As a community, Shanghai LGBTers have accomplished loads, so I’m looking forward to a bright and shiny New Year with new bars, new boys, new bis and yes, a few new girls would be welcome too. Here are four developments I’m hoping for in 2012:

1. A proper lesbian bar: I’m more often than not in the company of a lesbian or two (much to my and their chagrin) and aside from ladies night at the Studio and Les in Shanghai mixers at Cotton’s, there is a gaping hole in the city’s nightlife scene for lalas. Every few months I get toted along to some new place where I end up seeing a fight over a femme and leave with a cigarette burn in my jacket. For my lovely lalas I’d love to see a chill place where the girls can get together and get their sapphism on.

2. Summer pride. I totally understand why the organizers of Shanghai Pride relocated the community’s crowning event to fall in 2010―with Mother’s watchful eye on everything during Expo it made sense. Expo is over now though, and until Shanghai Pride is listed on the circuit we might as well get on with it in June with everyone else in the world. Easier said than done, I know. Later in the year gives more time for planning, but if more people volunteer the more help there will be to plan earlier.

3. New “friends.” The New Year means a fresh crop of hopeful faces arriving at PVG with Mandarin phrase books tucked in their pockets and a passport that still only has one Chinese visa in it. Tight visa restrictions from Expo did away with a fair few hangers-on, but hopes of a better job in the world’s current “it” country is still bringing them in. Among those newcomers may be your next Mr. or Mrs. I’m sure we can all think of clever ways to quiet them down when they start talking too much: “Yes, there are bars on The Bund and Hengshan Lu and sure the former French Concession is pretty. Shh, love, there are better things we can do than talk.”

4. Pink Brunch. If someone reading this can tell me where I can get a good bloody and a side of eye candy on Sunday, please do tell. Half of F&B is family. We must come up with something.

On another note the column is moving―not far, mind you. We’re relocating just a few pages away to the new Community magazine insert, where I’ll focus on a broader range of issues. I’m looking forward to it, though I’ll miss my foxily fierce nightlife editor, Hula Hoopes, whom I hereby nominate as a fog for life (fog=friend of gays) for putting up with me.

Anything you'd like me to cover in my next LGBT community article? Leave your suggestions here.