Mr Gay China: Shanghai left in the closet

Update: The Mr Gay China event was shut down by Chinese authorities in Beijing.

For many, a rainbow-waving and open LGBT scene isn’t the first thing to come to mind when thinking about China. But if you’re in Beijing on January 15, you shouldn't miss the opportunity to stop by LAN Club to see China’s first Mr Gay China selected.

Although this competition boasts swimwear and fashion rounds, organizers from Gayographic, Beijing's only gay PR and event management company, insist that the pageant is a serious, landmark affair. The winner of Mr Gay China goes to Oslo in February to be the Middle Kingdom’s Mr Gay World ambassador, another first for the country.

The event is making news for more than the hot bodies it’s showcasing. It's a sign of how much attitudes have changed here over the last few decades. Gay sex was illegal until 1997 and classified as a mental disorder until 2001.

Even with all this progress, according to Shanghai entertainment magazine City Weekend, organizers in Beijing tried to convince many candidates in Shanghai, one of China’s most LGBT tolerant cities, to participate, but they declined. 

"Six [contestants] are based in Beijing, but none are from Beijing," Ben Zhang, co-founder and managing director of Gayographic told China Daily. "We've got contestants from Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Chongqing, Tianjin, Chengdu, Liaoning and Harbin."

But no Shanghai. A lack of a Shanghai-based representative is a reminder of when the the city authorities put an end to ShanghaiLGBT's first attempt at a ShanghaiPRIDE week in the summer of 2009.

To compound the question of "Is China is ready for this West Village-type event?" organizers are forsaking mainstream Chinese media, allowing only foreign media and local bloggers. If the Middle Kingdom’s ready for this competition, why the limited guest list?

Hopefully this year's event will go off without a hitch so Shanghai's thriving LGBT community gets the representation it deserves at next year's Mr Gay China.