Police raid Beijing gay festival

[Thom Little]

Organisers of Beijing's first gay festival today denounced a police raid on the event, saying it showed the government's attitude towards homosexuals was still discriminatory.

The three-day 1st Beijing Gay and Lesbian Culture Festival was scheduled to begin on Friday and was to offer a weekend of films, discussions and performances to promote awareness of gay issues.

.......

Cui Ze'en, an assistant professor at the Beijing Film Academy, who is openly gay and is a key organiser, said the police action showed local governments in China were still not accepting of gays.

"We thought this year had been a better year in terms of the government's tolerance of gay people's activities," Cui said. "But what happened to the festival shows many local governments' attitudes still have not changed."


http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/police-raid-beijing-gay-festival/2005/12/19/1134840764080.html

[David__77]

1. China is progressing on this issue, quite rapidly.

A few years ago, the Psychiatry Association in China stopped classifying homosexuality as a mental illness. The official party and state newspapers cover gay and lesbian issues fairly. It was not long ago that homosexuality was considered both "contrary to traditional Chinese values" and also "a manifestation of bourgeois decadence." The local government is always behind the central government when it comes to implementing new policies...

[David Zephyr]

2. "Quite rapidly"? Really?

"On this issue"? "Quite rapidly"?

[gratuitous]

3. I can just hear the plaintive sighs

Of the Repressive Righties as they consider how the United States should become more like Communist China. Government agents busting up those fag festivals! If only . . . {Sigh}

Although I would never suggest anything so devious as the idea that they should move there, since they like totalitarian regimes so much. We're fully capable of growing our own right here in the good old U S and A!