Eight Chinese men were due to strut their stuff in front of hundreds of people yesterday at China’s first gay pageant, in a sign of new openness about homosexuality in a nation where it remains largely taboo.
The contestants are taking part in the Mr Gay China competition — which organizers say will include an underwear show — vying to represent the Asian giant at the Worldwide Mr Gay pageant in Norway next month.
“If the winner is some guy who is masculine, caring and a responsible person, this image will help society,” said Jiang Bo, 29, one of the contestants from Sichuan Province.
“Lots of people have misunderstandings about gay people, they think gay people are sissies and feminine. But it’s not true — some of them are very straight-acting, they’re totally responsible just like straight men,” he said.
Jiang says he entered the contest as a personal challenge, but there could be higher stakes.
He has not yet come out to his family, and said he hopes they won’t find out because of the pageant, which is being staged at a Beijing club and is being covered mostly by foreign media, according to organizers.
“It would be so embarrassing to the whole family — they would lose face because their son is gay,” he said.
Jiang’s comments echoes the feeling of other homosexuals in China who find it difficult to come out to their friends and family, although many say the situation has improved over the past few years.
One problem lies in the nation’s one-child policy, which makes parents rely on their only child to marry and produce grandchildren.
Homosexuality was a crime in China until 1997, and it was officially considered a mental illness until 2001. Since then, however, an increasing number of visible gay and lesbian events has taken place.
Last June, China’s first gay pride festival was held Shanghai, albeit in a very discreet fashion and with some events canceled at the last minute by the authorities.
Ben Zhang, the organizer of Mr Gay China, said he was still worried about government intervention ahead of the contest, which he hoped would help raise awareness about the country’s gay community.
“I expect the pageant will encourage those who are in their shell to be more comfortable with their sexuality,” he said.
Jiang, however, said he would not come out to his parents even if he won.
“But if they find out, I will not deny it,” he said. “Let destiny lead me.”
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