The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide on 26th June 2015, marking a new milestone for homosexuality rights. Whereas in China, the ways homosexuals are treated may have improved after the removal of homosexuality from the list of psychiatric disorders in 2001, their lives continue to be filled with numerous difficulties. By gathering stories from 9 different cities and interviewing over a dozen homosexuals as well as their family members, the programme thoroughly reveals the truest sides of the homosexual community in China.
Episode 1 Why Me
It has been a constant debate whether homosexuality is born or made, and most homosexuals tend to feel the same frustration at first ¨C why am I different? Yue Jianbo regards a childhood experience as the cause of his homosexuality, while Tao Tao realized his interest in the same sex only after he was married and has children. In this episode, they share what they have been through from the fear and denial of discovery to self-recognition.
Episode 2 Surround Me
¡°Coming out of the closet¡± is a figure of speech describing homosexuals¡¯ self-disclosure of their sexual orientation. In China, many homosexuals are still hesitated to come out. Li Peng chose to lie to his family because he is afraid of letting them down. Xiao Tao, on the other hand, told his mother the truth out of no choice and was relieved by her acceptance. Let Xiao Tao¡¯s mother tell you how she coped with the news.
Episode 3 Marry Me
Many traditional families in China think marriage is essential and parental involvement is needed to expedite the process. Under such pressure, Zhang Xiaoyu and Yue Jianbo who compromised and married the opposite sex both have their marriages ended miserably. Lily used ¡°marriage of convenience¡± to satisfy her parents¡¯ request. On the contrary, Xiao Tao and his boyfriend, Xiao Xin have the blessings from their families to get married in the United States.
Episode 4 Save Me
How can the voices of the homosexuals be heard when ignorance and discrimination are all around? The ones featured in this episode have found their own ways to fight for their own rights. Liu Shi is an AIDS patient, but it did not stop him from flying all the way to Cleveland to join the Gay Games 2014. Yan Zi won the lawsuit against the clinic that performed ¡°gay conversion therapy¡± on him, and the verdict marked another important step in proving homosexuality is not mental illness.
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