It seems like only yesterday I sat at Starbucks on Hengshan Lu interviewing Ricky Lu about his return to the Shanghai club scene with Angel, which is why it pains me so much to see that they are under temporary closure and have relocated to Obama Club for Saturday parties.

It was great to speak with Mr. Lu. He was excited about Angel and our conversation had a positive tone regarding Shanghai’s gay scene.

So what happened? The Shanghai Daily said the closure was strictly business, quoting government officials who explained that it involved Angel’s business license and the timing of their soft opening. While in an interview with Shanghaiist, Mr. Lu mentioned “40 complaints ... sent to the cultural bureau” which he believed were “part of a coordinated campaign he believes to have originated from competitors.”

It’s a shame if this is in fact the case. Look at other thriving cities across the globe like New York, L.A., London and Sydney. In these cities, they don’t have to resort to petty squabbling between two clubs competing for queer kuai. Instead, they work together, building a colorful community with plenty of choice. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. Remember the old days of Kevin’s, Deep, Frangipani, Q, Home Bar, Pink Home, LC, Bobo’s! They all succumbed to the Shanghai malaise, which plagues so many spots here. Now, it seems businesses are using that inherent mistrust as a tool to damage competitors with the secondary consequence of the community taking a hit.

I always try to take an optimistic angle when thinking about Shang-gay but when members of the community use prejudice to guard their profits, it makes me wonder how much some businesspeople here actually care about their patrons.

More gay bars are better for all of us; they offer variety and can have a synergistic effect on business. Think of the positive effect Eddy’s and Shanghai Studio have on each other by drawing more people to their neighborhood. As Shanghai and its gay community grow, the only bottom line we should worry about is our collective future. Infighting between businesses–especially when it creates headlines fueling negative gay stereotypes–is the last thing anyone needs.

For Ricky, he says he’s “still waiting for the decision on whether the area’s government authority is willing to help us to obtain some license.” Let’s all hope for the best for him and for all of us that club Angel stays open.

What problems, legal or otherwise, do you face as a member of Shanghai’s LGBT community? Tell us at below!