Chinese Dictionary's Exclusion Of Gay Terminology Sparks Criticism

The compilers of a newly-revised Contemporary Chinese Dictionary have come under fire for omitted the word 'tongzhi', which means as 'comrade', a word commonly used to refer to the country's gay community.

From Xin Hua.

The Chinese term "tongzhi," which literally translates as "comrade" in English, has been widely used by Chinese homosexuals to refer to themselves for years and has entered the popular lexicon as well. However, the word failed to find its way into the sixth edition of the Contemporary Chinese Dictionary. 

"We know homosexuals call each other 'tongzhi.' But a normative dictionary won't include that meaning, no matter how the term has been informally used. That is to say, we don't want to advocate or bring attention to such things," Jiang Lansheng, a linguist who leads the work to revise the dictionary, said in a TV interview that took place on Sunday, when the book was officially published. 

Jiang's remarks raised the eyebrows of homosexuals and gay rights advocates. 

"It's unacceptable that the 'gay' meaning of 'tongzhi' was excluded from the dictionary, a reference book written for all, simply because of the compilers' own preferences and values," said "Nan Feng," a homosexual who has been working on an anti-AIDS campaign aimed at homosexuals in the southwestern metropolis of Chongqing for 12 years. 

"'Tongzhi' is the most commonly used, non-offensive term used by our circle to refer to homosexuals," Nan said. "We hope the compilers can view the word from an impartial standpoint." 

"Lin Huai," a 22-year-old homosexual college student in Beijing, described Jiang's explanation as "lame." 

"Her words obviously don't hold water. She indicated that all entries listed in the dictionary should be promoted. In that case, does the word 'corruption' deserve any favor?" Lin said. 

Although homosexuality has been increasingly discussed by mass media in China, the voice of the official side is rarely heard, she added. 

"The compiler's words represent explicit discrimination against homosexuals," said Zhang Beichuan, a leading Chinese scholar in homosexual studies. 

"In my opinion, all forms of love should be promoted and only hatred should be condemned. Jiang's argument is fairly naive, meaning the country urgently needs a push towards improving its sexual orientation education," he said. 

Zhang's view was echoed by Yu Haitao, an associate professor of linguistics at Beijing Language and Culture University. Yu said personal values should be put aside when compiling dictionaries. 

Compilers can't totally avoid subjectivity when deciding whether an entry or new definition deserves to be listed in accordance with linguistic standards, Yu said. 

"But for a linguist, it's wrong to cite personal feelings as the reason for their choices," Yu said.
According to Zhang, gay people living on the Chinese mainland have referred to themselves as "tongzhi" since the mid-1970s. The term gained immense popularity in the 1990s after an influential Hong Kong film director vigorously promoted its use in 1989. 

"Tongzhi" serves as a substitute for "tongxinglian," the formal Chinese term for homosexual. The substitution removes the sexual connotation included in "tongxinglian," which literally translates as "same-sex love," and therefore helps homosexuals avoid some social stigma, as sexual topics remain taboo in mainstream society.

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