In an office tower in the western city of Xi’an, a lesbian woman in her 30s, who I’ll call “Xiu Ying,” sat in a conference room surrounded by psychological counselors peppering her with questions. What do your parents think? What is online dating like for lesbians? Can you explain the difference between sexual orientation and gender identity again?

The counselors weren’t subjecting Xiu to some strange therapy session. Rather, she had come to counsel the counselors.

As part of a two-day forum in July 2018 run by the Zhuangni LGBT Mental Health Center for LGBT-friendly counselors from across China, members of the country’s LGBT community facilitated small discussion groups, patiently answering questions from the dozens of curious (and mostly cisgender and straight) attendees. In an impressive display of commitment, the counselors paid their own way to Xi’an—perhaps driven by a sense of professional mission, or a chance to tap a new client stream, or both.

Concluding the session, Xiu reminded the counselors of the power they wield over the lives of their clients. “The voice of a psychological counselor is very authoritative. If you say being gay is a sickness, it’s a sickness. If you say it’s not a sickness, it’s not a sickness.” She was echoing a sentiment voiced by Dr. Damien Lu, an experienced advocate and therapist who had Skyped in from Los Angeles: “One sentence from us can change someone’s life—for the better or for the worse.”

Innumerable personal stories I have heard reflect the urgency of Xiu’s and Dr. Lu’s messages. Read more via China File