Man sues agency after gay NGO application denied  

男子申请成立同性恋组织遭拒 官方：违道德风尚

去年，小寒向民政部门咨询申请成立同性恋社会组织，被告知不能注册。随后，他要求民政部门予以回复说明。湖南省民政厅给他的理由是，“同性恋组织没有法律基础”，“与我国传统文化和精神文明建设有悖”。这让他觉得很不合理，决定发起行政诉讼。[查看全文]

(ECNS) -- A man in Hunan province filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against the Department of Civil Affairs of Hunan Province for refusing to endorse the establishment of a gay organization, the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald reported on Thursday.

The 20-year-old man going under the pseudonym "Xiaohan" is a gay rights activist who initiated an underground group for homosexuals in 2009.

In May 2013, he was arrested and detained for 12 days for organizing a parade without permission in Changsha.

After the incident, he decided to form a non-governmental organization (NGO) to protect the rights of gay people.

Xiaohan attempted to legally register the group at several civil affairs departments in November of 2013, but was rejected. He then sent a request letter to the provincial civil affairs bureau of Hunan.

In an email reply to the activist's request, the department said: "There is no legal foundation for establishing a homosexual organization," and "homosexuality is against China's traditional culture and morality."

Xiaohan demanded that the civil affairs department retract its reply and apologize in written form for "defaming" him, and for its comments on homosexuality and Chinese culture.

Xiaohan filed suit against the department at the people's court in Kaifu district of Changsha on Wednesday.

The court will decide whether to hear the case in seven working days.