Li Yinhe, China's first female sex sociologist, identified her female-to-male transsexual partner of 17 years, igniting a national discussion about transgender people. [Photo/China Daily]

The transsexual issue sparked a heated debate when Li Yinhe, China's first female sex sociologist, revealed her female-to-male transsexual partner of 17 years on her blog at the end of last year.

Transsexuality has long been a taboo subject in China and openly transgender people have been subjected to widespread discrimination, according to Yang Wanli's report from China Daily.

But the situation is changing.

"We've seen greater public acceptance of lesbians, gays and bisexuals in the past three to five years, but there is still a lack of knowledge about transgender people," Geng Le, director of Danlan, a website for gay people, said.

Despite limited understanding of the subject, increasing numbers of transsexuals are brave enough to face the public and accept public discussion over their sexual orientation.

A case in point is Chen Min, 26, who underwent surgery earlier this year to have her male sexual organs removed and replaced with a vagina constructed from the excess tissue.

"Now, you often see transgender people in the media, which is a real step forward. We hope and expect to see greater social tolerance towards the 'T community' in years to come," Chen said.