Police shut down what would have been China’s first gay pageant an hour before it was set to begin, telling the organizers they did not have the necessary permit to conduct this kind of event.
Benjamin Zhang, the founder of Gayographic, Beijing’s only gay PR and event-management company and the organizer of the pageant, said he hoped the pageant would raise awareness of homosexuals in a country where gays are frequently discriminated against and ostracized. Eight men were competing for the title and a spot in the Worldwide Mr. Gay pageant, to be held next month in Oslo, Norway.
“I didn’t expect there would be this huge media blitz,” he told ABC. “Originally I didn’t want unnecessary trouble and so I mainly reached out to Western media, but now more and more Chinese media are also asking about the event. This is making a huge impact in the public perception of the gay community and I hope that it will be positive.”
The police action simply highlights the enduring sensitivity surrounding homosexuality and the struggle by gays to find mainstream acceptance.
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