China

China decriminalized homosexuality in 1997 with a Penal Code reform, and it was removed from the list of mental illnesses in 2001. However, no legal status applies to marriage or civil unions (marriage is statutorily defined as a man-woman pair) and no SO/GI-specific anti-bias law exists. Legal gender change allowed only after gender-affirming surgery including removal of reproductive organs. Conversion therapy not banned at legislative level (no change since 2019). Williams Institute (UCLA) survey July 2024: 52% favorable to same-sex marriage. Shanghai, Beijing and Chengdu with underground LGBTQI+ scenes but monitored; ShanghaiPRIDE closed in 2020 due to government pressure; growing media censorship of LGBTQI+ content since 2021; activism under scrutiny of state surveillance apparatus.

Population 1.404,9M Capital Pekín Language Standard Chinese Currency Renminbi (CNY)

LGBTQI+ legal framework · China

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LGBT identity

Legal since 1997

Decriminalized 1997 · removed from mental disorder list in 2001 · equal age of consent

Partnership recognition

No recognition

No marriage nor civil unions · Chinese law defines marriage as man-woman union · no adoption for same-sex couples

Legal protection

No anti-discrimination

No explicit SO/GI shield in statute · hate-crime law leaves both grounds uncovered

Trans rights

Change with mandatory surgery

Document-level gender change gated by specific surgical interventions, reproductive-organ removal among them

Conversion therapies

Not banned · no legislative change since 2019

No state-level ban · actively promoted per 2019 reports; no ban enacted as of 2026. A court recognized a rights violation in a 2024 individual case, but no legislative change followed.

Social context · China

Social acceptance

Mixed

Mixed · 52% favor marriage

Williams Institute (UCLA) Jul-2024: 52% back marriage equality · perceptible generational shift · wide urban-rural gaps

Source →

Anti-LGBT violence

Documented

State surveillance · venue closures

Queer activists face tighter watch from China's mass-surveillance machinery · LGBTQ+ venues pushed to close · ShanghaiPRIDE cancelled 2020

Source →

Indicative data as of 2026-06-02. Check the destination country's official sources before travelling.

Experiences
gay friendly · China

Top-booked tours and activities, with instant booking via Viator.

Affiliate links to selected experiences

Recent
LGBT news · China

Latest changes — new laws, rulings, events relevant to LGBTQI+ travelers.

China votes against UN SOGI mandate

On 7 July 2025, the UN Human Rights Council renewed the mandate of the Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (29 in favour, 15 against); China voted against, as it had in 2022.