China doesn’t have the best track record in terms of gay rights – homosexuality was defined until a mental disorder until 2001, and according to numerous reports, there’s still a lot of prejudice in the workplace and at home.
But Chinese LGBT organisation PFLAG (Parents, Families And Friends Of Lesbians And Gays) are combatting this with a short film that made us well up with happytears. And also sadtears. And then just all-the-emotion tears.
This week sees countless children come home, and families reunited for chun jie, as part of the Chinese New Year celebrations – but this can be hard when a child has come out, and is not accepted by their family.
Fielding difficult questions like ‘Where’s your girlfriend?’ and ‘When are you getting married?’ is hard enough if you’re straight, but when you’re gay and your family refuses to accept your sexuality, it can obviously be really upsetting. A lot of LGBT people are flat-out not accepted back into the home, and forced to celebrate Chinese New Year alone. It's basically the equivalent of not being able to come home for Christmas, if Christmas lasted for way more than just one day.
The video, which has gone viral in China, follows a young gay guy who works up the courage to tell his mum about his sexuality, but finds himself cast out of the family. Then, after a long period of estrangement, his mother comes to him and tearfully accepts him back – with real mothers who have been in this very situation discussing the importance of acceptance, as the credits roll.
The main message for parents is: ‘Accept your children, welcome them home.’ And for children: ‘Don’t give up. Your parents might not understand today, but maybe they will tomorrow.’
We hope every family who has given their child a hard time for being gay, lesbian, bi or trans, watches this video, cries loads and calls them up immediately, to invite them back into their home.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.