The first gay-themed chat show to appear in China debuted online on Thursday, with the host and guests discussing the challenges of being homosexual in the country’s conservative society.
The first of 12 episodes of Tong Xing Xiang Lian (Gay Connections), appeared on the website of Hong Kong-based broadcaster Phoenix Television and three other sites.
Host Didier Zheng, a French-educated homosexual, kicked off the show with a discussion of gay issues with guest Qiao Qiao, the lesbian owner of a Beijing gay bar.
Other guests later exchanged tips on how to handle the pressures faced by gay and lesbian people in a country where homosexuality is still largely a taboo subject, and how and where to meet others to expand one’s circle of gay friends.
The weekly live show appeared on the online video pages of Phoenixtv.com, and the Chinese portals Sina.com, QQ.com and Mop.com. The government normally blocks access in China to content viewed as undesirable.
China has a gay population estimated in the tens of millions, but homosexuality is still a largely taboo subject in the country due to a mix of traditional conservatism and communist prejudice against gays. It was listed as a mental disorder until 2001.
Official disapproval has softened somewhat since then, with a top university last year publishing the first report focused on gay sex among men in China. Authorities have even allowed some officially sanctioned gay internet chat rooms in Beijing.
However, the government remains nervous about the subject and has blocked access to some overseas gay-oriented sites. — Sapa-AFP