MostChinesewomenwhounwittinglymarrygaymensufferawiderangeofabusefromtheirhusbands,includingviolenceandsexualapathy,accordingtoastudybelievedtobethefirstofitskindinChina.
Thereport,"SocialAdaptationofWomenwhoMarryGayMen,"wasledbyTangKuiyu,aprofessorfromtheCollegeofHumanitiesatHarbinInstituteofTechnology.
Thestudysurveyed173womenwhohavemarriedordivorcedgaymenandwascarriedoutthroughthevirtualcommunities,whichthewives－mostofwhomdonotknowthemenaregayuntilaftermarriage－havecreatedonsocialmedia.
"TheresearchbeganwithanideafromtheMinistryofEducationin2012,"saidTang."AsfarasIknow,itisthefirstsuchresearchontheChinesemainland."
Thesurveyfoundthatmorethan90percentoftherespondentshadsuffereddomesticviolence,includingemotionalabuseandphysicalaggression.Somehadsufferedseriousinjuries.
Italsofoundthat40.5percentofthewiveshadsexfewerthan10timesayear,and34.1percentseldomorneverhadsexwiththeirhusbands.However,only31.2percentofthemchosetodivorce.
Mostoftherespondentswerebetween18and35yearsold,withmarriagesof10yearsorless.
"Theresearchfoundthatgays'wivesatanindividualleveldecidewhethertodivorcebytheiremotions,economicsituation,childrenandthedifficultiesofremarriageforwomen,"saidTang."Infact,beingmarriedtoagaymancancauselotsofsocialproblems,suchasthespreadofAIDSandabadenvironmentforthechildrentogrowupin."
InChina,gaymenchoosetomarrywomenandhavechildrenmainlyduetosignificantpressurefromtheirparentsandsocialtraditions.ManyChinesebelievecontinuingafamily'sbloodlineisaninescapableobligationformen.
Onerespondenttoldtheresearcherthatshewassurprisedtofindthatherhusbandwasgayaftertheymarried,andthatallhisfamilymembersalreadyknewthetruth.
"Afterourdaughter'sbirth,myhusbandnolongerhasintimatecontactwithme,"saidthewife,"butIdon'twanttodivorcebecauseIhopeIcangivemydaughteracompletehome.Infact,Ihatemyhusbandbecausehehasdestroyedmylife."
Somewiveshavemadedifferentchoices.Onerespondentchosetodivorceaftersufferingviolenceseveraltimesfromhergayhusband,eventhoughtheyhadachild.
"Imustdivorcehimevenformychild,"therespondenttoldtheresearcher.Shealsoexpressedherdisappointmentwithmenandmarriage.
Tangsaid:"Itisestimatedthatthereareatleast20milliongaymeninChina,and80percentofthemhavemarried.Itmeanstherearemorethan16millionwomenmarriedtogaymen,whichisaspecialandhugegroup.
"Gaymen'swivessuffermoredifficultiesintheirsociallife.Wehopethepubliccanbemoreunderstandingandacceptingofgays,sothatthetragedyofthesewivesmaybereduced."
LiuDong,adoctoralstudentwithTang,tookpartintheresearchfromthebeginning.
"Thosegirlswhoareunmarriedshouldjudgeseriouslywhethertheyhavemetagayboyfriend,"Liusaid."Ihopethewivescanimprovetheirlivesthroughcommunicatingwitheachother."