This year on Valentine's Day, Beijing's Qian Men was host to a few public, unofficial gay weddings. The China Daily Article used careful wording and described the event as "a time to campaign for acceptance of homosexuality in society," but described it all the same. Why hasn't this happened in Shanghai, which is commonly considered more open than Beijing? See comments in Chinese about the weddings here.

In other news, I love giving homophobes who associate gay rights with animal rights material for lame jokes, and this is no exception: a pair of male gay penguins in the Harbin Zoo were dressed up in a tux and a traditional red wedding dress and given a proper wedding ceremony in celebration of their long-term commitment and successful efforts in raising penguin chicks (albeit the eggs were stolen from hetero penguin couples). For all those anti-gay zealots who persist that "if we let the gays get married, donkeys are next," I've got news for you: donkeys may get the rights to legally recognized partnerships before us homo sapiens. The world just may be coming to an end after all.

Shanghai herself is host to an occasional (human) gay wedding ceremony, but so far in private spaces only. Might the next one happen on the sidewalks of People's Square?

LGBT Events this week:
ShanghaiLGBT Night @ Frangipani. Thursday Feb 26, 9pm until late.
Gay Movie Corner @ Frangipani. Sunday Feb 22. 4pm.

LGBT Events next week:
ShanghaiLGBT Trivia Night @ Frangipani. Thursday, Mar 5th, 8pm.
ShanghaiLGBT Book Club @ Kevin's Thai. Sunday, Mar 1st, 4pm.
* Gay Movie Corner @ Frangipani. Sunday, Mar 1st, 4pm.