Tencent, the Chinese Internet giant that is known for its instant messaging software QQ, has apologised for describing Apple's new CEO Tim Cook as a "sufferer of homosexuality" ("同性恋患者") in a recent article on its content portal. more ›

In an announcement made on the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) on Tuesday, May 17, multiple LGBT advocacy groups, mostly based in Beijing, say they have decided to cancel their accounts on Douban, one of China's leading social networks, in protest against its alleged homophobic moderation policy. more ›

28 year old singer Li Na (厉娜), one of top five finalists in the 2006 Supergirls talent competition and now a successful recording artiste with a huge following, has now become the first mainland Chinese celebrity to make an "It Gets Better" video. more ›

Early this morning at around 1am, police raided Q Bar, a new gay bar on the Bund, and detained at least 50 patrons of the bar. more ›

It sure looks like guerilla tactics are becoming the favoured weapon of choice for gay activists around China (see here and here). Inspired by the Qianmen wedding that took place in Beijing in 2009, a gay couple and a lesbian couple recently hit the streets of Wuhan and got "married" for the world to see. more ›

Earlier this month, sexologist-sociologist Li Yinhe (李银河) announced on her blog that she would be making five proposals at the "Two Sessions" for: more ›

Two days ago, on Valentine's Day, ballsy gay and lesbian couples in Beijing decided to gatecrash a kissing competition held by the New World Shopping Mall (北京新世界百货) to raise the visibility of China's LGBT community and to drum up support for same-sex marriage. more ›

RainbowSpace, the Shanghai LGBT Centre, launched late last year at 696 Weihai Road, but like all the other tenants at the doomed artist enclave, they're getting kicked out, ostensibly so that the new landlord can build a new creative compound (haha!). more ›

On Tuesday, the United Nations General Assembly voted 93 for, 55 against with 27 abstaining to reinsert 'sexual orientation' into a resolution condemning extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions. It was removed in November in a move led by African and Islamic countries, but brought back for another vote following the United States' insistence. more ›

After three weeks of panel discussions, film screenings, art shows, sports events and parties, the curtains finally come down on ShanghaiPRIDE 2010. Apart from the odd cancellation of an event forced by the men in uniform, all other events associated with the festival have been allowed to be conducted safely and without harassment. That's reason to celebrate for ShanghaiPRIDE's team of about 100 organisers and volunteers (including yours truly), and that's what they'll be doing today at two events. more ›

This week, the 54-country Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations (UN) voted to grant "consultative status" to the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC). The resolution was approved with 23 in favor, 13 against, 13 abstentions and 5 absences -- China voted "no" along with countries like Bangladesh, Comoros, Namibia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Zambia. While China's "nay" vote may not come as a surprise, it does seem to fly against the CCP's official party line of the three no's -- no support, no prohibition, and no promotion ("不支持，不反对，不提倡") when it comes to gay issues. If they really wanted to be consistent with this policy, why didn't they choose to abstain, we wonder? more ›

Today is the International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia and to commemorate this day, over a hundred people -- gay, straight, bisexual and transgender -- gathered on a rooftop overlooking the Bund yesterday evening for a kiss-in flash mob to celebrate love and equality for all people. Shanghai was the only Asian city out of about 60 cities around the world to take part in the Great Global Kiss-in. more ›

★ John Pasden checks out the Shanghai Sculpture Park in Sheshan and, despite the cost, finds it to be pretty awesome. more ›

• A gay singer in Hunan province has been arrested for murder after allegedly killing six men in elaborate sex games involving sado-masochism, erotic asphyxiation and hanging.
• Up north in Beijing, a new group called Beijing Period has come together to host monthly LGBT events such as the Mr & Mr Dating Game Show at the highly popular White Rabbit club.
• Back home in Shanghai, new gay bar The Box has been hosting matchmaking sessions for young gay men and women seeking to come together in faux marriages.

Kenneth Tan is Shanghaiist's editor-at-large and resident homo. Since handing over the reins of this website to Elaine Chow, Kenneth has been living a quiet life selling sexy male lingerie, and building a gay social network. He also serves on the committee of ShanghaiLGBT, and is one of the masterminds behind this year's much-talked-about Shanghai Pride. While 2009 was a big year for gay China, five events stood out from among the rest for the sheer amount of attention they received from international media, says Kenneth. Here they are in chronological order: more ›

Earlier this year, Aritz Parra of the new video news network VJ Movement took his camera and followed Dylan Chen, one of the organisers of Shanghai Pride, mainland China's very first gay pride season. He followed the young man over the course of two months, chronicling the ups and downs Dylan and his team experienced in putting together the event. The result is this beautifully and sensitively edited video clip you see below. Check out the money shot of the plainclothes policeman videotaping one of the Shanghai Pride events. more ›

Jeremy Goldkorn of Danwei sits down for a chat with Yang Yang and celebrated gay film director Cui Zi'en (催子恩), masterminds of the Beijing Queer Film Festival (北京酷儿影展) which took place in June this year. more ›

Hot off the press from Queer Comrades: this selection of ten of the most well-received Chinese language lesbian films. For those of you queer film aficionados that are interested, many of these films are actually available in your local DVD store. more ›

In one of the more bizarre police conflict stories of late, over a hundred gay men congregated at People's Park in Guangzhou this week to protest police efforts to keep homosexuals out of the park. The police have used reports of petty crimes such as robbery and stealing to keep homosexuals out of the park, which serves as a meeting place for gay people. Protesters verbally clashed with the police after park guards attempted to force the group to leave the premises, and several protesters and volunteers were detained and questioned before the protest began. more ›

Renowned sexologist and sociologist Li Yinhe (李银河) writes in a recent blogpost on China's laws against gay blood donors. A group of lesbians in Beijing are now fighting for the right to donate blood: more ›

Renowned sexologist and sociologist Li Yinhe (李银河) in a recent blogpost on the lives of tongqi (同妻), heterosexual women who find themselves married to gay Chinese men (translation adapted from Yawning Bread): more ›

Shanghaiist intern Kirsti Jönson, who covered Shanghai Pride (a China first!) last week, gives us her account of the event and what it might mean for all the LGBTa living in China. more ›

Amidst all the hubbub of an unmentionable anniversary, the LGBT community has been planning it’s own great leap forward. Shanghai has been chosen for Mainland China's first Gay Pride event - Shanghai Pride! more ›

What’s every gay woman and man talking about in China these days? Shanghai Pride, of course. more ›

Yes, we do! The rumors are true. Shanghai will finally have its first, real Gay Pride day on June13, 2009. While Hong Kong held their inaugural pride parade last year, this summer marks the first time mainland China will have a large-scale Pride event. more ›

While we were getting gussied up for the Shanghaiist Valentine's Day party, homosexuals in Beijing were taking to the streets in a remarkably open advocation of gay marriage. more ›

Beautiful Thing, Shanghai's first gay play directed by Michael Darragh, received two standing ovations at the Zhijiang Dream Factory last weekend. The play was followed by a pink tie party organised by Shanghai LGBT in which they crowned their Drag King and Queen of the year. more ›

In September, Shanghaiist reported that Wai Tan had gone really upscale and added a gay nightclub. We’re happy to say Club D2, by the same owners of the infamous Club Deep, is still going strong. more ›

Shanghai’s #1 Fag Hag has a busy couple of weeks planned ahead. Maybe Shanghai really does deserve the title of 2008’s most improved gay life city… more ›

This new episode of Queer As Folk Beijing, China's first independent gay video podcast, discusses long distance relationships. Has technology, cheap phone calls and the possibility of phone- or cam-sex made it easier for people in long distance relationships? Interesting questions that are relevant to both gay and straight couples. more ›