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China Hosts 1st Gay Pride Fest

'Shanghai Pride' a success, though some events canceled by authorities

By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff

Posted Jun 15, 2009 4:10 PM CDT

(Newser) – In a breakthrough for gay rights, China’s gay community came to Shanghai last week for the country’s first-ever pride festival, Global Post reports. The weeklong event featured panel discussions, film screenings, play performances, and a large party—but no parade. The fact that the government allowed the festival without its signature feature demonstrates its unresolved attitudes on homosexuality: “In today’s China you can be gay,” said one Chinese activist. “But you can’t be political.”

Officials canceled some of Shanghai Pride's events and threatened to call the festival off, but were generally tolerant. LGBT activists work under Beijing’s restrictive yet hands-off policy, sometimes called the “Triple No”—no approval, no disapproval, no promotion. Organizing is tolerated, but the less conspicuous, the better, which is why activists are willing to forgo large celebrations like parades. Instead, they set up panel discussions on political art and theater, organized in the relative quiet of social-networking sites.

A flag waves during Shanghai Pride week, China's first gay-pride festival.
A flag waves during Shanghai Pride week, China's first gay-pride festival.   (ShanghaiPride.com)
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China's first public group gay wedding, held during Shanghai's Gay Pride event, June 13, 2009   (runbikeswim)

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 7 comments
JayJay
Jun 16, 2009 12:14 PM CDT
i like how people are now accepting others for whome they are... its a good thing
doingtherightthing
Jun 16, 2009 4:53 AM CDT
Kokuaguy its struck "by" lightening. Not struck "buy" lightening pea brain. Does this mean we get to toss you in a volcano as a sacrifice to Kona the idiot god. Nobody cares worthless one......go back to class dummy
kokuaguy
Jun 16, 2009 2:06 AM CDT
Yes, JJ-- but of course this site is a magnet for the other folks. By the way, when in doubt as to whether "who" or "whom" is correct, you can write around the problem. For instance: "I like how people are now accepting others for the way they are." And when using he contraction that means "it is"-- don't forget the apostrophe. A very entertaining book you may enjoy is Lynn Truss's "EATS, SHOOTS, & LEAVES," She sometimes refers to herself as a punctuation Nazi. But it's a joke of course. She says people who make the its/it's mistake should be "struck buy lightening, hacked to pieces on the spot, and buried in an unmarked grave!" Aloha.

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