So we're a little confused. When we first found out about the new government-sponsored gay bar in Dali, Yunnan, it was supposed to open on World AIDS day. Then reports everywhere said the gay bar was a no go. But today, according to China Daily, the gay bar did actually open, but nobody showed up thanks to all the media attention. "They [gay men] refused to show up at the opening for fear of media exposure and potential discrimination," they quoted Zhang Jianbo, the bar's founder and a local AIDS doctor as saying. Hmm, you sure it wasn't the assertion that you might not sell alcohol that turned customers away? We say advertise a two-for-one margarita night and see how your next attempt at opening up goes. more ›

Woman's thought bubble: "I've heard you can contract AIDS from holding hands or eating with an infected person." Man's thought bubble: "I believe I could get AIDS from a mosquito bite." Voice over guy: "Actually mosquito bites and and holding hands, eating with infected persons can not cause you to contract AIDS. Don't misunderstand AIDS. And even more, don't discriminate against AIDS carriers." "Good friends are friends, whether they have AIDS or not. Let our world not have misunderstanding or discrimination." - Yao Ming. more ›

It's World AIDS Day! In case you didn't know, World AIDS day is about "raising money, increasing awareness, fighting prejudice and improving education" regarding AIDS around the world. So, to do our part, here's a heartbreaking piece on the difficulties of children with HIV in China: they're banned from schools and many are abandoned by their parents and left to live and die in AIDS orphanages. Around 10,000 children in China are HIV-positive, mostly due to bad blood transfusions or mother-to-child transmission. Remember, you can do your part too: get involved! more ›

Happy World AIDS Day! China's golden boy and long-time Houston Rockets player Yao Ming has agreed to join the United Nation's push to address discrimination among Chinese people towards those infected with HIV. The new awareness campaign follows the release of the first UNAIDS HIV/AIDS report in China last month, the results of which demonstrated the significant stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS in China's medical field as well as the general population. more ›

This goes down as one of the best pieces of news we heard all day: China is going to continue its more progressive bent towards AIDS/HIV awareness and has started a bunch of educational campaigns to inform higher risk groups - including sex workers, who don't have any legal standing in the country despite their prevalence. more ›