Shanghai welcomes China’s first Gay PRIDE Festival上海骄傲周, with one week of pride and celebration not just for those in Shanghai, but for the rest of China’s visiting LGBT community as well! What started on June 8 is gaining momentum to finally letting it all out in an all-day-all-night extravaganza t at their Shanghai Pride 2009 Big Bash on Saturday, June 13!

Photo: Wikipedia

Schedule for the Shanghai PRIDE 2009 Festival:

Friday June 12:

Friday Night is for a bit of theatre and gay films featuring Moisés Kaufman’s widely acclaimed Laramie Project, a masterful production about the tragic murder of Matthew Shephard, a gay student who fell victim to a hate crime in 1998 at the University of Wyoming. Tickets are 100 RMB and 10% of the proceeds go to Chi Heng Foundation for AIDS prevention and anti-discrimination.

Shanghai Pride 2009 also features a film screening on Friday, June 12 at the Shanghai Art Museum at Kathleen’s Five with Japanese film by Toshi Fujiwara called, For a Little Bit of Love, Just for this Little Instance「ほんの少しでも愛を」 — Japan, 2009, starring Kentaro Tanaka and Chikahiro Hanamura. This Japanese director has created a unique short film from a segment of the full length, which was completely improvised. You can peer into the interwoven lives of the gay community in Osaka, Japan.

In addition, Destination Shanghai 《目的地上海》is one of Andrew Cheng’s collections of short films about the gritty urban segment of Shanghai’s gay culture. The film won international recognition in 2003 at the Rotterdam Film Festival. The films will be shown at 8pm.

Saturday June 13:

If you are feeling the “China Pride,” you won’t want to miss the Shanghai Pride 2009 Big Bash at Cotton’s-come out from wherever you are for all day BBQ for 100RMB and drinks from starting at 20RMB. You can participate in such daytime activities like a free 2pm Hot Body Competition, or maybe watch an 8pm Drag Show in the evening. Want a bit more “culture”? Check out the Chinese Opera and Drag Performance by Lai Lai at 4pm. For those wanting to witness two couples tying the knot, 9pm is time for Gay Weddings, but no need for a reception; grab the free busses to the Pride After party at Glamour Bar!

Sunday June 14:

If you are still in need of Shanghai PRIDE 2009 activities and feeling spry on Sunday, there is more. Don't worry, after that night of partying, they wouldn't schedule something in the morning. Wake up in the afternoon and head to the Rainbow League’s Hosted Field Day, the Gay Olympiad, at Xuhui Gym and Pool. There are swimming competitions, starting at 4pm and badminton competitions at 6pm.

If you’re gay in Shanghai, get on out and celebrate at Shanghai Pride 2009 or go and show your support, all are welcome! Even though historically there have been offenses and misunderstandings, China is opening up more and more to the LGBT community, so this is your chance to take part. If you live elsewhere in China, time to check the plane or train schedules; you still have time to get down to Shanghai for the first Shanghai Pride Parade 2009.

Cotton’s
294 Xin Hua Lu, near Ding Xi Lu 新华路294号近定西路 6282-6897

Glamour Bar
6/F, 5 on the Bund, entrance on Guangdong Lu, near Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu 中山东一路5号6楼, 靠近广路 6329-3751

Kathleen’s Five
325 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Huangpi Bei Lu, Shanghai Art Museum 南京西路325号5楼， 近黄陂北路 6327-2221

Xuhui Gym and Swimming Pool
329 Fenglin Rd, near LingLing Rd 枫林路329号， 近零陵路 和 斜土路的中间 Phone: 6416 4838/1367173701

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