Interview in Danish newspaper on LGBT issues in China

I was interviewed for an article on LGBT people in China by the Danish newspaper Weekendavisen. The article, featured in the 18 October issue, is entitled ‘Den lange vej ud af skabet [The long march out of the closet]’. While accessible via its website, it is only in Danish and behind a paywall. Excerpts of a translated version appears below:

Under the radar. Gay Chinese are in a difficult limbo: Their sexuality is tacitly accepted by the authorities, but the rulers' fear of an active civil society is forcing LGBT groups to take caution. There is no prospect of pride in Beijing's streets right now.

By Peter Harmsen

…the LGBT movement reports a gradual tightening of conditions. It is not primarily about official homophobia, but about a more general aversion to an active civil society, especially if it finds inspiration and support abroad. Chinese NGOs are no longer allowed to receive money from foreign donors, and this can be felt….

…But according to Timothy Hildebrandt, a China expert at the London School of Economics focusing on LGBT groups, a renaissance for conservative values in China should also not be ignored. This does not mean a return to Marx, but further back - to Kongfuze and the notions of the family as the primary community stabilizing entity.

“Over the past couple of years, I have become much more pessimistic about the state's position to legislate in favor of sexual minorities. It is part of a feverish campaign designed to find legitimacy for state power elsewhere than in economic growth, even if it is about seeking back to so-called conservative values, ”says Hildebrandt….

….“For Taiwan, the legalization of gay marriage was certainly seen as an opportunity to make its name known as a leader in human rights in the region. I'm not saying that was the primary reason Taiwan took that step, but it's probably been seen as an added bonus, "says Hildebrandt of the London School of Economics.

“But it also meant a reduced likelihood that something similar would happen in China. If I were to place myself in the shoes of Chinese makers, then I wouldn't do anything that made it look like I was following Taiwan's example. ”