Picture it: Huaihai Lu roped off, banners reading “Love makes a Family” and “Closets are for Clothes,” an industrial-sized truck trailing a float carrying 150 feathered drag queens, a few token dykes on bikes and, bringing up the rear, an undulating rainbow-colored dragon manned by 30 half-naked men with nice haircuts. A parade like this is the culmination of any Gay Pride celebration, commemorating the '69 Stonewall Riots in New York City, often seen as beginning of the international gay rights movement. In a city which has been lauded for its relative openness, one still has to wonder though: Is Shanghai ready for a Gay Pride festival?

Unfortunately, the answer is probably not. “If you're talking about a parade, there's no chance,” says Shanghaiist's Shanghai Fag Hag who, were a parade to occur, would lead the “Straight but not Narrow” contingency.

While a festival of 100,000 may not be an option, many Shanghai ren agree that with a few alterations, a small-scale party is a possibility. “You could hold it on private property and call it 'Gay Day' instead of 'Gay Pride.' Then it might work,” suggests Gwen from Tempe. Dylan from Shanghai Studio is more optimistic: “They just had 'gay weddings' on the streets in Beijing, and Shanghai is more open than the rest of the country. I think it’s time.” Or, Shanghai Fag Hag recommends altering the purpose: “We could make it not just for gay people, but a day to educate the community about what's going on, LGBT-wise, in Shanghai."

Gwen’s point about keeping it private is well taken and may be the most important factor in scoping out potential spaces, from Xintiandi and Highstreet LOFT to Taikang Lu and Ferguson Lane. While these locations are ideal for a small, outdoor festival, many are tucked into residential areas and bar owners may feel iffy about hosting an all-day-all-night event. Another option might be to host a “Gay Day” in one of these central locations, and then move on to after-parties in bars and clubs where the raucous behavior that often comes with this festival–or a night out–is considered par for the evening's course, like D2 or Shanghai Studio.

Gay Pride festivals typically take place in June, but I bring this up now in hopes of getting a few more opinions before planning ensues.

So I pose the question to the community at large: Is Shanghai ready?