2016 Annual Report | Beijing LGBT Center

2016 is my fourth year working in the Beijing LGBT Center. Four years ago, after working here for a month, I worryingly found out that there were only three employees and all the employees expect for me would quite within one or half year. At that time, there were still limited people who would publicly participate in the LGBT activities. Now, we, the LGBT Community in China, want to tell about a different story about the Beijing LGBT Center and our community: the LGBT Community in China is much stronger than ever before. 

This year, we constructed the first comprehensive research on the living situations of LGBT people in China and built the first transgender hotline. A gay couple from Changsha sued the civil affairs bureau for the issue of marriage equality. Qiubai sued the Ministry of Education again for the defamation of LGBT in textbooks. Mr. C, a transgender, initiated China’s first transgender employment discrimination case. There are transgender internet sensations who come out to the public. During the period of 99 public interest day held by Tencent, the LGBT organizations got the supports from people inside and outside the communities. The LGBT community cooperated with more LGBT friendly companies to develop the diverse culture of company. We saw that there were numerous objective and positive coverages about LGBT people in the new and traditional medium. We also saw the progress around the world: the United States announced that the same-sax marriage is legal all over the country; Shibuya-ku in Japan and Taiwan built the same-sax couples registration system. 

However, it cannot be ignored that the discrimination of LGBT people and infringements of our rights are still serious. The conversion therapies of gay and transgender are still secretly proceeding around the country. There still have people isolated or even fired because of their gender expression or sex orientation. There still have students suffering from bullying incidents for the same reason. The domestic violence law does not expressly protect the same-sax couples from domestic violence. Although the activities of occupying men’s bathroom have already promoted some areas to expend the area of women’s bathroom, the transgender people are still bothered by the issue of using public bathroom. 

It is often said that we are respected and virtuous because of the work we do for public interests. However, we are not the Foolish Old Man who tries to remove the mountains or Jingwei who tries to fill the sea. We just want to influence more people, to gather more torches to make the light brighter. Making changes is never something related to the concerns of morality, but something done for myself and ourselves. That is done for all the Chinese citizens, no matter what kind of sex orientation, gender identity and gender expression they have, to have the equal rights in all respects. Thanks for all the supports to the Center! In 2017, let us go forward together!

The Executive Director of

Beijing LGBT Center

  I  

        SOGIE Press Conference       

▲  517SOGIE press conference -1

A press conference announcing the SOGIE research report was held on May 17th. 

Over 100 representatives from international inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations, embassies and academic institutions attended this conference. 

There were special reports from 14 media including CNN, Youku, and news coverage from over 40 media published online. Video research report was viewed over 6.55 million times. Related hashtags on Weibo earned 178.7 million clicks and 101 thousand comments. 

The report was selected as one of the top 10 publications of 2016 and given a four-star by the UN. 

▲  517SOGIE press conference -2

  II  

   UNCOVER MAP

 First gay friendly map in China has been introduced

Uncover Map is an online map showing the black/white lists of LGBT friendly counseling services, an important tool of the Center to against conversion therapy and social prejudice. 

The Center has published the website and official account versions of the Uncover Map on May 17th. Related information was added to the promotion cartoon of the “Being LGBT in China” report. So far the Center has released a blacklist of 46 institutions still offering conversion therapy and a white list of 51 LGBT friendly therapists. The information is still being constantly updated.

▲  Screenshot of Uncover Map website

  III  

              2016 ' Pretty in Pink '        

    Gala  Fundraising

▲  At the scene of the Pretty in Pink Gala

The Pretty in Pink Gala was held at the Beijing New World Hotel on May 21. 

The Gala is the Center’s most important annual fundraising event. Approximately 400 guests attended the event. The event raised 150,000 yuan for the Beijing LGBT Center through the ticket sells, on-site auction and lottery. 

  IV  

Participation in the 2016 International Congress of Psychology in Yokohama

▲ Xiao Tie at the 2016 International Congress of 

     Psychology in Yokohama

Invited by the LGBT Concern Office of the American Psychology Association (APA), Ying Xin, the Executive Director of the center,  participated in the 2016 International Congress of Psychology (ICP) in Yokohama during the period of July 24th to 29th. 

She shared Report on The Mental Health of LGBT People in China and Awareness and Attitudes towards Gender Sexual Minority among Psychiatry and Psychological Counseling Practitioners, separately released by the Center in 2014 and 2015. Ying Xin also established rapport with various international institutions focusing on LGBT depathologization to collectively promote the process of LGBT depathologization

  V  

      New strategy and planning      

in media communication

In August, after consulting with outside sources, the Beijing LGBT Center completed its media branding strategy, including strategic brand analysis and communications planning. 

The Center redefined and repackaged all the public forums and established a new slogan: “Let’s Get Better Together.”

  VI  

   Professor Dominic provided advanced training for voluntary psychologists of the Center

▲  During the Training

On August 27th, Beijing LGBT Center invited Professor Dominic to give advanced training to voluntary therapists of the Center. 

As the founder of Pink Therapy, Professor Dominic has 35 years experience in LGBT affirming counseling, group counseling and supervision. This advanced training, with 50 participants, was held at Beijing LGBT Center and broadcast live through online video, bringing voluntary therapists the international dynamics and suggestions for better LGBT counseling.

▲  Professor Dominic Giving His Suggestions

  VII  

Held the Forum on 

the Present and the Future of LGBT Affirming Psychologists

▲  the Forum on the Present and 

    the Future of LGBT Affirming Psychologists -1

On August 28th, the Center successfully held the Forum on the Present and the Future of LGBT Affirming Psychologists at the 9th National Academic Conference on Psychological Health. It was the first time that LGBT affirming counseling was discussed by Chinese mainstream psychological scholars. Experts from Taiwan, the UK and the USA shared their experience in LGBT affirming counseling with Chinese mainstream therapists.

▲ the Forum on the Present and 

    the Future of LGBT Affirming Psychologists -2

  VIII  

        Academic Symposium on      

Depathologization

▲  Symposium on Depathologization in 

      WHO Beijing Office-1

On September 2nd, the Center held the ‘Informal Meeting on the Process and International Development of Homosexual Depathologization in WHO Beijing office. 

Representatives from the WHO, the UNDP and British Embassy Beijing, as well as Chinese experts in psychiatry and psychology, discussed how interdisciplinary collaboration could promote LGBT depathologization in China. 

This symposium suggested using the ICD-11, which the WHO would soon release, to change the psychiatric and psychological classification of LGBT people in China and establishing a subcommittee on LGBT therapy under the Chinese Psychological Society.

▲  Symposium on Depathologization in 

      WHO Beijing Office-2

  IX  

The LGBT-Friendly Therapists' Training

▲ The LGBT-Friendly Therapists' Training 

     in Guangzhou

Throughout the year of 2016, Beijing LGBT Center has held six sessions of LGBT-friendly therapists' training in Xi’an, Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou and etc.

Altogether 247 members took part in the training sessions. Some of them were therapists and some were psychological instructors in schools. All of them believed that such training sessions were of great importance - the information and knowledge shared in the training were exactly what they hoped to know and were useful for their future work.

▲  The LGBT-Friendly Therapists' Training in Beijing

  X  

Advocacy of Multiculturalism in Enterprises

▲ Advocacy of Multiculturalism at Goldman Sachs

Aiming at promoting multiculturalism in more enterprises, Beijing LGBT Center held LGBT theme events in November and December respectively with Goldman Sachs and Bayer, and discussed the issues on gender minorities and other minority communities with the employees. 

The purposes of the activities are to establish equity and anti-discrimination regulations in the enterprises by advocating multiculturalism and to create a safe and inclusive working environment that values mutual respect among all individuals.

▲  Advocacy of Multiculturalism 

      at Bayer-Q & A session

You are not alone 

in building a better world. 

Let's Get Better Together in 2017!

▲  Volunteer Appreciation Assembly on Nov 27

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