StepOneistoformapublicconsensusagainstpersecutionandviolenceagainsthomosexuals.Assumingthatmanyorevenmostpeopledonotlikegaypeopleorfindthemmysterious,reformerscanstillarguethatthisminorityisnotcausingsocialharmandthatstateresourcesmustbedeployedagainstpersonswhoareharmingothers.Accordingly,thegovernmentshouldrepeallawsmakingprivatehomosexualactivitybetweenconsentingadultsacrimeandshouldmakesurethatgenerallawsagainstpublicdisorderandlewdnessnotbeappliedinwaysthattargetminorities.Thiscanbeaccomplishedquietlythroughadministrativeeducationandrules.
StepTwoshouldproceedatthelocallevelandshouldaffordmoreaffirmativesupportforthehomosexualminority.ShanghaiandothercommunitieswithinthePeople’sRepublicalreadycontaincoloniesoflesbiansandgaymen,someofwhomareformingfamilies.Localgovernmentsaswellascommunitygroupsintheseareasshouldfamiliarizethemselveswiththesecitizens.Familiaritywillengenderunderstanding,whichwillfacilitategreatersupportforfairtreatment.Officialsandprivateleaderscaninstituteinformalpoliciesthatofferlesbiansandgaymenfairtreatmentintheworkplace,monitorharassmentandviolenceagainstthesepeople,andevenrecognizetheirrelationshipswithoneanotherandwithchildrentheywanttoraise.TheprocessesinStepTwomightengagecommunitiesforyears,perhapsevendecades.Asmoregaypeoplerevealthemselves,morecommunitieswilljointhiskindofdialogue.
StepThreewouldproceedatbothnationalandlocallevelsandwouldrepresentmovement,attheappropriatetime,towardfullyequaltreatmentoflesbiansandgaymenbythestate.Theprimarynationalreformwouldbeadirectiveorstatuteprohibitingsexualorientationdiscriminationbyprivateemployers,restaurantsandotherpublicaccommodations,andapartmenthouses.Thisisanimportantstep,andgovernmentsusuallytakethisstepearlierthanothernationalreforms.Thisisimportant,becauseitwouldsendamessagethatgovernmentsdisapprovesofanti-gaydiscriminationandconsidersitasocialproblem.Atsomepoint,laterintime,eitherthenationalorlocalgovernmentneedstorecognizerelationshipsbetweenadultsofthesamesexandaccordthemtherightsanddutiesofdifferent-sexmarriage.InWesterncountries,same-sexmarriageisusuallythelastequalityrightbestowedonlesbianandgaycitizens(Waaldijk,2001).