Portuguese Media
Diário de Notícias (Portuguese newspaper – online version)
Beijing bans Mister Gay Contest
The police close the event one hour before it was to begin.
It was supposed to be China’s first Mister Gay contest, but it never took place. One hour before the event was to take place, the police stopped it. The organisers of the event, which was viewed as a sign of the Chinese community’s increasing openness towards homosexuality, confirmed that the police ordered the cancellation of the event because it was not “in line with procedures”.
Up until 1997, homosexuality was considered illegal in China. State officials continued to describe it as a “mental disease” until 2001.
The eight participants in the Mr Gay contest were competing each other for the honour of representing China in the Mr Gay World contest to take place in Norway next month.
Brazilian website dolado
Translation:
Organisers cancel Mr Gay China
After a police ban, organisers cancel competition.
China’s first gay beauty contest was to take place last Friday (15th) but was cancelled by the police for not complying with basic procedures.
This Monday, the organisers spoke out on the issue and made it official that Mr Gay World will not have a Chinese representative.
Organiser, Ben Zhang, planned to privately select one among the eight contestants but later changed his mind: “It was a very sensitive decision. The organisers and the contestants decided together that we could not send any of them.”
Contrary to what the police argued, co-organiser Ryan Dutcher told CNN that all the requirements had been complied with, strengthening speculations as to a boycott.
Along with the beauty contest, other gay events were also cancelled, including meetings between representatives of LGBT entities that fight for the prevention of AIDS among the gay community.
Homosexuality was taken off the list of crimes in China in 1997, and until 2001 it was considered a mental disease. The country is renowned for being conservative and for a lack of pro-LGBT initiatives.
Correio da Manhã (Portuguese newspaper – online version)
China stops “Mr Gay” pageant in Beijing
Alleging that legal formalities were not completed.
The Beijing police stopped China’s first beauty pageant for gay men yesterday, only one hour before the event was to take place.
The “Mr Gay” contest was to be held in a Beijing night club, but the event did not take place due to the intervention of the authorities, who alleged that the organisation did not undergo all the legal formalities.
This is an argument that the Chinese authorities tend to use when it comes to gay events, even though in the past few years persecution of the gay community has abated in recent years.
There were eight candidates for the Chinese title and the winner would represent the Asian country in the worldwide “Mr Gay” contest that will take place in Norway in February. |
