EDGE Boston

Shanghai’s inaugural Pride Week has come under attack by officials, according to media reports that indicate that although the event has state approval, the police and commerce bureau of the city have intimidated venues where events were initially scheduled to take place.

The English edition of People’s Daily Online said that "the municipal commercial bureau" had informed Shanghai bar that without the proper license, the establishment would not be allowed to screen gay-themed films.

A second bar pulled out of the celebration with no explanation on June 11, the article said.

And a play was pulled after an official from "an unidentified authority" paid a visit to the photography studio where the play was scheduled to be performed, the article noted.

People’s Daily Online reported that Shanghai’s "administration of culture, radio, film and TV" denied knowledge or involvement in the cancellations of events.

Shanghai’s Pride celebration, a week-long festival of events, commenced on June 7 and is scheduled to run for a full week, concluding on June 14.

The article quoted China university of Political Science and Law’s Cai Dingjian, who noted, "Although homosexuality has long been decriminalized in China, social stigma still exists and public acceptance of the community is largely limited."

Cai opined that the government had quietly sabotaged Shanghai Pride, saying, "The authorities didn’t say directly that ’gays are not allowed to hold gatherings,’ which obviously is not legally viable, but they still intervened in a way that betrays their discrimination against this group."

Cai speculated that such interference may have been motivated by fear of HIV and myths about gays trafficking in drugs to a greater degree than straights.

Said Cai, "Homosexuals should be granted equal rights with other citizens, and they should be respected and protected as long as they do not violate the law."

Other media sources also indicated that venues were being strong-armed into withdrawing from participation in Pride events by the police.

A June 11 story from the Christian Science Monitor indicated that police, as well as the commercial bureau, warned the bar off the planned film screenings, calling the interference a government "crackdown."

The Christian Science Monitor article noted that the state’s news service had been talking up Shanghai Pride as "a good showcase of the country’s social progress," referring to the week of festivities as "an event of profound significance."

But the article cited GLBT equality proponents in the country as claiming that large-scale gay events are frowned on, despite sunny official pronouncements.

Beijing activist Wan Yanhai was quoted as saying, "If you attract a lot of attention and media reports, the government will intervene."

A June 12 article in the Hindustan Times reported that to keep the festivities low-key, no parade or other large-scale events were planned.

Local organizers were joined by a pair of Americans, the Christian Science Monitor article said, who took pains to avoid involving venues where permits would be needed for events, the article said.

Also, many of those in attendance to the events were non-Chinese, the article said.

The Hindustan Times noted that due to a lack of press or high-profile events, many gays and lesbians do not even know about Shanghai Pride. This year’s event is the first, and word of mouth has not yet had time to spread.

Still, social acceptance of gays in China is growing more widespread, and official acceptance, though trailing, is also growing by degrees.

The Christian Science Monitor reported that homosexuality was criminalized and also looked upon as a form of mental illness in China. In 1997, the legal consequences of being gay were scrubbed; in 2001, homosexuality was de-listed as a mental affliction.

But social stigma persists, with some officially sanctioned researchers even now investigating avenues to "cure" gays, and many of the country’s estimated 35 million gays and lesbians remain in the closet, the article said.

Chinese gays tend to congregate at low-profile events, going to gay parties and T dances, media reports noted.