【法新社】Shanghai gay pride: the show goes on

vivicat

Shanghai gay pride: the show goes on
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090613/wl_asia_afp/chinahomosexualitysociety

by Julie Desne Julie Desne – Sat Jun 13, 9:48 am ET


Gay and lesbian activists form a human chain around a rainbow flag during celebrations marking the fourth annual International Day Against Homophobia in Hong Kong last year. A colourful show of drag queens dressed in Chinese opera costumes was one of the festivities that marked Shanghai's gay pride, the first in China where homosexuality remains largely hidden.(AFP/File/Ted Aljibe)

SHANGHAI (AFP) – A colourful show of drag queens dressed in Chinese opera costumes was one of the festivities that marked Shanghai's gay pride on Saturday, the first in China where homosexuality remains largely hidden.

A "Big Bash" barbecue Saturday -- billed as the highlight of the week-long festival -- went ahead as planned in a bar despite previous last-minute event cancellations by local authorities that marred the "Shanghai Pride."

Drag and fashion shows and a 'hot body' competition took place at Cotton's bar attended by at least 500 people, in a garden that was hidden from view by a rainbow banner covering the surrounding fence.

Later Saturday night, two fake gay marriages were to take place before people were ferried onto buses to go to an afterparty at a bar on Shanghai's famous Bund promenade.

"We would have liked the whole week to go without cancellations, but today everything has happened as we wanted it to, so we're happy," said Kenneth Tan, spokesman for organisers Shanghai LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender).

Events for "Shanghai Pride" have been organised at private venues without a public parade -- in stark contrast to similar events elsewhere in the world -- to avoid attracting unwanted official attention.

But still, city authorities forced the cancellation of a film screening and a play during the festival, and the two venues hosting the "Big Bash" events Saturday had received calls from officials, according to Tan.

He said police had come to Cotton's Saturday where expatriates and Chinese people mingled but soon left.

Liu Yang, a 27-year-old Chinese homosexual who was enjoying the shows Saturday, said he was amazed by the festival.

"I've never been abroad, and I have really wondered how such an event could take place so smoothly -- I'm really nicely surprised," he said.

"When I heard about the cancellations, I was saddened but not surprised as the government wants to avoid problems at all costs and doesn't like gatherings."

This week, Kathleen's Five restaurant was forced to cancel a planned screening of a lesbian-themed film after local officials said it was not authorised to screen movies, according to Tan.

Authorities also forced the cancellation of a play that was to be performed at a local photo gallery on Friday night.

The state-run China Daily newspaper said Friday: "The cancellation of film screenings might have been to do with the film's content and China's rules on public advertisements."

Tan said uniformed police officers had also entered a venue hosting a gay literary event on Tuesday evening.

"Nothing happened but if you're in the audience and you see policemen arrive, it's really intimidating," he said.

A 'Queer Olympiad' that will include swimming and badminton competitions is planned for Sunday, the final day of the festival.

Homosexuality has long been a sensitive subject in China with gay sex decriminalised only in 1997, while homosexual behaviour was officially viewed as a mental disorder until 2001.  Nevertheless, Shanghai -- a vibrant metropolis of around 20 million -- is more tolerant of its gay community than most Chinese cities, with bars that attract an exclusively gay clientele.

The China Daily estimates there are 30 million homosexuals in China, less than three percent of the population.