Fridae

From the well publicised Valentine's Day Photo Shoot in Beijing to Shanghai Pride - the first pride festival in mainland China to the opening of the first government-sponsored gay bar in Dali, Yunnan, China Daily recaps a dozen LGBT-related events in the country.

Following recent raids and arrests at saunas, clubs and cruising spots, China's best known AIDS activist Wan Yanhai who circulated reports earlier this week about the government's crackdown tells Fridae's Beijing correspondent Dinah Gardner about the local situation.

Inspired by Singapore's MM Lee Kuan Yew's recent reference to a magazine article about the English university having openly acknowledged gay love for almost 400 years which influenced the statesman's views that Singapore has "no option" but to decriminalise gay sex, columnist Dr Tan Chong Kee finds proof of same sex love being recorded throughout 2,000 years of Chinese history. Part 2 of 2.

Beijing's gay venues to distribute free condoms and safe-sex literature as part of new HIV/AIDS education campaign.

Inspired by Singapore's MM Lee Kuan Yew's recent reference to a magazine article about the English university having openly acknowledged gay love for almost 400 years which influenced the statesman's views that Singapore has "no option" but to decriminalise gay sex, columnist Dr Tan Chong Kee finds proof of same sex love being recorded throughout 2,000 years of Chinese history. Part 1 of 2.

Gay men - who constitute 7.3 percent of the total HIV/AIDS sufferers in China estimated to number 650,000 in 2005 - will be the first group enlisted to help in a government-initiated program.

He's cute, has a good sense of humour; and is still single. Meet 27-year-old Didier Zheng who's the host of China's first gay Internet TV show. He tells Fridae in an exclusive interview about the government's restrictions on the show and the observations he has gleaned while hosting.

During a busy lunch hour on Valentine's Day in Beijing's central business district, six lesbians and gays handed out 200 red carnations wrapped in leaflets calling for the acceptance of gay love and marriage. A Beijing exclusive by Dinah Gardner.

China will set up its first gay outpatient clinic in Shenzhen; grants marriage licence to second transsexual.