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| Photo from Global Times |
Two "gay couples" failed in a bid to register for marriage at the Chaoyang district registration office yesterday, when gay rights activists used Valentine's Day as an opportunity to make a statement to fight for the rights of homosexuals.
The two couples, one male, the other female, went to the office in the morning and asked to register as married couples, but were turned down by office employees, although they brought all the paperwork required.
"I told them it can't happen since homosexual marriage is not legally recognized in China," said Suo Na, deputy director of the registration office.
The couples brought marriage certificates they made themselves, and had a "wedding ceremony" outside the registration office, holding roses in their arms.
But it was just a gay community activity and the couples are not real boyfriends and girlfriends, said Guo Ziyang, activity organizer and executive director with Beijing LGBT Center. One of the women is not even gay, but was there to give her support to her friends in the LGBT community.
"We saw the results coming, but we went anyway. We just want to send a message to the government and the public that homosexuals also want and should have the right to get married," Guo told the Global Times.
"I thought we'd be driven out, but to my surprise, the office employees were very nice when they heard we wanted gay marriage," said Zhang Yunyi, one half of the female "couple" and LGBT center volunteer.
"The office employees offered us their blessings, and told us to wait until changes were made to the marriage law," she said.
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