Lesbian wedding in China (Photo from crtv.nl) by Isabella Tianzi Cai In a “Letter from China” column for the New York Times on September 1, 2010, Howard W. French elaborates on China’s changing attitude towards queer culture based on his personal observations in Shanghai. Having worked and lived in Shanghai for just under a decade, French is well aware of Chinese people’s increasing psychological tolerance towards homosexuals in their midst. French says that it is most eviden

Queer China, 'Comrade China' (dir. Cui Zi'en) By Isabella Tianzi Cai In the online film journal Film Threat, Phil Hall recently reviewed Cui Zi’en’s ‘Queer China, Comrade China’, calling it “a genuinely fascinating look at Chinese sociology in a state of continual evolution.” Hall’s review reiterates the issues raised in Cui’s work, which examines China’s LGBT culture and history through a number of insightful interviews from various political, historical, cultural, legal, as

Xiaodai Muyi (photo courtesy of Worldwide Mr. Gay) Following up on the saga that unfolded last month over the Mr. Gay China pageant, it turns out that after the pageant had been shut down by the Beijing police, the organizers of the event went ahead and sent a delegate to the Worldwide Mr. Gay competition in Oslo, Norway. The delegate went on to finish third runner up in the competition, which concluded February 14. In an added twist, the delegate, Xiaodai Muyi, is a 25 year

The Associated Press reports that police shut down China’s first ever gay pageant, “Mr. Gay China” an hour before it was set to begin. Event organizer Ben Zhang relayed the cause given by the police: “”They said the content, meaning homosexuality, there’s nothing wrong with that, but you did not do things according to procedures.” But the AP report states that “Chinese police frequently cite procedural reasons for closing down gatherings deemed politically sensitive, and auth

Image courtesy of Shanghaist The Guardian reports on Mr. Gay China, the first gay pageant to ever be held in China: “We are intelligent, we’re professionals, we’re gorgeous – and we’re gay,” said contestant Emilio Liu, from Inner Mongolia. “I want the audience to know there are a whole bunch of people like us living in China. It’s a wonderful life and it’s not hidden any more.” These days there are gay support groups and websites helping people to explore their sexuality and

In film, censors in China are still quick to restrict gay cinema and homosexuality as a theme. But independent film makers have developed ongoing interest in this theme and have delved into the topic with great insights. We at dGenerate will be adding some of these pioneering titles of queer Chinese cinema to our catalog soon. One of our most respected directors, Cui Zi’en, the first Chinese gay to openly come out publicly on TV, documented the changes and development in LGB