Shanghai pride: Being gay in China

[wuweijiemo]

This video is brilliant. As a Chinese in an oversea country I'm proud to see this is happening in china and it's moving towards a more accepting and open society as a true super country in every aspect, not just in our economy and military or politics, but also in people's minds and everyday life. Well done.

And I do hope people can understand what the boy said in this video, Though it's been said in Chinese, cos the speech was so true and from heart.

[snedz10]

Thris irs unacceptrable!

[berjaboy]

Google up; "Police Raid Shanghai Gay Bar and Detain More Than 60". I can regurgitate what all the stories say, but I think it's better if you just read them yourself. They're definitely giving their gay community a hard time and according to the stories, it's sending chills through every gay person in Shanghai. I hope the people who made this video are okay.

[DrNaturalPhenomena]

I learned Mandarin because of this video, China here I come.

[bamkablam]

This video has been muted. Why?

[HotNationalist]

Gays rule! WHOOOHOOO!!! Gay Pride from the Sun!

[mal1666]

fuck gay people

[mal1666]

whats the difference in china they all look the same ? XD

[FarewelI]

@zitoh Good for you. Indeed China is progressing and adapting to the increasing influx of foreign cultures, especially the Western, but on its own way - meaning combining it with traditional thoughts of doing. Cheers for you living in China, may you return to my country another time.

[zitoh]

Although when I was in China 15 years ago, I was harshly discriminated because I am Japanese; I have to say that I am proud of China's continuing progress for acceptance.

[kok888]

@zitoh To be fair, You should understand why Chinese have such negative feelings toward Japanese. Things happen for a reason and their action is merely a response from their tragic experience in the past. It is an old scar that will take generation to heal.. besides, we are talking about the acceptance of homosexuality in China here ... not nationality .

[zitoh]

@kok888 Acceptance in general should be something that we all should learn and practice, regardless of sexuality, nationality, religion, etc.

I understand the bad history between China and Japan, however, this cannot justify the discriminating actions that people take.

For example, United States dropped two atomic bombs. This is cruel but this cannot be a reason for me to start hating the people in United States. If blind hatred is a response to tragic events, then it the wrong one.

Acceptance.

[kok888]

@zitoh Whatever you mentioned about acceptance is absolutely right, but please do not mix up your idealogy of acceptance with how Chinese feel towards Japanese. If Japanese didn't use their brute force attack in China, I can assure you that all of the Chinese brothers and sisters would accept any counterparts with acceptance and tolerance. Just as i mentioned, this history will take generations to be forgotten.

[kok888]

@zitoh Again,, Please do not compare your example of Hiroshima Bombing to why Chinese should accept you being Japanese. Chinese never ask war to be brought upon them. And of all people, you actually have the audacity to call it a blind hatred. The older generation of Chinese will call you a moron for saying such thing.

[zitoh]

@kok888 Regardless, Hiroshima and the cruelty that Japan has done to China are both reasons for hatred, asked for or not. It is acceptable for the Chinese people to hate Japan as a nation since the nation is burdened with it's history or hate the people who made the decision or took part in the devastation. This is not blind hatred. It is, however, unreasonable and unjust for them to think that all Japanese citizens should be burdened with the responsibility. To hate regardless, is blind hatred.

[kok888]

@zitoh I am telling the truth that has happened decades ago that change how people around the world view on Japanese especially countries across Asia. It's not up to you or me to judge if these people still have negative view on Japanese because of what your ancestor done to theirs. I am young Chinese descendent who friends with a lot of fellow Japanese, because i don't feel the pain that my grandparents had to go through. Nonetheless, your "blind hatred" terminology sounds just as shallow.

[kok888]

I don't know where you get the idea that ALL Chinese hates Japanese. But hey, if that will make you feel better about yourself having a big heart. Go for it. Nobody is stopping you.

[zitoh]

@kok888 I never intended to give you the idea that I think all Chinese people hate Japanese people, this is not true. I've lived in China for 6 years of my life, most of my best friends, people who I look up to, my relatives, even my ex-girlfriend etc. are all Chinese. Thus it means a lot to me for them to have tolerance for people from different nations or people of different sexual orientations.

[zitoh]

@kok888 I won't call the older generation of Chinese people morons for unreasonably hating any Japanese person who did not have anything to do with inflicting cruelty to China. We are human beings, no matter how close we are to perfection, we cannot be perfect. We will always wrong, and many of us have wronged countless amount of times. But the right thing to do is not to place hatred on the wrong persons. There is no justice to be done on most Japanese people, only understanding.

[ppshchik]

Chinese government towards gays are like don't ask don't tell. They don't crack down on gay bars but they also don't grant gay marriages, they just turn a blind eye on it.

[TheZakana]

Nice! What a nice looking couple they are! And his partner has a very beautiful smile, I wish I had a smile like that!

[wikct2]

China doesn't need to have prade in order to make a statement. Western media do everything to report bias and twisted facts about China. They down play the success in China but exaggerate negative in China. The China they portray is the China 20 years ago. In China people don't hate gays because of the religions purpose but for the tradition purpose. In the West, that is the religion motive that people hate gays and that is why you see gay bashing in US....

[spidey678]

@wikct2 it's because they're suppose to have children and such, but hey they are Chinese citizens, as long as they contribute to the economy, China wouldn't really mind them ;) I'm loving China more and more. I hate the fact that the western civilization is portraying China as a communist nation that will enslave everyone for cheap labour. If that's the case... China would still be poor.

[ajudantedamaenatal]

I don't think they are going the right way. It's an emergent movement, but they are copying all the stereotypes of gays in the west. Tight shorts, hair removal, drag queens, mr. muscle, name a stereotype and you find it here. Very disappointing. It would be much easier to convince Chinese society that gays are normal if they just be themselves, not trying to copy models from other countries or trying to behave as the opposite sex. Nothing wrong with that. It just looks fake.

[ironmantis25]

i think why china is more accepting with homosexuality is because homosexuality kinda helps china's population control. Think about it gay couples can't biologically have children together, therefore less people for future generation.

[cobracurse]

@ironmantis25 don't forget about how in china, males greatly outnumber females.......so, by no means of offence to anyone, tolerance of more homosexual men in particular would be a "convenient" solution to that problem also.....

[ReginaYu]

@cobracurse Interesting argument :) but by saying this you are putting the lesbians in a very difficult position...which is unfair to them..

[lazyfreedom98]

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[chr1so]

Cool guys I am moving soon to shanghai will be awesome to visit the pride festival.

[wikct2]

Why US media never report such news that reflect the progress in Chinese society? Are they affraid that China will be more open to gay than US? What do they affraid about? What is wrong to report something that shows China is in progress? Why US and other Western countries always affraid to say good things about China? Are they insecure about themselves?

[Graymoths]

@wikct2 True. The Western media never really give much light to the positive aspects in Chinese society. The thing is, homosexuality or bisexuality is tolerated in Chinese society since antiquity. All Chinese religions and philosophies tolerates homosexuality and it is not until the introduction of abrahamic religions such as Islam and Christianity did Chinese people began to foster homophobic beliefs. This is a fact, some Chinese emperors were known to have male lovers.

[RobbiePaulPeeters]

@Graymoths Really? What emperors? I just studied ancient Chinese history so id like to know ;)

[Graymoths]

@RobbiePaulPeeters TONS. Emperor Gaozu, Hui, Wen, Jing, Wu, Zhao, Xuan, Yuan, Cheng, Ai, just to name a few! Homosexuality was accepted in every "golden age" of Chinese history, such as the Han and Tang dynasty, if you want to know more, you could check for the emperors under those dynasties. But I think by the Ming dynasty, homosexuality was viewed with a very discriminatory manner, due to Muslim populations in China then and also Christian missionaries.

[RobbiePaulPeeters]

@Graymoths Hehe coowl, I doubt that its all accurate cause the followers of the next emperor usually made up a lot of shit about the previous, but I certainly believe some are accurate! Guess some of the downsides of our big mix of cultures is that something negative might be substituted for something good. But China aint that bad, especially if u know that theyre not even fully developed yet so things will get even better for 1/5th of the world as ppl get more educated =)

[ajudantedamaenatal]

@wikct2 We also never see any news that reflect the progress in US society (regarding acceptance of gays). Maybe because there is no progress??

[wikct2]

@ajudantedamaenatal That is true that you dont see any progress in US regarding gay issue or gay marriage illegalization. The fact is that it is same as it was 30 years ago in US regarding US.

[gabsylv]

@wikct2 There has been enormous progress in the US, which you would know *if* you knew what you were talking about. The U.S. is the HOME of the contemporary LGBT movement. China is working on a model/foundation established in the US BY Americans. Note the presence of Americans in the political activities. Your claim is utterly ridiculous.

[Wandsaber09]

There's nothing wrong with people wanting to celebrate in what they believe in and it's great that Shanghais people are taking the first step on fighting what they believe and have pride on who they are.

[kroketter219]

good video :)!!!

very insightful and i hope shanghais pride can be much larger when it happens again :D!

[swhiz]

cool