China¡¯s First Gay Marriage Lawsuit

[Randy W]

in the WSJ

 

 

Court Rules Against Couple in China’s First Gay Marriage Lawsuit

 

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A judge has ruled against a couple in China’s first-ever same-sex marriage lawsuit, in a case that advocates are nonetheless hailing as a step forward in the battle for gay and lesbian rights.

Sun Wenlin, a 26-year-old man living in the southern city of Changsha, late last year filed a lawsuit against local authorities for declining to register his marriage to his boyfriend, Hu Mingliang. In his complaint, Mr. Sun argued that China’s law defines marriage as between a husband and wife, but not specifically between a man and a woman.

. . .

Fifteen minutes after the hearing began, Mr. Shi said, the court delivered its verdict – a resounding no.

In a statement posted on its website, the court said that Chinese law “clearly defines the subject of a marriage as a man and a woman who meet the statutory conditions for marriage.”

“Sun Wenlin and Hu Mingliang are both men. Therefore, the registration of their marriage is not in line with our country’s marriage laws and regulations,” the court said. It said that the grounds for their lawsuit “cannot be established.”