Mitchell Lee
Professor Li
Traditional Chinese Culture
3/2/18
Confucianism and Gay Marriage In China, there is still much controversy surrounding gay people in everyday life. Many people insinuate that China's currently holds a "Don't ask don't tell" attitude towards gay people and issues. However, with Western acceptance and progress (specifically gay marriage), many Chinese citizens have gotten a little more introspective and considered their own thoughts on gay marriage. Fueled by a quote from Justice Anthony Kennedy where she cited Confucius in support of Gay marriage, many Chinese people brought Confucianism into these thoughts as well. Confucius and his followers echo many of the same Confucian ideas, but differ somewhat as well. When
This has been disputed by many academics following the quote. However, in Confucius' Book of Rites, he explains that ceremonies are central to all of human life. Following this idea, you would believe Confucius would approve of any and all marriage as an expression of love, regardless of sexuality. Marriage is a ritual, and in The Analects, Confucius states that "The linen cap is that prescribed by the rules of ceremony, but now a silk one is worn. It is economical, and I follow the common practice". You can infer from this that Confucius believes you can alter rituals slightly without changing the meaning of the ritual. So in theory, you could alter a traditional Chinese wedding to be gay, and it would still have the significance of a normal
Much of China is still very Conservative, and a lot of people are afraid that they will be ostracized by their families. Elderly Chinese often really want grandchildren, which can put a lot of pressure on their children to have children. Much of this can be contributed to Confucianism, or neo-Confucianism, where filial piety is taken to utmost importance. One scholar, Fang Xudong, said that "Confucians don't have any discrimination against homosexual people and that they can have their own sexual orientation and the right to pursue their own happiness". But that for a Confucian, "duties to one's family must take precedent over the right to pursue your own