Gay male group aims to help others
Over the last few years, Shanghai's gay movement has flourished thanks to the wonder of the Internet, particularly social networking sites like Facebook. Through these new types of media, Shanghai's gay men have become more open about their lives and connect with others just like them--and not just for hook-ups. While it's now much easier to connect with people gaps in the community still exist.

I recently attended an informal gathering of a small group of gay men at one of Shanghai's "gayborhood" bars. Launched only a few weeks ago, "Men at Work" is the brainchild of Australian expat Ivan Young. Along with both Chinese and foreign partners, Young has formed a group that aims to be the strands of the interconnected web that links all gay men in Shanghai together.

With so much attention focused on the nightlife aspects of Shanghai's gay scene, this group seeks to develop a network of more substantive connections. One of their immediate goals is to assemble expat and local members for workshops and activities that provide advice on a wide range of subjects from informal English lessons to more complicated issues like coming out, AIDS and suicide.

Men at Work won't neglect the nightlife scene though. They hope to strengthen Shanghai's nightlife by creating new events and supporting new venues to help bolster a scene that has been described by some gay tourists as "disappointing." With recent reports of infighting among gay venues all competing for more money from the same pool of people, the non-profit group aims to be, "free from any politics, bitchiness and discrimination," says Young.

One of the group's major goals is helping gay men in need. For Young, who comes from a country with developed support networks for at-risk gay men, he sees Shanghai's lack of support networks as similar to leaving gays out to look for a taxi in the rain. Among the groups that Men at Work is working to help are Shanghai's money boys.

As Young told me at the last meeting, "One example [of an at-risk person] is a friend of mine who came to Shanghai from a small Chinese town with little money, hoping to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Now he's a money boy suffering from alcohol dependency, abuse and health associated issues." He asks, "Where's the support and love?" It is exactly this kind of person that Men at Work hopes to catch and save in its net.

Pete