Internet censorship and survelliance are common complaints in China and the gay community are no strangers to it. As Shanghai’s week-long pride festival kicked off over the weekend, the festival website with details of the events – shanghaipride.com – has been effectively blocked by a firewall.
Shanghai’s City Weekend magazine had only said last week to look out for venue details, exact times and location to be released a day or two before each event. The strategy of the organisers was targeted to avoid complications. The government forced some events to be dropped at short notice during the first pride festival launched in the city in 2009.
Thus the opening party which flagged off the festival, the only one of its kind for LGBT in China, took place without much razzle dazzle on Saturday night. A small crowd mingled outside the Mexican restaurant in Yongjia Road in Shanghai’s former French Concession. Inside the entrance was a small poster with the word “Pride”, if one looked for it hard enough. The reception counter had a few flyers indicating there was a party going on but there were no rainbow colours or flags of any sort to mark the event. The only clue was perhaps the level of chic at the party. Men were dressed in signature tight shirts and pants and some women were androgynous, clad in jackets and hats. Except for a short drag performance, the low-key event could have been mistaken for a regular private party anywhere in the city.
Such a lack of flamboyance for a coming out party marks how conservative China remains, despite a growing gay population who are flocking to Shanghai, the financial capital, from other cities. The festival even highlights how gay culture exists in China but underground, highlighted by a talk to be held next Saturday on social pressures forcing gay men and women into arranged marriages.
Festival events are not hugely publicised and there is no commercial sponsorship. Despite the hurdles and now censorship of its website, the organisers are quietly hopeful that the festival will be as well attended as the opening night.
“It was successful. There was a bit over 600 guests last night,” said Charlene Liu, one of the festival organisers, told Fridae.
Shanghai Pride will be featuring nightly film viewings and art exhibitions this week and a pub crawl and closing party on Saturday, October 29.
Former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, who set China on its trail toward a socialist market economy, once said: "If you open the window for fresh air, you have to expect some flies to blow in." That means gay events in the country should expect to be among those flies being swatted every now and then, being considered as they are, undesirable ideology.
J.W. Ken is a poet and freelance journalist who travels the globe writing, and is now in Shanghai.
Shanghai Pride events
Saturday Oct 22, 2011
11:00-14:00 Pink Picnic
Free Zhongshan Park
中山公园
21:00-02:00 Opening Party
50rmb incl one drink Mi Tierra
17 Yong Jia Lu near Maoming Nan Lu
永嘉路17号近茂名南路
Sunday 23-Oct-11
12:00-16:00 Sports Day
Badminton & Tennis
Free Da An Hua Yuan Sports Center
999 Changshou Lu near Wanhangdu Lu
长寿路999弄近万航渡路
Monday Oct 24, 2011
19:00-23:00 Film Screening
Free Biblioteca Miguel de Cervantes
198-208 Anfu Lu near Wulumuqi Lu
安福路208号2楼,近乌鲁木齐路
19:00-23:00 Art Exhibition - Emilie Record
Free Bites Lounge by Chai Living
410C Suzhou North Road near Jiangxi North Road
北苏州路410号C座近江西北路
Tuesday Oct 25, 2011
19:00-23:00 Film Screening
Free Goethe Institut
101 Cross Tower, 318 Fu Zhou Lu
德国驻上海总领事馆文化教育处
福州路318号高腾大厦101
19:00-23:00 Art Exhibition - Emilie Record
Free Bites Lounge by Chai Living
410C Suzhou North Road near Jiangxi North Road
北苏州路410号C座近江西北路
Wednesday Oct 26, 2011
19:00-23:00 Film Screening
Free Goethe Institut
101 Cross Tower, 318 Fu Zhou Lu
德国驻上海总领事馆文化教育处
福州路318号高腾大厦101
16:00-00:00 Mid-week Out Party Brownstone
Building 4, 570 Yongjia Lu near Yueyang Lu
永嘉路570号4号楼近岳阳路
19:00-23:00 Art Exhibition - Emilie Record
Free Bites Lounge by Chai Living
410C Suzhou North Road near Jiangxi North Road
北苏州路410号C座近江西北路
Thursday Oct 27, 2011
19:00-23:00 Film Screening
Free Alliance Francais
Hongkou Center, 297 Wusong Lu near Tanggu Lu
上海法语培训中心
上海市虹口区吴淞路297号虹口业余大学5楼-6楼
19:00-23:00 Art Exhibition - Emilie Record
Free Bites Lounge by Chai Living
410C Suzhou North Road near Jiangxi North Road
北苏州路410号C座近江西北路
20:00-00:00 Ladies Billiards Competition
10rmb incl lucky draw Masse Bistro & Bar
219 Jinxian Lu, Floors 5-6 near Shaanxi Nan Lu
进贤路219号5-6楼近陕西南路
Friday Oct 28, 2011
19:00-23:00 Art Exhibition - Emilie Record
Free Bites Lounge by Chai Living
410C Suzhou North Road near Jiangxi North Road
北苏州路410号C座近江西北路
Saturday Oct 29, 2011
14:00-16:00 Comrades in Marriage Discussion
Free Hongkou Disctrict, Room 202, 2/F, 470 Haimen Lu near Zhoujiazui Lu
虹口区海门路470号2楼202室靠近周家嘴路
20:00:00-00:00 Halloween Pub Crawl
150rmb pre-sale, 200rmb on 29th Start at Transit Lounge
141 Tai An Lu near Huashan Lu
泰安路141号近华山路
21:00-04:00 Closing Party
100rmb incl 3 drink
Free for Pub Crawlers Club Angel
For details, click onto Fridae Agenda listings.