Family Matters: Two Men, Three Kids, and a Touch of Reality TV in Shenzhen
Picture this: An Hui and Ye Jianbin taking a leisurely walk down a bustling Shenzhen street, proudly showing off their three newborn triplets that came to life through a human egg donor and a surrogate mother. This couple isn’t just a headline; they’re living proof that family can be made with love—no matter the shape it takes.
Why This is a Big Deal
In a country that once saw gay couples fight for acceptance under strict Confucian rules, the story of An (33) and Ye (who met him in 2008) stands out. The investment manager says:
The world around me has changed fast. Today, China is way more tolerant than it used to be.
“If I were born during the Cultural Revolution, I’d probably be dead,” An jokes.
From IVF to Triplets
- They wanted a family and turned to in‑vitro fertilization (IVF).
- In 2014, a Thai woman gave birth in Hong Kong to three boys—An Zhizhong, An Zhiya, and An Zhifei—using eggs supplied by a German fashion icon.
- He chose not to name the surrogate or the company that arranged everything.
Political Backstories
- Debates over allowing LGBTQ couples to access IVF spread across countries such as France and Israel.
- China’s stance remains ambiguous. Yanzi Peng, director of LGBT Rights Advocacy China, describes it as “ignore.”
- Other advocates, like Bin Xu from a Beijing rights group, push for legal reforms so gay couples can use reproductive tech without heading abroad.
Changing Times in China
For decades, Chinese Communist policies clamped down on all kinds of sexual expression. Today, gay communities keep pushing back—facing bureaucracy, legal gray zones, and deep‑rooted social norms—while the government stays on the sidelines, occasionally pulling the rug out from under online gay content.
An Hui Speaks Truth
“China’s dealing with an aging population and a dropping birth rate,” An says. “It’s time to rethink what a family looks like.”
“A family isn’t just a man and a woman. If a single guy has kids, or a single woman does, or two guys, or two girls, they’re still a family as long as there’s love,” he adds. Love—no matter the gender—makes a family.
