁一只眼,闭一只眼。在中国生活了近20年的西蒙是个中国通,他说:我们的生存哲学就是:中庸一点,低调一点。
实际上,西蒙在圈内相当有名,他曾请同性恋专家操宁夏到酒吧来讲课,还与上海卫生方面的官员也保持着较好的关系。5月份,在拒绝媒体宣传的情况下,这家酒吧发起募捐,两个星期就为中国艾滋病患者募捐到了7万元。
西蒙说,他们的顾客大部分是城市白领。在昏暗的灯光下,他们可以大胆地谈性。这个圈子对性有特殊的用语,他们习惯用A(男性角色)和O(女性角色)或1 (男性角色)和0(女性角色)来区别同志伴侣在性生活中的角色;他们把一夜情叫作419,取英文four(for) one night的谐音。我们不吸毒,不卖淫,为同性恋者提供一个交流的平台;至于他们认识后感情怎么发展,那是他们自己的事了。西蒙说。
尽管主要面向男同性恋者,但酒吧也不乏女性同性恋者,圈内称为拉拉。一位拉拉这样描述她的心路历程:大约从小学开始,我对同性朋友就格外迷恋,这种毛病我一直深埋在心底。上中学后更加严重了,女性特征突出后令我烦恼,女生常让我产生稀奇古怪的念头:想摸摸她的乳房,想和她睡觉,以满足自己的性欲。好像我是个发情的男孩一样,我真想去死!
在我们这里喝两杯,一些顾客还会再去HOPE跳舞。西蒙说。在上海较有名的同志酒吧中,目前外滩的一家会馆生意比较好,前去年轻人较多,而思南路的一家同性恋酒吧已关门了。
在北京、成都、重庆、深圳,都有许多像我们这样的酒吧,情况都差不多。西蒙说。除了酒吧间,同性恋者往往在广场、公厕、公园、街心花园、街头广告宣传橱窗及公共浴池等场所交流。但在这些公共场所,如何知道对方是同性恋者呢?对此陈伟凯诡秘地说,是不是同性恋,一眼就能看出来。互相之间不用讲话,眼睛会说话,双方眼光一碰就像触电一样,能意识到。
互联网带来的福音
互联网的迅猛发展给同性恋者带来福音。
互联网的便捷和隐匿,使与主流文化相左的边缘文化在其中找到了自己的精神家园,同性恋是互联网最大的受益者之一。曾创作拉拉文学《醉花阴》一书的作者花丁告诉《凤凰周刊》:刚上网时并不知道这些同志网站,一次偶然的机会从搜索引擎中看到同性恋三个字,打开这个网页,我的一切都改变了。一些受惠者甚至认为,互联网引发了同性恋者生活方式的一场革命。
在采访和调查过程中,记者曾接触到数以百计的同性恋网站,内容一般都包括同志新闻、交友、电影、文学、艾滋病治疗等综合信息。一些女性同性恋者热衷于网络,以至拉拉网站非常丰富,其中一些网站还涉及女权主义和女同性恋运动的议题。
在男性同性恋者网站的交友留言上,大部分人都用诸如清秀、健壮或拥有独立的经济能力等这些充满诱惑力的词语,来描述自己,同时也要求对方的容貌在8分或以上(一些同志网站主动地将人的容貌采取10分制,来方便网友的取舍)。
但在网络上,同性恋者往往不能肯定对方就是自己想要的人。花丁目前是某网页的版主,她说:许多人一直忙着在网上给人写信、打电话,然后约会、告吹,这样循环下去。一些同性恋网虫承认自己有了一种嫖客的心态,总希望下一个是最好的。
网络是一柄双刃剑,它在为我们打开心灵的窗户,让我们呼吸到同志天空的自由空气时,又因为它的便捷与虚拟,如同一柄利剑,刺毁我们最初对爱情的信任与真诚,这是网络的错还是男人的错?一位男同志在网站BBS上不安地责问他的同类。
入夏以来的网络扫黄运动,让一些同性恋网站伤亡惨重,一些同性恋网站被当成淫秽网站清剿。本刊记者联系到的一位被关闭的同性恋网站老板不无感伤地说,尽管个别同性恋网站确实存在一些色情内容,但同性恋网站不等同于淫秽网站。现在许多同性恋网站被关闭和暂停,我感到非常难过。
致力于同性恋权益的上海律师夏瑜(化名)本身也是圈内人,他向《凤凰周刊》指出,据中国互联网协会互联网新闻信息服务工作委员会2004年6月10 日颁布的《互联网站禁止传播淫秽、色情等不良信息自律规范》,其中界定淫秽信息的第六项有这样的表述:淫亵性地具体描写同性恋的性行为或者其他性变态行为,以及具体描写与性变态有关的暴力、虐待、侮辱行为。请注意,这里还是把同性恋列为一种变态的性行为。
沉默的数千万
大陆主流社会对同性之间的性爱现象和当事人,最普遍的称谓是同性恋、同性恋者,或称Gay(男同性恋)、Lesbian(女同性恋);还有来源于港台的基佬等歧视性称呼。目前,起源于香港的同志一词,在大陆同性恋人群中普遍流行,但未得到官方的认同。
曾经有一个美国人在网上询问,要求提供大陆迫害同性恋者的证据,以便为他的大陆男友办理政治避难。但实际上,在一些人的眼里,大陆反而是同性恋的天堂。在西方基督教社会里,《圣经》明确反对男性同性恋,男和男行可羞耻的事……神判定,行这样事的人是当死的。欧洲中世纪或德国法西斯都对同性恋者进行过残酷迫害,而在中国,宗教力量对同性恋者的束缚显然不大。
中国社会科学院社会学研究所研究员、博士生导师李银河认为,说中国是同性恋的天堂,此话半对半错。正在威海家里休息的李银河对《凤凰周刊》说,在中国的现实社会中,同性恋者大都受到家庭伦理、社会责任的压力,不得不隐藏自己的性取向,游移在社会的边缘地带。这个来自社会和家庭的压力,要比我们想象的大得多。
卫生部艾滋病咨询专家委员会政策组成员、青岛大学教授张北川多年来一直对同性恋者进行跟踪调查,得出了一组沉重的数据:因为歧视,30-35%的同性恋者曾有过强烈的自杀念头,9-13%的人有过自杀行为;同样是因为歧视,21%的同性恋者在身份暴露后,受到异性恋者的伤害(包括当面侮辱、殴打、敲诈罚款等)。
正在哈尔滨出差的张北川在接受《凤凰周刊》采访时指出,目前大陆同性爱承受的压力主要来源于社会,尤其对男性而言,承担着传统观念中传宗接代的责任。在这么多同性恋者当中,约有八成迫于传统和社会的压力,已经或即将进入异性婚姻,而这些婚姻大部分是不会幸福的,由此带来的社会问题已不容忽视。
李银河也认为,孔子称不孝有三,无后为大。这间接地刺中同性恋者的要害。李说,与欧美国家比,他们的同性恋较少与异性结婚的压力,而我们的同性恋者面临的婚姻压力很大。
面临主流社会的压力,这些性少数人群只能压抑对生活质量的追求。
香港性学研究会曾宪章在考察了大陆同性恋生存状态后指出:现在大陆的主要城市如北京、上海和广州等地,先后出现了很多同性恋者的聚合场所,如酒吧和舞厅等,电脑互联网也增进了同性恋者之间的联络;但酒吧无法公开登广告,只能靠同性恋者口头流传,而互联网又只有极少部分的人使用。即使大城市里的同性恋者的境遇有了很大改善,碰到同类的机会日益增多,但那些生活在中小城市和农村的同性恋者,那些没有渠道取得任何资讯的同性恋者,他们的境遇有没有得到改善呢?
从非刑事化到非病理化再到逐渐人性化
总体来看,同性恋人群在中国社会的地位和权利是处于上升状态的。
黑龙江省疾病控制中心病毒病控制所副所长吴玉华认为,现在大陆官方对同性恋的关注是空前的。此前,大陆长期对同性恋采取的是三不政策,即不提、不问、不理。一位同性恋研究学者向《凤凰周刊》指出:这个政策是颇为耐人寻味的,可以理解为漠视,也可以理解为默许。
专家普遍认为,改革开放以来,中国同性恋经历了非刑事化、非病理化,直到现在逐渐人性化的历程。
1984年,根据最高人民法院、最高人民检察院关于当前办理流氓案件中具体应用法律的若干问题的解答,对其他流氓活动情节恶劣构成流氓罪的的解释是:勾引男性青少年多人,或者勾引外国人,与之搞两性关系,在社会上影响很坏或造成严重后果的,鸡奸幼童的;强行鸡奸少年的;或者以暴力、胁迫等手段,多次鸡奸,情节严重的。
1989年,福建一对男同性恋者举行民俗婚礼,其中一位是农民,另一位是一贯表现良好的公职人员,后者因此事被开除公职。对此夏瑜认为,很长一段时间,在成年人之间发生的公开的同性恋行为面临的最大威胁,不是法律制裁和警方的治安拘捕,而是行政处分和党纪处分,这一点是中国社会所特有的。
1991年,中国安徽省发生一起女性同性恋者同居的案件,当地政法部门和公安机关难以对此定性,遂逐层上报至国家公安部。公安部的答复是:什么是同性恋,以及同性恋的责任问题,在目前中国法律没有明文规定的情况下,你们所反映的问题,原则上可不予受理,也不宜以流氓行为给予治安处罚。本案具体如何处理,可与检察院、法院等有关部门研究解决。
这一中国对同性恋问题的首例司法解释,被后来的许多学者认为,是一个历史性的标志,不仅成为日后警方处理此类问题时的参考依据,也表明了中国对同性恋问题的非刑事化态度。在后来的很多国际场合,中国政府经常引用这个批复,来表明在对待同性恋人权方面所取得的进步。
1997年,中国新《刑法》施行,删除了过去常常被用于惩处某些同性恋性行为的流氓罪,这被认为是中国同性恋非刑事化的另一个标志。
2001年4月20日,第三版《中国精神障碍分类与诊断标准》将同性恋从精神疾病名单中剔除,实现了中国同性恋非病理化。这比世界卫生组织将同性恋从 ICD-10精神与行为障碍分类名单上删除晚了7年。此前,同性恋被归类为性变态,现在被普遍接受的称谓是性心理障碍。而上海市精神卫生中心副院长肖泽萍教授此前在接受本刊记者采访时说:目前在临床病理学上,我们还是把同性恋诊断为性取向障碍。
今年 5月1日起,《监狱服刑人员行为规范》正式实施,旧规范中禁止的染发、同性恋等内容均被删除。媒体普遍评论,新规范体现了对服刑人员的尊重和平等,更加人性化。
从事法律工作的同性恋者夏瑜认为:中国法律并没有针对同性爱规定更大的打击范围或者更重的处罚措施,因此同一些明文规定同性爱非法的国家相比,我们国家的法律还是比较缓和的。
缺乏自律的同志
陈伟凯说:其实,以同志天性中的敏感、细腻、认真与执着,在各行各业不乏精英,如歌星张国荣和导演关锦鹏等。1997年,在跨越97演唱会压轴一场,张国荣公开向相爱15年的爱人唐鹤德表示感谢;当同性恋题材的电影《蓝宇》夺得当年金马奖金紫荆奖时,导演关锦鹏在庆祝酒会上公开感谢他相恋了12年的男朋友威廉。
然而,作为沉默的大多数,同性恋者真正走进大陆公众的视野一般认为是在4年前。2000年,歌星毛宁被刺事件使同性恋成为热点话题,同性恋族群被动地浮出水面;2001年,歌手红豆猥亵男童案经媒体大篇幅报道后,受众普遍加深了对同性恋者的厌恶情绪。
此后,同性恋者往往是以负面新闻的形式出现在媒体上。比如某名人招男妓反被鸭子抢劫敲诈,某名人因恋人移情别恋而蓄意报复毁容等等。今年初,一则《台湾近百同志群交被查获》的新闻被中文同志网站当做猛料到处转载,这条点击率居高不下的新闻中所透露出的同志糜烂生活令人咋舌:台北市警察局中山分局在一处出租公寓查获大型男同志摇头性爱派对,警方冲入现场时,近百同志有的杂交、有的昏睡倒地、有的服药过量失声痛哭,满地弃置毒品、卫生纸和保险套,肉欲横流,场景极其诡异迷幻,连查缉警员都至感震惊。而在南京,在某同志酒吧发生的组织同性卖淫案,今年也引起了媒体的广泛关注。
对此,陈伟凯说:其实,我们的形象都是被自己圈子里的人糟蹋掉了。
李银河认为,在中国同性恋族群中,有些人生活得很自信,充满创造力;另一些人却很自卑,压抑,生活在恐惧和愧疚之中。有些人属于社会上层,甚至是精英人物;另一些人属于社会的下层,甚至是底层,在贫困和屈辱中挣扎。
一些来自底层的同性恋者走上了男妓的道路,圈内称为MB,网络聊天室经常可以遇到MB,从他们的网名就可以猜出他们的身份,例如请让我诱惑你、急需钱等。在各大城市的同志酒吧、公园、广场等地,也时常可以发现MB的身影。
《凤凰周刊》所采访的同性恋研究专家,几乎都在关注MB的问题。张北川说:实际上,大部分MB不是同性恋者,他们只是为了钱,才为男人提供性服务。吴玉华说:MB的问题很严峻,因为他们可能同时向异性卖淫,真正是传播艾滋病的高危人群。操宁夏说,现在各个城市的MB比较多,他们往往与女性也发生性关系。大部分MB是临时性的性工作者,从农村出来的很多,还有部队转业的。操宁夏说,一些MB的要求非常低,他在调查时曾遇到一个仅要求请一碗面条的MB。
如果缺乏自律,缺乏制约和规范,同性恋者也将触及法律的禁区。夏瑜说:真正不为法律所禁止的,是两个成年同性双方自愿、不以赢利为目的、不在公共场所,并且没有或者不知道有严重性病的情况下发生的同性性行为。
当初香港作家林奕华最先用同志来称呼同性恋人群,取的是志同道合的含义。借孙中山先生的名言革命尚未成功,同志仍需努力,寄望广大同志任重而道远。故此,一位同性恋者在网上呼吁:同志的爱情,除了寄托的对象与传统标准有异,其余的一切应该都与异性恋人群没什么两样,包括对爱情的选择和把握,对伴侣的忠贞与责任,对性道德的笃信和遵守,对一夜情诱惑的抗拒和规避。
性行为方式与艾滋病感染
在一般人眼里,同性恋与艾滋病两个本应单独使用的名词,好像在某种程度上已经合二为一。1981年,世界首例HIV感染者,就是美国一位男性同性恋者。在许多国家,艾滋病正在男性同性恋人群中高速蔓延。但认为同性恋可以和艾滋病划等号,其实是一种错觉。
李银河说:和西方比起来,中国的艾滋病感染者中,吸毒者约占七成,国外是同性恋者约占七成。不过,男同性恋者确实已成为艾滋病传播高危人群。此项调查现场负责人吴玉华向《凤凰周刊》介绍:国内同性恋人群的活动相当隐秘,形成了自我封闭的群体。他们行为活跃,高危行为较多,又多存在着双性恋现象,易把 HIV传播给普通人群,是AIDS传播的特殊高危因素。
如果不掌握同性恋人群规模大小,就无法准确估计该人群中HIV感染者的人数,无法为艾滋病防治策略的制定、卫生资源的分配提供科学依据--具有官方性质的此次人群同性取向和同性恋者艾滋病病毒携带比例调查,即因此而展开。
那么,同性恋者的性生活方式究竟是怎样的呢?据李银河的同性恋性行为方式调查发现:调查对象的性行为方式中,以抚摸为最常见;接吻占第二位;相互手淫也比较常见;口交就少多了;肛交更少。李认为,考虑到中国同性恋者对适用范围不十分清楚的鸡奸罪的恐惧心理,承认有过肛交经历的人数可能会低于实际数字。李说,我们此次调查问卷数据与潘绥铭的数据大体相符。
据调查,在女同性恋关系中,感情所占的比重较大,关系的稳定程度甚至超过了异性间婚姻的稳定程度。由于女性在性行为过程中,体液交换量非常少,已有证据表明,女性同性恋人群是艾滋病及性病发生率最低的人群。
对于这样的调查结果,专家开出的药方是综合性预防措施。中国性病艾滋病预防控制中心流行病学室主任吕繁告诉《凤凰周刊》,我们提倡综合性预防措施,希望同性恋者尽可能加强自律,减少性伴侣,加强保护措施;另外,社会要多加理解,多宣传安全知识。
中国同性婚姻提案
到目前为止,台湾已有500对同性恋人在网上注册结婚。虽然同性婚姻在台湾未取得合法的地位,但互联网上已有专为同性恋者所设置的婚姻注册网站。今年5 月,上海某同性恋网站上,也报道了本地一对男性同性恋者的网上婚礼。一位网友评论:同性恋人上网注册结婚,虽然没有法律效力,但通过在网站上注册,留下两人的婚照和爱的誓言,在网友的见证下,也稍稍弥补了同性恋人在现实法律上无法结合的遗憾。
去年10月,毕业于上海戏剧学院的女作家明水(化名),和在一家日本航空公司当会计的同性恋人举行世俗婚礼,被认为是中国第一例女性同性恋婚礼。当然,她们的婚姻没有法律效力。
目前,全球除了丹麦、瑞典、挪威、荷兰、冰岛五国以及美国佛州承认同性婚姻合法之外,其余各国均未开放同性结婚的大门。按照中国《婚姻法》总则第二条规定,中国同意婚姻自由、一夫一妻、男女平等的婚姻制度,对这条规定的解释自然认为婚姻主体是一个男子和一个女子,而不承认同性婚姻家庭。
今年两会期间,李银河把她的《中国同性婚姻提案》,交给她的政协委员朋友,期望得到与会代表的讨论。有人认为这份提案仅1200字,但它关系到中国超过4000万人的命运。4年来,这是李第二次委托别人向两会提交这份提案。但显然,这份提案受到了冷遇。
他们没有法律的保障,同性伴侣在福利待遇、遗产继承与子女监护方面,仍然处于不利的地位。李在提案中分析。从历史和跨文化的研究看,凡是人口增长压力较大的国家,对同性恋一般都采取比较宽容的政策;而人口稀少的国家对同性恋则比较严厉。如果他们可以与同性结为生活伴侣,将有这样大的一个人群不生育,有利于中国的人口控制。
但此项提案何时能被讨论并通过,李银河列不出时间表。
也有同性恋者对此并不领情,给出否定的意见:我们目前真的急需一个法律来保护因同性婚姻而产生的相关权利和义务吗?我们目前面临的最大问题,是公众社会的歧视与排斥。如果这个问题不解决,即使同性婚姻合法了,又有多少人敢于走进同性婚姻的殿堂呢?操宁夏也认为,当务之急,是保障同性恋者的一些基本权利,比如人身安全、名誉权、隐私权。
同性恋族群并不孤独
那么,如何才能令社会对同性恋族群有最大限度的宽容和理解?接受《凤凰周刊》采访的专家学者一致认为,这需要医学界、法学界、媒体、文艺界等各方面,最重要的是官方的更多介入和关注。
2003年4月,上海同心热线开通,接听和解答来自各界听众的咨询,这是由上海市生殖保健指导中心主办的同性恋热线,也是上海目前仅有的一条面向性少数人群的热线。上海市生殖保健指导中心隶属于宋庆龄创办的中国福利会国际和平妇幼保健院,它的官方背景令这条热线产生更多社会意义。
据了解,目前在青岛、北京、大连、南京、哈尔滨等国内许多城市,已经陆续出现了旨在传播预防性病艾滋病的知识、为同性恋提供心理支持的同性恋健康咨询热线,大部分由面向中国开展艾滋病控制的英国贝利-马丁基金会资助,有些还得到了国内疾病防治部门的指导。 2003年4月,国内第一个正式注册的同志健康咨询网站爱心天空在哈尔滨开通;今年4月9日,重庆某酒吧正式成为中国首家安装安全套发放机的同性恋酒吧;而中国医科院皮炎所则在云南和四川搞了两个同性恋示范门诊,专门面向同性恋者。
2003年11月,复旦大学医学院开设选修课《同性恋健康社会科学》,这在中国高校中尚属首例。据传,这门课也成为复旦大学有史以来,第一个向校党委书记征询报批意见的课。而最先构思在大学里开设这门研究课程的,是首位获2003香港十大杰出青年的同性恋者杜聪。
2004年7月,第15届全球艾滋病大会在泰国曼谷举行,在四川省中英项目办的资助下,成都同性恋社区关爱小组的两同性恋者飞赴泰国。报道称,这是中国同性恋人群第一次走出国门,参与世界级艾滋病大会的相关论坛。
事实上,国外一些政府组织和基金会早已不露声色地进入中国大陆,为改善大陆同性恋者的生态和防治艾滋病积极工作。英国贝利-马丁基金会与前文所述的上海同志酒吧有合作关系;而张北川教授的性健康中心也获得了马丁基金与福特基金的多年支持。而此次由官方主持的中国同性恋人群基数调查,也得到了美国疾病控制中心全球艾滋病项目中国办事处在资金和技术上的支持。
自救走出阴影
据美国媒体8月报道,美国民主党总统候选人克里的夫人特雷莎在不久前参加民主党年会同性恋问题核心小组会议的时候,曾经暗示支持同性恋婚姻。分析人士指出,克里夫人此举可能是为丈夫竞选拉选票,这表明同性恋群体在美国已经是一个不可小觑的政治力量。
据曾经采访过香港同性恋组织的南京大学学生王炜介绍,目前,香港的同性恋组织大约在18-22个之间,其中规模最大的是彩虹行动,拥有会员680多人。该组织活动内容相当丰富,比如参与反对二十三条、争取港人内地子女在香港的居留权等等。
相比欧美及亚洲一些发达国家和地区,大陆几乎没有同性恋自己的社会组织。据李银河介绍:大陆的一些同性恋团体一般都是联谊和交友性质,不具备组织框架。张北川也说:目前大陆有许多同性恋独立工作组,成为主流社会和亚文化社会的结合点,但不属于国家注册的社会组织性质。
同性恋者夏瑜认为:目前,中国几千万同性恋者,自己本身最基本的权利不去争取,却仅靠几个专家学者去奔走呼号,这不能不说是我们的悲哀。我网上认识的有些同性恋者,竟然不知道李银河、张北川是何许人也,更不用说对自身族群的了解了。
如果仅靠社会各界的关注和支持,同性恋族群自身却不努力,其生态的改善显然相当困难。操宁夏首次提出的同性恋者自我社会认同,其核心理念就是同性恋者的自救。
√ 文章版权归宋元所有 / 2004-10-4 / 1310 / 发表评论
√ 文章推荐者:《凤凰周刊》
- posted on 10/16/2004
I did a little bit research on this subject while working on a book a few months ago. Below is a chapter draft from the book (currently being reviewed and revised) DANCING WITH THE DRAGON: CHINA LAW THROUGH A CULTURAL PRISM. A list of the references is provided at the very bottome of the article, although the footnotes may have lost during the COPY/PASTE transfer from the word file. Comments and criticisms of any form will be appreciated.
Chapter 7 Gay Rights in China—Way Ahead of the Wave?
Homosexuality can be traced back to the dawn of human civilization. Recorded homosexual activities can be found in the history of many countries around the world. In China’s 4000 years of history, there are many historical accounts on homosexual practices. Many early Chinese kings and emperors were reportedly gays themselves. In addition to the imperial courts, homosexuality was also practiced by the nobles, government officials, Chinese intellectuals and wealthy people.
One Chinese scholar in the Qing Dynasty once noted that homosexual practice may have started from the era of the Yellow Emperor (~ 27th century B.C.), an enigmatic figure whom the legend has credited for the beginning of Chinese Civilization. While that theory is still controversial, historical accounts from the Shang Dynasty (1766-1122 BC), the first documented era of ancient China, suggest homosexuality existed in China at least three thousand years ago. The well known historical homosexual characters during the Spring- Autumn (770-476 B.C) and Warring States Period (475-221 B.C) include Long Yang, An Ling and Mi Zixia. Their romantic entanglements with the kings have been of a topic of enduring interest throughout Chinese history. Long Yang served the King of the Wei and his tender care of the king in sound asleep was memorialized in literature. Similarly, Chinese history also captured the moment of Mi Zixi and Duke Weiling, both in love with each other, sharing a peach.
One contemporary historian, Mr. Pan Guangdan, once concluded in his study of Chinese history of homosexuality that “almost every emperor during the early Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 9) had a homosexual love or lover.” According to the historical records, Emperor Han Aidi, who was an emperor (6-2 B.C) of Han, had a partner named Dong Xian. One afternoon when the he woke up from a nap with Dong, the emperor saw Dong, still sleeping, lying on top of the imperial robe sleeve. To avoid waking him up, the emperor had to cut off his sleeve to leave the bed. The story, Severance of Sleeve, later became a commonly used allusion to homosexuality in many literature works. Also during the Han Dynasty, Emperor Han Weidi (in power 179-163 B.C) granted his partner, Deng Tong, the privilege of mining copper and making currency. Deng grew extremely wealthy and became the male who had derived greatest benefits from sexuality in Chinese history. In addition to gays, there were lesbians in the imperial court during the Han Dynasty. Furthermore, the Han nobles and imperial family members also used young handsome boys as sexual entertainers. This last practice gradually went out of the privileged Han class and gained increased popularity among government official, intellectuals and general public over the ensuing few centuries, especially between the second to sixth centuries,.
After a relatively quiet hiatus of homosexuality, as judged from the lack of thehistorical literature, during the Tang (618-907) and Five Dynasties (907-960), gay and lesbian activities revived in the Song Dynasties (960 – 1279). Male prostitutes became rampant in many places. They opened “whore houses” and publicly solicited business. By the time the Emperor Song Huizhong came to power in 1101, he decided to ban male prostitution. A law was soon in place, providing that “a man who becomes a prostitute shall receive one hundred floggings. Informant will be awarded fifty guan of money.”
The Mongols conquered and ruled China from 1206 to 1368. Homosexuality hit another low point, presumably due to the values of the Mongol nomads placed on traditional aspects of manhood. The Ming (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasties (1644-1911) both saw not only the revival, but the surge of gay homosexuality. This increased practice in homosexuality may be the effects of laws in these dynasties banning government officials, all males, from visiting prostitutes and as a result they had to “find alternatives”. The surge also changed the attitude of the society towards homosexuals. During the Qing Dynasty, for example, the society had a demonstrated a very generous tolerance of public display of gay relationships (such as in theatrical representation or a gay couple walking hand-in-hand in the streets). In fact, the society had more tolerance of two men holding hands in public than of a heterosexual couple behaving similarly. The rise of the Peking Opera during the Qing Dynasty, wherein only men were allowed to perform on stage, hence all female roles (such as maids and princesses) had to be played by men, may also have been related to the increased gay homosexual activities. For gays, opera performance might have been a very good profession to be in. Indeed, gay relationships were not uncommon among Peking Opera actors. The movie, Farewell My Concubine, retold such a story that took place in the 20th century.
Farewell My Concubine, which snatched a shared top prize at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival and snagged two Oscar nominations, is a story that spans fifty-three years, presenting the lives and love of two men, Peking Opera starts, against the historical backdrop of China from the warlords infested period of the 1920s, to the Japanese invasion of 1937, and from the Communist takeover in 1949, to the Culture Revolution in the 1960s.
The youthful Chen Dieyi and Duan Xiaolou are the two most talented students brought together under the often cruel training of the strict master of a Peking Opera troupe. They later both become major opera stars, and their production, "Farewell My Concubine” is nationally known. On the stage, Xiaolou plays the role of the King, and Dieyi, the King’s concubine. The two are inseparable and a strong bond develops, until a woman falls in love with Xiaolou who later marries another woman.
In the movies, Dieyi is a fascinating character with confused sense of identity. Not only is he attracted to men, but his role as a woman in "Farewell My Concubine" creates a certain ambivalence about his own gender. In childhood, the refrain of "I am a girl" is drilled into him so that he can effectively assume the role of the concubine in the opera but over time the line between reality and acting has become blurred. Dieyi has a prostitute for a mother, is raped by an old man, and has his best friend stolen from him by a woman. The movie insightfully reveals the deep internal struggle and torture of a Chinese homosexual during the first half of the 20th century.
Dieyi is definitely not alone on his lonely journey seeking love and happiness. Many Chinese homosexuals, as those in many other countries and cultures, have encountered challenges from their society, which often is unforgiving and unreceptive to a living arrangement outside the traditional model. During the first forty years of the Communist regime in China, especially during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), a very aberrant era in Chinese history, many homosexuals were persecuted socially, politically and judicially. Some were killed, and some committed suicides to avoid public humiliation. An art teacher in Beijing was beaten to death by an angry mob after his same-sex relationship with a male student was exposed. Similarly, one middle-school teacher in Beijing was sentenced to death by a court in Beijing for engaging homosexual activities with a male student. A case in the 70s made headline news in a very ancient city in China. A family having a few guests over to stay for the night sent their little girl to sleep over in their next-door neighbor’s home, occupied by a married old couple in their sixties. The old man was on a night shift so the little girl got to stay with the old lady. The following morning she told her parents that the “old granny” was actually a man. The parents alerted the authority who arrested the old person as a “spy” suspect. During the detention, the person turned out indeed to be a male. While in prison, he committed suicide.
It is noteworthy that the Cultural Revolution was itself a very unusual period in China in which countless ordinary people had been tortured and persecuted. The treatment of the homosexuals during that era is not very typical of their treatment in most years under the Communist rule. Although historically in China homosexuals were viewed, and probably still are by some,
They were viewed asas “diseased”, “immoral” and “psychological abnormal” ,. One there have been relatively few laws specially banning homosexuality. China once viewed sodomy as a crime. But unless children or other crimes were involved, the criminal sodomy charge had been rarely invoked for two consensual homosexuals. In fact, as noted by Prof. Wenhe Li, a sociologist and a researcher in homosexuality in China, the challenges facing Chinese gays and lesbians are not so much from the institutional or systematic persecution (that, of course, does not mean Chinese homosexuals have had no run-ins with the authority. To the contrary, police and militia who patrol public areas often see assembling homosexuals as “hooligans” and may interrogate, fine, or even detain them on grounds of maintaining social orders), but from societal aversion, public discrimination and pressures from workplace and family. In a survey on 486 gays conducted between 1997 and 1998, 25% of the interviewed reported injuries (verbal abuse and battering) inflicted by heterosexuals, 35% reported that they have contemplated or have attempted suicide due to the society’s (including family’s) intolerance of homosexuality, 10% reported that they have attempted suicide.
A man from the Northeast area of China told Prof. Li in an interview of his ordeal derived from his deepest fear was that his family members found out about his sexual orientation. One night he was caught by a police officer in a public park. After checking out his papers, the officer asked him to go to the police station the following day to take a class and threatened him with informing his family and work place if he did not go. Scared of the possible public exposure of his homosexuality, he went back to the station next day. He was interrogated by a dozen police officers. They took turn to ask him questions, including details he was too ashamed to answer. He begged them to be merciful, with tears and sweats perspiring all over the place. He was released and the police did keep the encounter a secret. Despite the painful experience, the man felt his humiliation was worth it as long as his family members and colleagues did not find out.
To many, administrative penalty from work is worse than the judicial penalty, which in recently years only involves 15 days of detention at most and even that is rare. A Chinese company is very different from a typical American company. A Chinese employer is more intimately involved in an employee’s life outside work than an American employer. To some extent, an employer is like an employee’s legal guardian. The police often calls the employer to bail out his detained employee at the police station. The employer also assumes some responsibility of educating his employees and making sure them stay out of legal trouble. An employee who has done something wrong outside work may be asked by his employer to make an oral or written promise not to repeat the wrong or face administrative penalty. The punishment by the employer may take different forms: short-term probation, demotion, withholding of benefits (housing assignment, child education allowances, etc), delay or denial of promotion, lay-off and purge from the Party (for communist members). For many people who have spent the entire life with the same company, or are not free to leave a place for whatever reason, any of these punishments may have devastating effects financially as well as psychologically.
In spite of all the hardships and challenges, the number of homosexuals remained undwindled. ByBy the early 1990s, there were about 36 to 48 million homosexuals in China,China. according to a research conducted between 1989 and 1991 by Prof. Wenhe Li.
Since the 1990s, situations concerning Chinese homosexuals apparently have improved. Many of them have been enjoying the increased legal rights and protection in parallel to gay and lesbian rights development around the world. In early 1992, the Department of Public Security stated in a memo on two co-habiting lesbians in Anhui Province that because China has no law concerning homosexuality, the courts therefore may dismiss cases involving homosexuals like the two at the issue. This decision has been interpreted to herald the legalization of same-sex relationships. A few years later, in 1997, criminal sodomy was scraped off from the Chinese Penal Codes. The new law, similar to the decision by the Supreme Court of United States in Lawrence v. Texas, has far-reaching effects. Under the new law, sexual activities between consented adults in privacy are beyond the reach of law. In 1999, in a suit brought against the author of Homosexuality in China, the appellate court reversed the lower court’s characterization of homosexuality as “sexual perversion.” In addition, the upper court abandoned the traditional identification of homosexuality with lack of morality. It is clear that the gays and lesbians in China have gain significant legal headways over the past decade.
Society’s attitude towards same sex couples has also changed substantially. On February 14, 1993, a gays’ organization in Beijing, the Men’s World , publicly celebrated Valentine’s Day in a rented disco ballroom. This marks the debut of the Chinese gays into the open society. The authority’s comments on the event was that as long as no one was adversely affected, the police would not interfere. In 1997, gays and lesbians in Beijing started hotlines to serve the homosexuals in the city as well as elsewhere. In several major cities, homosexuals have formed associations and meet publicly. In Beijing, a national event for lesbians was held in October 1998.
Civil marriages between same sex couples, albeit still rare, are acceptable. The first public gay marriage took place in Fujian Province in 1991 and the first lesbian wedding was held, in Shanghai in 1999.
Since the middle-90s, a wide variety of grass root groups have been organized to advocate for gay and lesbian rights in China. The internet, bars, journals, news letters and other communication means have been utilized to build homosexual communities and to connect with other groups outside China.
Bibliography
Li Yinhe, The Subculture of Homosexuals in China (1998)
Twenty Years of Same-sex Relationship Movement in Modern China, http://www.zaobao.com/special/newspapers/2001/03/fjgsb310301.html (last accessed, March 12, 2004)
http://www.gaychinese.com; http://www.boysky.com; http://www2.cnmaya.com;
The Hardships of a Writer in Publishing His Book on Homosexuality, http://www.szjy.net/news/02/2003/05/27/20030527093914.htm (last accessed, June 12, 2004).
Gay Emperors in Ancient China, http://www.shtoday.com/maya/cnnews/shtoday/zt/life/item/2001_07/544875.shtml (last accessed, June 12, 2004).
Living in Dilemma: Rare Facts about Same Sex Lovers, http://shuwu.com/ar/chinese/114521.shtml (last accessed, June 12, 2004).
Paul Halsall, Homosexuality in History: A Partially Annotated Bibliography, http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/pwh/gayhistbib.html#c3 (last accessed, June 12, 2004).
The Nigh Life of Lesbians in Chengdu China, http://www.shtoday.com/maya/cnnews/shtoday/zt/life/item/2001_07/544899.shtml. Paul Stonehill, Mysteries of the Yellow Emperor, http://www.mystae.com/streams/ufos/emperor.html.
Gay Groups in the City of Wuhan, http://www2.cnmaya.com/maya/cnnews/shtoday/zt/life/item/2001_07/545705.shtml.
Gay Cathay, Laws Concerning Homosexuals in China, http://articles.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1568/is_2_33/ai_75099624.
Seke Wei, Era and Timeline of Chinese History, http://133.1.96.43/~seke/tsaou/romanize/eraname.html. Despite 80 Million Internet users, China remains behind Taiwan in online, games, http://asia.news.yahoo.com/040526/afp/040526112247hightech.html Jay Lyman, Internet Users in China Number Nearly 80 Million,
TechNewsWorld, January 15, 2004,
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/32610.html James Berardinelli , Farewell My Concubine, http://movie-reviews.colossus.net/movies/f/farewell_conc.html. On the Peking Opera, Farewell My Concubine (Chinese) http://www.jingjuok.com/liyuan/plays/htm1/bawangbieji.htm
- Re: 大陆4000万同性恋生存状调查 文/宋元posted on 10/16/2004
玛雅,
Someone said you are a 同性恋. I do not believe. Do you have any objection to this? Sorry for this so personal question. - Re: 大陆4000万同性恋生存状调查 文/宋元posted on 10/16/2004
哇,不明来历的消息真是传播得快啊!
many times, when we try to find out who we really are, we often end up losing our identities.
Steve wrote:
玛雅,
Someone said you are a 同性恋. I do not believe. Do you have any objection to this? Sorry for this so personal question. - posted on 10/16/2004
我来帮玛雅回答吧。女人是长在水里的花,男人是石头雕出来的像。
根据跟男同和女同的谈话,我知道男同性恋的心理与女同性恋的心理特征有些不一样。女人的可塑性比男人强很多,这也就是说即使是女同,其双性恋的倾向比男同要多得多。
据男同的介绍,男同很难是双性恋的。女人不一样。
回答了你的问题了吗?
Steve wrote:
玛雅,
Someone said you are a 同性恋. I do not believe. Do you have any objection to this? Sorry for this so personal question.
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