Leonid was born in a small town in Russia’s Far East, where his mother beat him for being gay. When he finished school, he left home and met Aleksandr, with whom he now campaigns for LGBT rights
This spring, a march in Bishkek marked International Women’s Day by calling for equality for all — including LGBT people. Members of the LGBT community say it marked a turning point in the fight for equal rights in Kyrgyzstan, but they describe ongoing battles with harassment, threats, and job discrimination
Marriage equality campaiganer Lu Hsin-chieh said that the law wasn’t exactly what they had campaigned for, but that it had been passed in order to comply with an interpretation of the constitution by Taiwan’s highest court two years earlier
“The LGBT groups in the U.S. and China live in different situations. In the U.S., you can discuss your problems with your friends and colleagues. Once I go back to Chengdu, even though people acknowledge me, they don’t want to touch on the topic or talk too much about it.”
Adoptions, however, can cost thousands of dollars and take months. And many couples choose not to because they view it as invasive and offensive that they would have to adopt their own child