An American Social Scientist, Mrs Smith, is visiting a Chinese scholar, Dr Yinhe LI, who specialises in Gay and lesbian studies at Chinese Social Science Academy. You have been asked to act as their interpreter.

S: The last two decades have seen the studies of lesbian and gay established itself in the fields of  humanities and social sciences in the United States. According to my knowledge, there are not many specialists in this area like you in China. Do you find your project a formidable task?

L: 在中国研究同性恋的人的确很少，研究线索也很难找到。我认为同性恋者应该通过各种途径发出自己的声音，把自己的生活、自己的想法告诉我们，这样会有利于社会对同性恋的接受。

S: In China, is the issue of gay and lesbian still considered by many a moral issue? Would one have to be courageous enough to admit openly that he or she is a gay man or a lesbian.

L: 我个人认为同性恋不是道德问题，他只不过是一种与众不同的性倾向，我的工作就是要努力向社会证明这一点。至于是否承认自己是同性恋，这完全是个人的选择，别人不应该干涉。

S: How is the right of gay and lesbian taken by law in China?

L: 现在虽然没有说这是违法，但是也没有相关的保护和承认的条文。我认为承认同性恋，给他们合理的权利，这是社会文明和进步的标志。

S: I know that you now have your own PhD students working with you. Do you think there will be an integration of gay scholarship into the major disciplines and college teaching in the near future?

L: 培养下一代研究人员是一种使命。正是因为我们在这方面的研究学者还没有那么多，在大学里开设这方面的课程可能性也就很小。  

S: I hope you don't mind me asking: are you a feminist yourself?

L: 我当然是女权主义者，女权主义有很多流派，我所主张的女权主义就是男女平等。在中国女权主义好像是一个贬义词，其实，中国很需要女权主义。