Word: gays
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...Babyface, Coco Banana, Cargo and Angel, each competing with its neighbors to be bigger, brighter and louder. But on the other side of the road, the offices and shops are shuttered by late evening. Only one discreet neon sign is visible above a small stairway: Destination?Beijing's premier gay club...
Xiao Wang, 29, an architect with a stud earring and a fresh razor cut, is propped against a wall in one of the bars. He looks puzzled when I ask him about the drawbacks of being gay in Beijing and whether he gets hassled by the authorities. "Hassled for what? Being gay?" he asks with a laugh. "Why would they want to do that...
There has never been a better time to be gay in China, but as Destination's somewhat schizophrenic combination of outer reserve and inner exuberance demonstrates, it still pays to be careful. Beijing's attitude has been described as a triple-no policy: no approval, no disapproval, no promotion. That sort of "Don't ask, don't tell" system is emblematic of the regime's delicate handling of many personal-liberties issues raised by the country's growing middle class. For their part, China's gays seem content to live within the government boundaries, albeit not without the occasional snipe...
Still, Beijing is no San Francisco. Openly gay filmmaker Cui Zien says it's still easy to cross an invisible line. "I organized a gay film festival, and the authorities warned us not to advertise the location and the date, not even on the Internet." Despite the restrictions, the festival was allowed to go ahead (unlike some in previous years) and was well attended. Also, since the SARS outbreak in 2003, the government has become more enlightened about AIDS. Cui notes that "there are lots of education programs on safe sex and HIV prevention in gay communities...
...left, this week provided another example why. The European Court of Human Rights overturned French court rulings that prevented a single lesbian woman from adopting a child. The decision sets a precedent not just across the 27-nation European Union, but throughout the 47-member Council of Europe. Gay and lesbian groups say it opens the way for legal challenges in other European states with adoption laws similar to those of France - yet falls well short of a blanket ruling that would oblige all countries to allow adoption by homosexuals...