LGBTQ history dates back to the first recorded instances of same-sex love, diverse gender identities, and sexualities in ancient civilizations, involving the history of lesbian , gay , bisexual , transgender , and queer LGBTQ peoples and cultures around the world. What survives after many centuries of persecutionโresulting in shame, suppression, and secrecyโhas only in more recent decades been pursued and interwoven into more mainstream historical narratives.
This observance involves highlighting the history of the people, LGBTQ rights and related civil rights movements. Male homosexuality has been acknowledged in China since ancient times and was mentioned in many famous works of Chinese literature.
Confucianism , being primarily a social and political philosophy, focused little on sexuality, whether homosexual or heterosexual. In contrast, the role of women is given little positive emphasis in Chinese history, with records of lesbianism being especially rare.
Still, there are also descriptions of lesbians in some history books. Chinese literature recorded multiple anecdotes of men engaging in homosexual relationships. With the rise of the Tang dynasty , China became increasingly influenced by the sexual morals of foreigners from Western and Central Asia, and female companions began to replace male companions in terms of power and familial standings.
During the Ming dynasty , it is said that the Zhengde Emperor had a homosexual relationship with a Muslim leader named Sayyid Husain. The Qing dynasty instituted the first law against consensual, non-monetized homosexuality in China. However, the punishment designated, which included a month in prison and heavy blows, was actually the lightest punishment which existed in the Qing legal system. Significant efforts to suppress homosexuality in China began with the Self-Strengthening Movement , when homophobia was imported to China along with Western science and philosophy.
