Before showing her parents a video she had prepared, Mengwen Cao had faith that they would understand. Still, she considered the implications of what she was about to reveal.

“‘Saving face’ is an important aspect of Chinese culture,” she explained. “The stigma of being queer prevents people to come out.”

Although L.G.B.T.Q. rights in China have come a long way in the past few years, largely thanks to social activism, estimates show that only 5 percent of China’s gay community is fully out. And there are few protections for China’s L.G.B.T.Q. community regarding reproductive rights or marriage.

“China is still not a very welcoming environment for queer people to come out,” Ms. Cao said.

Still, she felt she could not be truly close with her parents if they did not know and, after making her video, called them on FaceTime from New York.