China's gay rights revolution David Bartram Comment is free guardian.co.uk

China's gay rights revolution | David Bartram | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk 2/25/10 1:59 PMChina's gay rights revolutionDespite periodic state crackdowns, increasing education anddebate are bringing China's gay community out of the shadowsDavid Bartramguardian.co.uk, Tuesday 19 January 2010 17.00 GMT larger | smallerIt's a peculiarly Chinese way of dealing with things, the last-minute cancellation. NowChina's gay community have learned, just like music festival organisers before them,that even licences and assurances can't protect a controversial event from a late knockon the door from the police. But Friday's cancellation of China's first official gaypageant, hours before it was due to begin in Beijing, will sting more than mostgovernment interventions. This was supposed to mark a new dawn for China's LGBTpopulation. Instead, after a decade of mixed signals, China's gay community just wantsthe government to talk straight for once.It's easy to see why the Chinese gay rights movement has been left wondering justwhere it stands. Homosexuality was only removed from the state-approved list ofmental illnesses in 2001, and since the government has broadly taken a laissez-faireapproach to the issue. While Beijing is home to a handful of gay clubs, it would beextremely unusual to see a gay couple openly affectionate in any other public place. Itappeared the government was happy for a gay community to exist, as long as it broadlystayed out of the public ...