::: A near-capacity crowd of about 60 people turned out Saturday night for the low-key opening of China’s first gay bar that’s partially funded by a government agency, People’s Daily reports. The bar in the tourist town of Dali, in Yannan province, had been scheduled to open on Dec 1, World AIDS Day, but intense media attention prompted organizers of the venue to delay the opening. Details of the bar’s rescheduled opening were spread only by word of mouth this time around, Reuters reports. “We didn't want any publicity on the night. We didn’t even publicize the opening on websites for homosexuals,” said founder Zhang Jianbo. Dali’s health department is helping fund the venture to reach out to what Reuters characterizes as “China’s increasingly confident gay community”. Dali is one of the 10 cities in China most affected by AIDS. Two non-governmental organizations are also involved in the bar’s operation. On the opening night, volunteers staged a play on AIDS prevention and distributed free condoms, a story in Beijing Youth Daily reports, according to Reuters. “The bar will not just be open to homosexuals; everyone can have a drink here,” said Zhang. “The public will be more tolerant to homosexuals if they can better understand them by visiting the bar.”
Last modified: 21 Dec 09 11:11
area_asia, country_china, gay bars