NewHunan man sues government for rejecting gay rights group over 'immorality'
Activist files court case for denying their application to register with the government, saying the group's values ran counter to Chinese tradition and had no legal basis
A 20-year-old man in China's southern Changsha city has filed a lawsuit against Hunan province's civil affairs department after his application to register a gay rights organisation was turned down.
Xiang Xiaohan, who founded a local gay rights group named Same-Sex Love Assistance Network in 2009 and has since been an active member, told SCMP.com on Thursday that he had lodged the case with Kaifu district court in Changsha on Wednesday.
The court is expected to decide whether or not to proceed with the lawsuit within seven days, he said.
When Xiang applied to have his gay rights group registered with Changsha city in 2012, the application was turned down. Xiang then requested an explanation from provincial civil affairs officials.
In a letter addresed to Xiang, the provincial office stated that setting up gay groups "lacked legal basis" since Chinese laws only recognise marriages between men and women.