With arms around each other 's shoulders , Wu Yebin and An Wei strolled past rows of food booths and game stalls along the main road cutting through their small village in northern China one recent Friday morning . Looking like two buddies soaking in the sights and sounds of the village fair , the young men wearing matching rings blended in perfectly with the local crowd . Their story , however , stands out : They are an openly gay couple living in the Chinese countryside , where homosexuality remains largely taboo . `` They sought medical treatment for me and hired a shaman to exorcise me , '' recalled Wu of his family 's reaction when he came out . `` I had to comply -- but at the same time I found information on homosexuality online and shared with them . `` The more they learned , the more accepting they became , '' he added . It took his parents several years to come around , but Wu and An -- who had met online and quickly fallen in love -- now live together and run a roadside convenience store next to the Wu family home in rural Hebei province . As news of advancements in gay rights in other countries spreads , the two partners in life and business have been thinking more about cementing their own relationship . `` I hope to see same-sex marriage become legal in China one day , '' An , 32 , said . `` We 'll go get the license right away to enjoy all the rights like married straight couples . '' `` It 's going to happen , '' Wu , 29 , chimed in . `` I bet next year . '' Not everyone is so optimistic though . A lesbian couple in Beijing recently saw their marriage application rejected by local officials and video of their futile attempt made the rounds on the Internet . Activists also complain about periodic government crackdowns , citing a recent case in May . In the central city of Changsha , a 19-year-old activist leading a street rally against homophobia was jailed for 12 days . Local police accused him of `` holding an illegal protest '' in a statement . `` They are n't just targeting gay groups , '' said Xiaogang Wei , a prominent gay rights advocate who heads the Beijing Gender Health Education Institute . `` The authorities are increasingly worried about the organizational capability of various rights groups , especially when we band together , because it could challenge their political power . `` Sometimes we have to take to the streets to raise the visibility of our cause , '' he added . `` It stirs discussion and debate , which could eventually lead to more understanding and acceptance . '' Homosexuality is not illegal in China and the Communist government has long removed it from the official list of mental disorders , but activists and experts agree that prejudices and discrimination persist . `` Gay people still ca n't make their voices heard and they have no representation in the legislature , '' said Li Yinhe , a renowned sociologist with the Chinese Academy of Social Science . In China , LGBT citizens seek acceptance . Li conducted China 's first comprehensive surveys on gay men and published her findings in a popular 1992 book . For more than a decade , she has been calling on national legislators to legalize same-sex marriage but sees a prolonged uphill battle ahead . `` This is an issue affecting a minority group and ranks really low on the government 's agenda , '' she said . Opposition to a different kind of `` gay marriage , '' however , has become a priority for many activists . Unlike in the West , experts say the vast majority of gay people in China -- especially men -- stay in the closet and marry the opposite sex . Noting the lack of hostility toward homosexuality throughout Chinese history , Li explains that the Confucian concept of carrying on the family line is `` the only thing akin to religion in traditional Chinese culture . `` That 's why so many gay men are put under tremendous pressure to get married and have children , especially in the countryside . '' An had three girlfriends and almost tied the knot with the last one . Wu was married to a woman for 40 days -- and regrets have dogged him since . `` Sometimes when I lie on bed , I think of my ex-wife and still feel guilty , '' he said , recalling how much she cried during their brief sexless marriage . `` My momentary lapse of judgment ruined her life : Even though I never touched her , it 'd be hard for her to find an ideal husband as a divorcee . '' State media has cited one estimate putting the number of Chinese women married to gay men at more than 10 million . Sociologist Li calls those unions `` tragedies '' and has counseled many women in such marriages . While a nationwide support network has emerged to help so-called `` gay wives '' -- or `` tongqi '' in Chinese -- break free , observers note a small but growing number of young gay men in big cities marrying lesbians to placate families and maintain their lifestyles at the same time . Wu and An are no fans of such arrangements , and predict personal and financial complications . After he met An , Wu started tweeting on Sina Weibo , China 's equivalent of Twitter with more than 300 million users . By telling his own story and re-posting news on global gay rights campaigns , Wu hopes to inspire more closeted gay Chinese to come out . Remembering his own days of feeling lonely , helpless and even suicidal , Wu points to his experience as evidence of progress and hope in gay acceptance in China -- even in the most unlikely families and places . Back at the village fair , Wu and An -- whose rural hometown has no cinemas let alone gay bars -- paused for a `` face-changing '' opera performance as an actor quickly switched colorful masks on stage without revealing his identity . After cheering the entertainer , the two young men who have taken off their `` masks '' in real life moved on to buy groceries as meat and vegetable sellers greeted them as old friends . `` Many people say they admire us -- they say we did something amazing , '' Wu said . `` We are just two ordinary people who came out to our families so that we can live with our loved ones . '' And maybe one day , get married .
An Wei and Wu Yebin live in rural China where homosexuality remains largely taboo . They dream of seeing same-sex marriage becoming legal in Hebei province 29 . Homosexuality not illegal in China , long-removed from official list of `` mental disorders '' lesbian and experts agree that prejudices and discrimination persist .