Understanding Chinese Gay Men's and Lesbians' Experiences of Coping with the Pressure to Marry from the Lens of Discourse.

Chinese gay men and lesbians are faced with multiple challenges by living in a heteronormative society, and marriage is considered to be a major concern among this group of people. Anchoring from the lens of discourse, this research carried out a qualitative study by interviewing 21 gay men and lesbians to explore how they refer to the discourse to justify their choices when faced with the pressure to marry, so as to align themselves more with the mainstream social values. Results indicate that when faced with the pressure to marry, gay men and lesbians refer to the discourse to construct a positive same-sex identity and civilized community, pursue civilized same-sex relationships, or construct a flexible life.