MORAL UNDERSTANDING
The Internet has made it easier for sexual minorities to find bogus spouses.
According to Chinagayles.com, more than 390,000 people have registered on the sham marriage website since 2005, and 50,000 have found "partners" online.
Anonymous groups on instant messaging service QQ and other forums also offer gays and lesbians opportunities to find a partner. Many of these organizations advise participants to sign contracts that spell out the obligations and rights, such as supporting parents, raising children and distribution of property.
But these contracts have no legal force, say experts. "If the 'couple' appears in court, any disputes can be solved only by the Marriage Law, rather than the contract," says Jing, a 35-year-old lesbian working for a sham marriage website with thousands of users.
Jing says the strength of a sham marriage rests on a moral understanding. Once the two sides have differences they have not foreseen, the marriage becomes very fragile and easy to end.
She raises many potential threats, such as coming out to parents, conflicts with same-sex partners, and property disputes.
FAMILY FIRST
Because of these, she tells people to think twice before tying the knot.
She recalls how a gay man from a rural community demanded his "wife" live with his parents after they married - a Chinese tradition, but terrifying for lesbians.
Some people choose to keep their sexuality secret and marry a straight partner, especially in rural areas.
Sham marriages are thought to be on the rise in second and third-tier cities, where social mores fail to evolve as fast as the economy. But in first-tier cities, like Beijing and Shanghai, more people are coming out to their families or just staying single.
Parents are becoming more open-minded, especially those born in 1970s when ideas of equality and personal freedom took root. "Maybe sham marriages will be a thing of the past one day," says Jing.
Li Yinhe, well-known Chinese sexologist, says the sham marriage is a very Chinese phenomenon: "In Chinese tradition, the most important social value is family. Personal happiness has to give way to family interests".
Xia Dong's parents refuse to support his same-sex relationship so long as gay marriage is illegal in China.
"So there is still possibility that one day my parents allow me to marry a man," Xia says. Enditem (All names, except Li Yinhe, are pseudonyms. Intern Tang Yudi also contributed to this story.)
