MR. GAY CHINA PAGEANT: HOW NOT TO PUSH THE ENVELOPE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 000365 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/11/2035 TAGS: CH PGOV PHUM SOCI SUBJECT: MR. GAY CHINA PAGEANT: HOW NOT TO PUSH THE ENVELOPE REF: BEIJING 109 Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Aubrey Carlson for Reasons 1.4 (b)(d) ¶1. (C) Summary: The last-minute cancellation by authorities in January of Beijing's first gay beauty pageant came as no surprise, Chinese HIV/AIDS and gay rights advocates told PolOff February 2. The government often waits until just prior to a sensitive gathering or event to step in, they said. In China, these contacts argued, a gradualist approach to social change has a much higher chance of success than holding high-profile events to attract attention. In order to circumvent censorship barriers regarding homosexuality, it is best to keep a low profile and ask for "forgiveness rather than permission," our contacts suggested. End Summary. DON'T MAKE WAVES -------------- ¶2. (C) Anticipated by many as a "coming out day" for Chinese gay men nationwide, the Mr. Gay China Pageant attracted considerable fanfare in both Chinese and international media circles in the weeks leading up to January 15. About an hour before the show was to begin at a popular Beijing nightclub, police arrived to close the venue on the pretext that organizers did not have a "proper license" for the event. Zhou Yuansong (protect),a program specialist at Autodesk Software in Beijing and a management volunteer at Aibai, a leading Chinese HIV/AIDS education and gay rights advocacy group, said he had not been surprised by the closure. Although Chinese society demonstrated little open hostility toward homosexuality (reftel),Zhou said, the PRC leadership would remain reluctant to condone high-profile events such as pageants and parades for the foreseeable future. It was not unusual for officials to wait "until you push the button" to step in and shut an event down, even though the pageant had been widely advertised before January 15. TEST THE WATERS FIRST -------------- ¶3. (C) The pageant had detracted from the Chinese gay rights movement because "they went about it in the wrong way," complained Zhou. Jiang Hui (protect),a computer programmer who also volunteers with Aibai, agreed that the pageant had been a strategic mistake and said such spectacles did little to increase awareness and acceptance of the gay community among the general population. ¶4. (C) Given China's political environment, incremental change was the most prudent way forward for civil society, Zhou said. From this perspective, Aibai was a nimble organization because it soft-pedaled its agenda and did not expect immediate results. Members took baby steps, retreated, and then waited for a government reaction to gauge what was permissible and what was not. For example, Aibai and several other NGOs held a series of mock same-sex weddings in the Qianmen area of Beijing on Valentine's Day ¶2009. Except for the organizers and "wedding" participants, who dressed up as brides and grooms, relatively few people knew about the photo shoot in advance. Once the photographers started taking pictures of the couples in various poses, curious onlookers began gathering to ask questions. Activists then had an opportunity to explain their views on same-sex marriage to the public. The wedding photos later appeared on websites, in magazines, and on postcards. Thus, publicity was generated after the fact, and presumably there was not enough time for government officials to react, Zhou concluded. HUNTSMAN