The first China Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual &Transgender (LGBT) Community Leader Conference took place last weekend and the “intense debates about the development of ideas, tactics and future directions for the LGBT movement in China” are hopefully just the beginning. Hosted by the Beijing Gender Health Education Institute, the conference boasted almost 100 regionally diverse activists representing 53 organizations and a wide range of viewpoints. To see a longer write up and many great pictures check out the Queer Comrades blog here.
[UPDATE] UN Endorses Asia Catalyst Report on Compensation
In the good news category, UNAIDS has recently come out strongly in favor of China’s Blood Disaster: The Way Forward, a joint report published by Asia Catalyst and the Korekata Law Center this year. The statement, available here boldly calls for ‘comprehensive and inclusive process of consultation and dialogue involving representatives from government, civil society, people infected through contaminated transfusions, legal experts, academia and other relevant fields.’
[NEWS] CHINA’S CHONGQING CITY REFORMS LAW ON SEX WORK/ 重庆市对卖淫嫖娼者不再进行劳动教养
New changes to Chongqing City’s local laws now eliminate reeducation through labor as a form of punishment for sex workers and their clients. China’s reeducation through labor system allows police to sentence people without trial for minor crimes. While far from decriminalizing sex work Professor Yang Weidong of the National School of Administration notes that with this important step ‘the legitimacy of reeducation through labor has been questioned.’ Read the article here (in Chinese.)
[COMMENTARY] A Different -and Tragic- Outgrowth of the Chinese Healthcare System
A disturbing trend is underway. According to an editorial in the latest edition of The Lancet, there is a surge in patient violence against doctors in Chinese hospitals. Root causes include “poor investment in the health system and in training and paying doctors, which can lead to medical errors, corruption, and poor communication between health professionals and patients.” The Lancet also highlights societal factors such as “negative media reports about doctors, poor public understanding of medicine, unrealistic patient expectations about treatments, and catastrophic out-of-pocket health-care expenses for families.”
[COMMENTARY] Opportunities and Challenges-Women’s NGOs in China
By Shen Tingting