61-year-old Lin Xianzhi made waves this week, when he wrote to over 1,000 lawmakers asking for the legalization of gay marriage in China.

He is the father of a gay son and wrote the proposal in time for the annual meeting of the National People’s Congress this week.

In his letters, Lin advocates equal rights for gay couples, including medical care and inheritance and property rights.

His son Xiaotao came out in 2011 and has been with his partner for three years. Lin says, “There are no differences between them and a heterosexual husband and wife. But my child can’t get married, that’s not fair”.

Lin began campaigning for LGBT rights in China after he joined the Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) as he initially struggled to accept his son’s sexuality.

In his letters, he speaks of issues that widely affect the Chinese LGBT community, describing how some gay couples who had been together more than 10 years, couldn’t sign consent for their partner’s surgery.

Lin’s actions have been praised by LBGT support groups as a bold and brave move in a country where homosexuality is viewed with a high level of suspicion and misunderstanding. Many parents struggle to accept their children coming out and some even resort to backwards and damagingconversion therapies in an attempt to ‘cure’ homosexuality.

Lin is yet to receive a response to his letters.

Source: Gay Star News

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Keywords: 000 Lawmakers Calling for Gay Marriage Chinese Hero Dad Writes to 1