|
|
Browse by Tags
All Tags » Gay/Lesbian
Sorry, but there are no more tags available to filter with.
-
It must be really in vogue to shoot videos on Gay Shanghai now. Just last week, we showed you one that was shot by Adam Schokora for Danwei TV. Earlier this year, we told you about a slew of Chinese online gay TV shows, including 同志亦凡人 or *** As Folk (in English) which featured a Gay Shanghai segment as well. And why would anyone doing a TV program on Gay China not want to come to Shanghai? It is China's gayest city, and if there wasn't a story for them here, there probably wouldn't be a story for them anywhere else.
Unlike some of the earlier clips that offered a more "where to go, what to do" angle on Gay Shanghai, Sherif Soliman of Current TV took a different approach by soliciting views on the gay issue from both people within the gay community and without — raw views from people on the ground, juxtaposed against each other. It offers a fascinating look at Gay Shanghai/China today, and a tiny glimpse of what we can expect of it in the days to come. (Disclosure: Two Shanghaiists were interviewed in this segment, including one who owns a business featured in some of the other clips.)
|
-
On Saturday, Oct. 27, the same night as our Halloween extravaganza, police raided and shut down Shanghai's popular gay club, Club Deep (commonly called "Deep"). Word on the street is that some Deep patrons were indulging in some not-so-legal substances during Deep's "Decadent Halloween" party, sponsored by i-Candy. According to our sources, between 20-30 police officers (initially mistaken for costumed go-go dancers, it was a Halloween party after all) arrested around 10 people, all suspected of using cocaine at the club. Although facts about the incident remain unclear, Deep is closed for the moment and its future is in doubt.
The timing is particularly bad because with the construction of a new, glitzy hotel and spa called The Place Hotel & Spa next to Jing'an park, rumor has it that the presence of a gay club next to the hotel would not be good for business. Whether the drug bust and the hotel's pressures on the club are connected or whether this was part of a larger anti-drug campaign is anyone's guess, much to the delight of conspiracy enthusiasts. Interesting note: No word about whether they are forcing out the even louder, drunker, and vomitrocious (literally) Windows Too directly across the street. Go figure.
For now, the gay scene has relocated to PinkHome, which used to be Shanghai's most popular gay club until Deep moved onto the scene in the summer of 2006. Although club attendance has been dwindling of late, with Deep's forced closure and rumors of a forced move, the club is now back on top.
It's been an interesting few years for the club and the latest developments in the gay community have added even more intrigue. When PinkHome reopened after months and months of renovation at the end of 2006, the LGBT community responded in full force. The club was crowded, the music was booming, and the drinks were flowing. With a viable alternative to Club Deep, both clubs were doing quite well.
With the "competition" (can't we all just get along?) between the clubs heating up with alleged dirty tactics in full force on both sides, the community got caught in the middle. Despite hiring a new P.R. manager, offering promotions, throwing many themed parties, and working closely with the Shanghai LGBT group, the crowds kept going to Deep. Even more recently, PinkHome's P.R. manager quit and only a handful of people could be seen in the club, paying on a Friday or Saturday night. With Deep temporarily out of the picture, gay clubgoers now want to know, "Where are we going tonight?"
In other gay related news...
- The YouTube video above is yet another introduction to the gay scene in Shanghai. This time, the short video is from Danwei and their YouTube page. In the Danwei video, be sure to catch the Chinese guest and gay tour guide on the show mention that PinkHome isn't "cool" anymore and how no one goes there anymore. With Deep closed, PinkHome is now the cool place to be.
- While another gay bar, Space Bar, was rumored to have been closed down by police, that rumor proved to be untrue, as the bar reopened after some renovations were completed. Now, the money boys have more comfortable places to sit.
- The 600+ member strong Shanghai LGBT group just had their 2nd annual LGBT pub crawl on October 27. Two crowded buses carrying about 100 people in total took a tour of Shanghai's LGBT bar and club scene. Among the sites they were Eddy's, Shanghai Studio, Hunter, Bobo's, PinkHome. The last stop was Club Deep, but as you already know, that didn't work out too well.
|
-
 ... at least that is what Shirley Phelps-Roper of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas would have us believe (h/t to Danwei). She recently wrote in to China Daily columnist Raymond Zhou after reading his opinion piece on recent comments by Chinese celebrity Sun Haiying (孙海英) who not too long ago ignited a huge debate with his comments that homosexuality was unequivocally "criminal in nature" ("同性恋就是犯罪“):
Dear Raymond
The very day that Godless China decriminalized the filthy manner of life of the homosexual, they brought wrath upon themselves. God hates China and all her perverse people! You have kicked the standard of God to the curb and you have set about to put your own form of righteousness into place and it is worthless! It is like filthy used tampons!...
...America is doomed!
China is doomed! ...
... But you Raymond have a never-dying soul! If you have any interest in it, you will shut your blasphemous mouth and read every word on the www.godhatesfags.com; www.godhatesamerica.com; www.priestsrapeboys.com and watch the excellent videos of three kinds on the www.signmovies.net page and coming soon, www.godhateschina.com! GET A BIBLE RAYMOND, crack and read it every day - OBEY the commandments of your God and beg HIM for forgiveness with a sincere heart, or you are going to hell and there is NOTHING you can do about it!
Have a nice day!
Yes, in an interconnected world, the previously mutually exclusive universes of a crazed Bible-thumping preacher in Topeka, Kansas and a China Daily columnist can come crashing together. The father of Shirley Phelps-Roper is the virulently homophobic Reverend Fred Phelps, the leader of the church that has an official web presence at GodHatesFags.com. They also run other lovely websites such as TheSignsOfTheTimes.net, AmericaIsDoomed.com, GodHatesSweden.com and GodHatesCanada.com. Known for his fire and brimstone preaching under slogans and banners such as "Thank God for 911," "Thank God for AIDS," "Thank God for Katrina," "Thank God for IEDs," and "Thank God for Dead Soldiers", Phelps has built his church around a core of anti-homosexual theology. While his church only has 71 confirmed members, 60 of whom are related to Phelps through blood or marriage (or both!), they have succeeded in receiving increasing media coverage through channels and shows such as the BBC, Fox News, The Howard Stern Show, The Adam Carolla Show, The Tyra Banks Show and the Hannity and Colmes Show (see video of her interview on the left with Julie Banderas of Fox News which developed into a full-scale on-air screaming match).
 Back to Sun Haiying's statement that homosexuality is "criminal in nature", Raymond Zhou quite rightly points out that the Chinese word he used “罪” (zuì) can be both understood as a "crime" or a "sin". As such it is not quite clear which he was referring to in his statement. What Zhou failed to point out was that Sun himself is a Christian (surprise surprise), and his statement set both Christian and gay websites in mainland China abuzz. Here are Sun's original comments and reactions by various prominent individuals [Translations by Shanghaiist]:
Sun Haiying (孙海英): “同性恋就是犯罪！什么叫同性恋啊，什么叫双性恋啊？这都不是道德堕落、败坏可以形容的，简直是犯罪！这都是违背人性的，都是犯罪！这没有什么好谈的，我决不能认同。”
Homosexuality is crime/sin! What's homosexuality? What's bisexuality? We're not just talking about moral decadence and corruption here -- this is a crime/sin! This is against humanity and a crime/sin! There is nothing to discuss here. I cannot accept it.
“什么同性恋、双性恋、一夜情、包二奶、换妻换偶等现象就是犯罪！我有证据！”
All these things such as homosexuality, bisexuality, one night stands, keeping of mistresses, wife-swopping and swinging are all crimes/sins and I have the evidence!
Renowned sexologist Li Yinhe (李银河): “孙海英的此番言论无知、残忍、没有教养。简直难以置信，在21世纪竟然还有人能说出这样一番话。他的言论令人想起上个世纪的希特勒——他曾把同性恋者关进集中营。同性恋成因可能有先天因素。他说同性恋是犯罪，就像说左撇子是犯罪、身为犹太人是犯罪一样。”Sun Haiying's statement shows he is ignorant, cruel and without education. It is totally unbelievable that someone could actually utter such words in the 21st century. His words remind one of Hitler who banished homosexuals to concentration camps in the last century. Homosexuality is very possibly genetic. For him to say that homosexuality is a crime, it is like saying left-handers and Jews are also criminals simply by being what they are.
Director, film scholar, screenwriter and outspoken gay activist Cui Zi'en (崔子恩): “不读书、不思考、没头脑的人，所以他这么说我并不吃惊，这只能说明他对这个世界缺乏认识，很无知，已经被这个世界淘汰了。”
[The impression he gives me] is that of someone who doesn't read, doesn't think and doesn't have a brain. So it doesn't surprise me that he said what he said. This only goes how little he knows about the world and how ignorant he is. He has already become completely obsolete in this world.
Filmmaker Cheng Qingsong (程青松): “他的言论已经伤害到5000万同志（特指同性恋者），如果大家一起来抵制他的电影或者电视剧，不知道这是谁的损失?”
His statement has hurt the feelings of 50 million homosexuals. If we all banded up to reject his movies and television productions, I wonder whose loss it will be at the end of the day?
Related links
China Daily: Principle or prejudice? [Raymond Zhou]
Youku: 孙海英称同性恋为犯罪 引发众多争议
Westboro Baptist Church: Official website
Li Yinhe: 把尊重同性恋提高到构建和谐社会的高度
Photo of Shirley Phelps-Roper from her Wikipedia entry.
Photo of Sun Haiying from Sina.com.
|
-
Saturday saw the likes of Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Maggie Cheung and other miscellaneous tramps descending upon Shanghai Studio for the Drag Party of the Year organised by the Shanghai LGBT group. The city's favourite drag queen, Gwen from Tempe, also graced the special occasion with her presence and added to the festive spirit of the party. Some party attendees also decided to swing across the road to Eddy's Bar (another prominent location in the city's gay ghetto), attracting the curious stares from people in the neighbourhood and taxi-drivers sticking their heads out. Apart from the paparazzi catching some pretty damning shots of us engaging in some hot wet *** action, we also had some strange men rubbing up against us all night and other men inviting us home for a tryst with their girlfriends. Okay, TMI we know, but really, it's been a long time since we put on our wig let our hair down for such a smashin' party, and went home at 6am when the lights were all out. Till the next time we put on our qipao, keep swingin' Shanghai!
Photos from Ken Yip.
Join Shanghai LGBT's Yahoo group here.
|
-
Remember the pre-op transsexual who was detained in Shenzhen early last month for going on her one-(wo)man demonstration on the streets, holding a placard that says, "I want a sex change, even if it means death!" (我要变性！死了都要变!), and attracting a huge crowd before the police led her away? Well she has gained quite a lot of media exposure in the last two months or so. And just yesterday, Phoenix Princess (凤凰格格) announced through a Youku video that a few sex-change hospitals have gotten in touch with her thanks to the kind help of various media outlets and netizens, and that if nothing goes wrong, she will undergo sex-change operation very soon. As Shanghaiist understands from an American friend who also happens to be a pre-op transsexual seeking surgery in China, many hospitals offering sex-change operations are now competing to work on high-profile cases like Phoenix Princess and herself in their bid to establish themselves in the field, so they may use them as successful case studies to attract new clientele from around China, and eventually overseas. We wish Phoenix Princess all the best for her upcoming surgery!
Related link
Transsexual detained in Shenzhen for demonstration
|
-
 It's time to stop hiding your moobs, because this Saturday (August 11) is Shanghai LGBT's first and only drag party of the year! Those hard-working members at Shanghai LGBT (***, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) group have organized yet another gathering for all of Shanghai's outrageous citizens to enjoy.
The venue for such a fabulous occasion is of course one of Shanghaiist's favorite spots, Shanghai Studio. Things might get a bit crazy in the underground lair sort of like that very small...tiny...oh so minor gathering we had there last Halloween. This weekend should bring out not only Shanghai's numerous power gays and their inner drag queens, as well as Shanghai's adopted diva extraordinare, Gwen from Tempe, who will serve as host for the evening.
Those who get glammed up shall be graciously rewarded. All drag ladies and fellas will receive free entry into the party, a free drink, a chance at the title of Drag King and Drag Queen, and (there's more!) prizes from Manifesto underwear.
Our only problem is, where can we get a good wig?
Shanghai LGBT Drag Party @ Shanghai Studio
1950 HuaiHai Middle Road, No. 4 (淮海中路1950弄4号, 近兴国路)
Saturday, August 11 @ 9pm to late; entry: 50RMB (one drink included)
join Shanghai LGBT's Yahoo group here.
|
|
|
|