The Day was particularly marked in numerous Universities

Theme: Voice for Love

Organizer: Cai Fan Union

Event Description: Conducted outdoor advocacy on university campuses, including taking photos with slogan cards, writing down best wishes in exchange for rainbow-colored wristband and other activities.

Theme: Rainbow Location Shots

Organizer: Rainbow Group of Universities in Guangzhou

Event Description: Took photos with slogan pictures provided by the organizer at specific locations and displayed these photos on the WeChat platform.

Theme: Walk Out with Rainbow

Organizer: WDK Purple

Event Description: Distributed 300 rainbow flags and 200 tattoo stickers on campus and invited students to display them on 5.17.

Theme:The Days of Our On-Campus Gender Organizations Years

Organizer: Colorsworld

Partnership Organizations: WDK Purple; SGS

Event Description:Invited the initial organizers of PKU, Tsinghua and RUC’s gender pluralism groups to share and discuss their gains and obstacles encountered in exploring organization development with 50 audience on 5.17.

Theme: Sign on Rainbow

Organizer: Wu Tong She

Event Description: Collected lgbt-friendly students’ signatures on rainbow flags.

Theme: Wear the Rainbow Flag

Organizer: Four students from the Affiliated High School of PKU

Event Description: Invited students of all gender orientation and identification to wear t-shirts with rainbow flag print on campus on International Day Against Homophobia and with the hope that they may send a heart-warming message through this simple method to friends for whom this day may carry special significance.

Theme: Screening of the Documentary Small Talkand Q&A with the director

Organizer: Common Language

Partnership Organizations: The French Institute in Beijing, the Embassy of Sweden and etc.

Event Description: Screened the Documentary Small Talkand held a discussion session with the director Huizhen Huang, Qingsong Cheng, Xiao Shi and Yuan Yuan and a Q&A session with the audience.

Theme: Public Display of Affection at “the Center of the Universe”: a street experiment

Organizer: Beijing LGBT Center

Event Description: Volunteers wore t-shirts with the slogan “I’m gay” and eye masks and waited for hugs from passersby. Same-sex couples held placards with the same slogan and invited passersby to take photos with them.This experiment was conducted on street and live-recorded as VR videos.

Theme: 22 Cities and 369 Businesses stand with LGBT

Organizer: PFLAG China

Event Description: PFLAG chapters in different cities found 369 LGBT-friendly businesses in 22 cities nation-wide and posted “Love is love / 勇敢爱 (Love bravely)” slogans on conspicuous spots in their physical shops.

Theme: Get A Rainbow Badge and Free Hugs

Organizer: Piao Quan Jun

Event Description: Provided free hugs and rainbow badges for participants in 798 Art Zone on 5.13. The event generated great participation, with many brought their own decorative objects with rainbow elements and distributed them freely to street participants.

Theme: Run for Love 5.17

Organizer: Six-colored Rainbow

Event Description: Invited the public to share running photos and screenshots of a 5.17 KM running mileage hashtaging #517RunForLove on the eve of 5.17 as a way to fight against discrimination and celebrate 5.17.

In Shanghai, the now traditional IDAHOTB Bike Ride opened the Pride Festival

Full report in pics HERE

The campaign is calling for people to share images of themselves alongside anything rainbow-colored and a message of support in order to improve public perceptions of LGBTI youth. The online Rainbow Challenge was started as part of UNESCO regional IDAHOT activities on April 2.
People sent and shared the picture with the message on Sina Weibo, @ two other friends, # Rainbow Challenge #, @UNESCO Beijing Office.

Friday, May 15
GaySpot Magazine invited everyone to spend Friday afternoon at their event Face@Face: A Chinese & Western Gay Portrait Exhibition, at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The exhibition displayed work of two young photographers from Xinjiang, who recorded over 30 volunteer subjects for a moving portrait and video documentary.

The event included the first exhibition of portraits, presentation by the Dutch embassy representatives, a Documentary world premiere, Q&A session and Free talk with drinks.

Announcement on Dutch Embassy page:

Promoting equality

Gayspot has considerable experience in promoting equality for LGBT-persons. The organisation has been publishing an LGBT-magazine for years and created apps for LGBT-persons to express themselves, share information on domestic and international movements promoting LGBT-rights, sexual health and self-acceptation and get information on activities and events organised by the Chinese LGBT-community.

Gayspot has found that homophobia and discrimination is often founded in unfamiliarity. The portrait exhibition that was opened at the embassy, will create a visual impact to the public and lets the public get in touch with the LGBT-community and feel there is no difference between LGBT-persons and other persons. The photographs were taken by a young LGBT-photographer in the West of China. Gayspot has also produced a short documentary about the making of these photographs that was also presented at the opening event.

Free & Equal

First secretary of the embassy, Remy Cristini, stressed in his opening speech that the human rights policy of the Netherlands aims at equal rights and equal opportunities for everybody, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. As Remy Cristini said: “LGBT people are also students, teachers, taxi drivers or diplomats. They are sons and daughters, neighbours and colleagues. They should have the freedom to be themselves and be treated as equals.”

Beijing saw two film screenings in commemoration of IDAHOT. You can find more details also on City Weekend China.

Sunday, May 17
In Beijing, the Crossroads Center hosted a film screening of Pride in cooperation with the British embassy, followed up by a Q&A with Fan Popo, a filmmaker and LGBT activist. The film was screened in English with Chinese subtitles, and the discussion afterwards was bilingual.

The 2014 British film Pride follows a group of London based LGBT activists raising money to support mining communities who are on strike under the rule of Thatcher in 1984. Initially rebuffed by the Union, the group identifies a tiny mining village in Wales and sets off to make their donation to the village in person. As the strike drags on, the two groups discover that standing together makes for the strongest union of all.

Monday, May 18
Alternatively, on Monday at 6.30pm, the Beijing American Center presented Boys Don’t Cry, an LGBT-themed film starring Hilary Swank based on the real-life story of Brandon Teena, a transgender man who is beaten, raped, and murdered by his male acquaintances after they find out he is anatomically a female.

For more information, check out the center’s Douban page. Alternatively follow the US Embassy on WeChat (ID: USEmbassyChina).

Ambassador Baucus commemorates the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia

On Sunday, we marked the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT).  IDAHOT is a day to celebrate the advances we’ve made toward equality and justice for our lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender neighbors, family members, co-workers, and fellow citizens.  It is also a day to examine the steps we can take to end discrimination and to commit ourselves to that work.

In the Senate, I was proud to support the passage of meaningful hate crimes legislation that is now law.  Our bill sent a clear message to everyone that the civil rights of all Americans matter.  I was also proud to help lead the effort to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which also extended legal protections to same-sex couples.

Despite these and other advances, a number of governments around the world have proposed or enacted laws that aim to curb rights for LGBT organizations, making it difficult for them to find support — and for their voices to be heard.

IDAHOT is an important day and an important reminder of the work still remaining to ensure none of us face discrimination or the threat of violence just because of who we are.  Let’s all work together to end this intolerance.

To mark the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) held a conference at the United Nation headquarters in Beijing to discuss how to tackle discrimination and violence against LGBTQI youth in China. A presentation of findings from research into homophobic bullying in schools by experts from Beijing Normal University was followed by a panel discussion.

The event also launched the new video of the United Nations “Free and Equal” campaign, mobilizing UN Member States to protect sexual and gender minorities worldwide. In order to transform China into a more inclusive society, UNDP and UNESCO will organize later this year a national consultation to find practical ways to support change within the education sector in China.

The “Guangzhou girls’ team” held a conference about stigma in textbooks, to share experience and fight against homophobic content in school textbooks.

“China AIDS Walk” held the 32nd International AIDS Candlelight Memorial event in Beijing. This year’s motto was: “Go forward hand in hand, supporting the future!”

On May 18th, 2015, a group of university students in Beijing wore black face masks that showed the words “Same Love”, in order to oppose the discrimination towards sexual minorities, to advocate for gender equality and gender diversity and to promote more inclusiveness and respect on campus.

In China, despite some restrictions – involving the arrests of various activists before May 17 – more than 90% of planned events around the country were successfully carried out. This amounted to a total of more than a hundred events around the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia 2014.

The following is a short report on just some of the highlights from around the country this year.

Goldman Sachs China LGBT Youth Career Workshop

On May 11, 2014, Aibai Culture and Education Center, Goldman Sachs and Beijing LGBT Center co-organized an IDAHO event “Goldman Sachs China LGBT Youth Career Workshop” in Beijing. This event was also part of Goldman Sachs’ Community TeamWorks (CTW) events in China. 25 LGBT undergraduate and graduate students from 12 universities in Beijing participated in the event. Through interactive one-to-one conversations, volunteers provided career coaching to LGBT college students, involving the exchange of practical tips and personal experiences.

Goldman Sachs China LGBT Youth Career Workshop, for IDAHOT 2014 in China.

Queer film screening and discussion in Beijing

On May 16, The Crossroads Centre and the Beijing Queer Film Festival hosted an IDAHOT event with the support of
of the French embassy, DKT International Beijing and the EU Delegation. Taking place in Library of the Goethe-Institute, the event included the screening of the documentary Global Gay followed by a discussion with the producers Valérie Montmartin and Alexandre Marcel as well as the members of the Beijing Queer Film Festival’s Committee.

The producer of ‘Global Gay’, Valérie Montmartin, talking about the documentary.

Release of new report on gay and lesbian well-being

On the same day, The Beijing LGBT Center and Institute of Psychology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences released a report on the emotional, psychological, and social well-being of gay and lesbian people in China, to mark the Day. The report is the first national survey on the mental health of gay and lesbian communities, and it focuses equally on both men and women, unlike similar surveys in the past that were focused only on gay men. A total of 1,600 respondents from all over the country completed the survey, and about 30 percent were found to have a tendency towards depression, and about 20 percent were identified as facing a particularly high risk of depression.

Beijing Queer Chorus joins the global Sing-in for IDAHOT 2014

On May 17, Beijing Queer Chorus (previously known as Tianjien Gay Chorus) performed an IDAHOT concert at Sunrise Hall, Caoyu Theater, Beijing.

Mountain hike in Changsha, Hunan Province

In Changsha, Hunan Province, despite the annual Pride Walk event being suspended by authorities, volunteers still went through with the event by proudly hiking a local mountain trail.

Storytelling and community-building in Liaocheng, Shandong Province

In Liaocheng, Shandong Province, a local LBT community organization gathered at a village fair to share their stories of being LGBT with villagers and raised visibility and awareness of LGBT issues in rural areas.

Further information

• New York Times: Tiananmen Square Anniversary Prompts Campaign of Silence
• Buzzfeed: Nine LGBT Activists Arrested in China – But Gay Pride March Still Planned
• US Embassy in China: Statement for May 17, 2014
• Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in China: Statement for May 17, 2014

The Crossroads Centre and the Beijing Queer Film Festival are organising a four-day event for the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia, with the support of the French embassy, DKT International Beijing and the EU Delegation.

The films will be in English with Chinese subtitles; the discussions will be in Chinese and French

Everyone is welcome to attend, and the events will be free of charge.

BEIJING – Friday May 16th
19:00 – 22:00: Screening of Global Gay followed by a discussion with Valérie Montmartin, Alexandre Marcel, and members of the Beijing Queer Film Festival’s Committee Fan Popo and Yuan Yuan.
Venue: Library of the Goethe-Institut
Address: Haixing Building C, Danling Street Nr. 16, Zhong Guan Cun, Haidian District, Beijing

BEIJING – Saturday May 17th
Event 1:
14:00 – 17:00: Screening of Global Gay followed by a discussion with Alexandre Marcel
Venue : Tsinghua University
Humanities and Social Science Library, G floor
Address : 30 Shuangqing Street, Haidian District, Beijing

Event 2:
14:00 – 17:00: Screening of Global Gay followed by a discussion with Valérie Montmartin
Venue: Communication University of China
Address : Zonghelou Building, 14th floor, Music room, 1 Dingfuzhuang East Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing

For more details, visit the Crossroads Centre on Facebook.

Dear Friends,
We regret to inform you that the IDAHOT event “Get Connected” that was scheduled to take place on Saturday 17 May has to be cancelled due to reasons beyond our control.
We apologise for any inconvenience this might have caused you,and thank you for your understanding.

Beijing: Queer Comrades Fight Transphobia

A member of the group Queer Comrades summarised the Beijing actions in a Huffington Post mini blog:

The theme of our 2013 Beijing IDAHO event is “LGBT – Increasing Transgender Visibility in China.” Chinese society is currently still largely unaware of the plight of transgendered people in China, who face stigma and discrimination on a daily basis. With the event, we focus on bringing attention to transgender communities in China and increasing public understanding of transgender issues. We specifically reach out to representatives of the media, educational professionals and psychological counselors, as they fulfill important first-line roles in the spreading of information and the providing of help regarding transgender issues.

At the event, we’ll premiere our Queer Comrades documentary “Brothers,” one of the first Chinese documentaries to focus on Female-to-Male Transgender communities. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion including Yaoyao (director of the documentary), Tony (transgender man, documentary main character), Joanne Leung (founder Transgender Resource Center Hong Kong), Zhen Hongli (psychologist Global Care Women & Children’s Hospital Beijing), and Guo Yanan (Aibai Transgender Program Assistant). This will be followed by an informal networking event where everybody is encouraged to get to know the Beijing LGBT organizations and their work on transgender issues.

The event is co-organized by The Netherlands Embassy in Beijing, Queer Comrades, the Aibai Culture & Education Center, the Beijing Gender Health Education Institute and Common Language.

The Trailer for “Brothers” can be Viewed Here (English subtitles):

The full documentary (English subtitles) can be viewed, exclusively and free of charge, on the Queer Comrades site: http://www.queercomrades.com/en/videos/queer-comrades-videos/queer-comrades-documentaries/跨性别/

Guangzhou

In China’s third largest city, Guangzhou, two dozen participants gathered to hand out leaflets with information about the International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia on Friday May 17.

Chengdu

In Chengdu, reports Amy Li on the South China Morning Post site: ‘In the southwestern city Chengdu, volunteers from “Les Chengdu” and “Tongle Chengdu”, two prominent local LGBT groups, awed residents of the Sichuan capital by turning themselves into a “flash mob” at a downtown plaza. Taking the street by surprise, they danced to Kelly Clarkson’s popular song Stronger.’

Chengdu activists turn themselves into a flashmob. Photo: Liang Siyu. Source

Changsha

In the city of Changsha, capital city of Hunan province, in the south-centre of the country, 100 participants attended a pride parade event on Friday, May 17.

A “pride parade” in Changsha on Friday. Photo: A Qiang. Source

Police Intervene in Protest Actions

In Guangzhou, reports Amy Li on the South China Morning Post site: ‘Yang Dai, an activist in Guangzhou, said about two dozen volunteers were passing out hand-made pamphlets about IDAHOBIT in front of a busy mall in downtown Guangzhou around 3pm when police officers approached them. Activists were taken away for questioning and released about an hour later, said Yang. She said that while police didn’t criticise the event, they seemed concerned about the method used to promote it – delivering fliers.’

Guangzhou activists were brought in by police for questioning. Photo: screenshot via Weibo. Source.

Meanwhile, in the city of Changsha, plans proceeded in colour, and without incident, until local police arrived at a hotel where activists were staying on Saturday morning and arrested four participants, according to A Qiang, a Guangzhou-based activist and organiser of the Changsha parade.

19 Year Old Activist, Xiang Yuhan, Held in Custody for 12 Days

By Saturday afternoon, three had been released but one – 19-year-old Xiang Yuhan – was still being held. Shortly afterwards, his lawyer, Lin Qilei, released a statement “He’s been put under administrative detention for 12 days on charges of organizing an illegal rally. His mother is mentally ill and he looks after her. We’ve asked authorities to cut short his detention”. Lin advised that Xiang was being held in Changsha Detention Center. In China, people can be held without trial for at least one month.

Reports Voice of America, ‘Fellow gay rights activist Ah Qiang, who also attended the rally, said he believes Xiang Yuhan was singled out because he is a prominent advocate for LGBT rights in the south of China. Three other people were taken away by police at the same time and were freed a few hours later after questioning. “He [Xiang Yuhan] was the organizer of the rally, he runs a community website for homosexuals and helped launch a similar event last year. He is very active and wants to keep hosting the event in the future,” said Ah Qiang.’

The IDAHO Committee received confirmation Thursday May 30, that Xiang Yuhan was released from prison this morning Thursday, after 12 days detention. Friends advise that he is fine and undeterred from his involvement in activism.

Activists from the group Queer Comrades put together this mini-documentary (English subtitles) about the Changsha actions, police arrests and the case of Xiang Yuhan:

In China’s third largest city, Guangzhou, at least 20 participants had gathered to hand out leaflets with information about the International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia, on Friday May 17.

Reports Amy Li on the South China Morning Post site: ‘Yang Dai, an activist in Guangzhou, said about two dozen volunteers were passing out hand-made pamphlets about IDAHOBIT in front of a busy mall in downtown Guangzhou around 3pm when police officers approached them. Activists were taken away for questioning and released about an hour later, said Yang. She said that while police didn’t criticise the event, they seemed concerned about the method used to promote it – delivering fliers.’

Meanwhile, in the city of Changsha, capital city of Hunan province, in the south-centre of the country, 100 participants attended a “pride parade” on Friday. Plans proceeded in colour, and without incident, until local police arrived at a hotel where activists were staying on Saturday morning and arrested four participants, according to A Qiang, a Guangzhou-based activist and organiser of the Changsha parade.

19 Year Old Activist, Xiang Yuhan, to be Held in Custody for 12 Days

By Saturday afternoon, three had been released and one – 19-year-old Xiang Yuhan – was still being held. Shortly afterwards, his lawyer, Lin Qilei, released a statement “He’s been put under administrative detention for 12 days on charges of organizing an illegal rally. His mother is mentally ill and he looks after her. We’ve asked authorities to cut short his detention”. Lin advised that Xiang was being held in Changsha Detention Center. In China, people can be held without trial for at least one month.

Reports Voice of America, ‘Fellow gay rights activist Ah Qiang, who also attended the rally, said he believes Xiang Yuhan was singled out because he is a prominent advocate for LGBT rights in the south of China. Three other people were taken away by police at the same time and were freed a few hours later after questioning. “He [Xiang Yuhan] was the organizer of the rally, he runs a community website for homosexuals and helped launch a similar event last year. He is very active and wants to keep hosting the event in the future,” said Ah Qiang.’

At this stage (May 27, 2013), the IDAHO Committee has no updates on the detention of Xiang Yuhan.

Update (May 30, 2013)

The IDAHO Committee has received confirmation that 19 year old IDAHO event organiser, Xiang Yuhan, was released from prison this morning Thursday, after 12 days detention.

Our thoughts go out to Xiang Yuhan, his family, and all LGBT activists in China who continue to fight the good fight. We will update with more news as it emerges.

See also : http://dayagainsthomophobia.org/lgbt-activists-detained-in-china-at-idaho-celebrations/