In China These Activists Are Fighting to Exist As Non-Binary

When Chao Xiaomi walked through the streets around the Forbidden City earlier this year, she was wearing an elegant cheongsam. What draw spectator's eyes however was the appearance of a thick beard, part of a shoot for Zhang Shaokang. It joins the long list of activities and stunts which the transgender and non-binary community in China, estimated to be roughly 4 million people, are doing to raise the profile of their community.

The transgender and non-binary community is largely invisible in China, with over 40% forced into the closet due to widespread discrimination. As an influencer, Chao wants to change this.

Originally from North China’s Shanxi province, Chao was born male but has identified as genderqueer for over a decade. She has adopted the nickname Xiaomi – which means “little grain of rice” – as a reminder to stand up tall, even if others belittle her.

“If I’m wearing a mask, nobody will notice me,” Chao tells Sixth Tone with a wry laugh. “But as soon as I take it off, people call me a monster and curse me to die.”

Chao hit national consciousness in 2016 as one of the first transgender people to appear on television in China. At the time, she was trying to pass as female and covering up. Only when fans started saying they wanted to be elegant like her, did she begin to think about it. “Why should women be elegant all the time? Why can’t women be rough and masculine?” she recalls thinking.

Since then, Chao has gradually stopped trying to pass as a woman. She no longer wears heavy make-up and only shaves when she feels like it. She continues to use the female pronoun – rather than the more neutral “they” – because she feels slightly more inclined toward female gender identity. Nevertheless, she considers such labels unimportant.

“I’m neither a woman nor a man now, but this doesn’t stop me from doing things I enjoy in a specific gender role,” Chao says. “It’s about having the confidence to ‘pass’ psychologically, rather than physically. I love my new identity.”

Zhang Shaokang's photography campaign, to raise awareness, appears to be working. With backing from major LGBTQ+ figures in the country, the terms transgender, and non-binary, are entering into the Chinese language and becoming more and more common. The LGBTQ+ community still faces massive challenges in China, but it is hoped that this will change as more and more young people take liberal attitudes towards issues such as gender and sexuality.