Did China once view same-sex love as a neutral practice?
In short: In ancient China, the concept of a strict dichotomy between heterosexuality and homosexuality did not exist. From Taoist alchemy viewing same-sex acts as 'neutral' to the existence of dedicated deities for same-sex love, the historical landscape of Chinese sexuality is a complex tapestry of tolerance, shifting laws, and literary allusions.
Historically, Chinese views on sexuality were often nuanced rather than binary. In the 3rd century, writings from the Liu Song dynasty suggested homosexuality was as common as heterosexuality, with officials and gentlemen embracing the practice. In Taoist alchemy, homosexual sex was considered 'neutral' since it was thought to neither harm nor help an individual's 'life essence'.
However, the shift toward negativity is a subject of intense debate among sinologists. Some scholars argue that anti-gay attitudes became entrenched during the Ming dynasty (established in the 14th century) following hostility from the Mongol Empire and Yuan dynasty. Some scholars argue that adverse perspectives emerged later, during the 19th and 20th centuries amidst Westernization in the late Qing dynasty and early Republic of China.
Legal landscapes also fluctuated significantly. While the Ming dynasty enacted the first statute specifically banning homosexual intercourse during the Jiajing era, the Qing dynasty's enforcement was often questionable. In a unique cultural intersection, the deity Tu Er Shen emerged in Fujian as a guardian of same-sex love—a figure born from a man executed for his attraction to a nobleman. Currently, the Wei-ming temple in New Taipei stands as the sole religious site globally devoted entirely to same-sex love.
In the modern era, the community uses various terms to navigate identity. While 'tongxinglian' is the formal term for homosexuality, many use 'tongzhi' (meaning 'comrade') as slang. In 2016, a survey of 18,650 LGBT individuals in China found that only 3% of males and 6% of females described themselves as 'completely out,' with 80% of men citing family pressure as a reason for remaining in the closet.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Homosexuality in China
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