Chinese tech giant ByteDance is being lauded for its tolerant company culture after some employees shared their same-sex love stories on an internal social network.
In an article ByteDance’s WeChat account posted Friday, same-sex relationships were openly celebrated — a rare occurrence in a country where many workers opt to hide their sexual orientation for fear of repurcussions. In one post, a female coder shared a photo holding her partner’s hand, while a male employee posted a wedding photo with his husband.
In March, ByteDance reportedly sent a company-wide email urging employees to embrace diversity in gender, age, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. In doing so, it became perhaps the first large Chinese company to openly make such a commitment.
Despite some progress, sexual minorities still face discrimination in China, often in the workplace. According to a 2016 survey, only 5% of the country’s LGBTQ+ population are completely open about their sexuality or gender identity at school or work. (Image: From 字节范儿 on WeChat)
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