Comrades, you have worked hard!
By Stijn Deklerck and Xiaogang Wei
Since the 1990s, the word “comrade” has been increasingly used in mainland China to refer to gay people. It is no wonder therefore that gay people in China felt especially proud when China’s military leader greeted his troops on October 1 with the sentence: “Comrades, you have worked hard!”
And China’s queer people should feel proud – the comrades of the pink movement have done an amazing job. The year of the Ox, which is the Chinese zodiac sign of prosperity through fortitude and hard work, has been a great year for the gay movement in China.
It only seems appropriate that we start our column with a cheer for the queer and take you on a trip along the top LGBT moments of 2009.
Valentine’s Day
Starting symbolically on Valentine’s Day, queer 2009 blasted off with a Beijing advocacy event for same-sex marriage. Thousands of people trouped around beautiful female and male couples getting their wedding pictures taken in Qianmen Street. People were astounded, baffled, shocked and surprised, but what really blew them away was the genuine romance floating from the eyes and the lips of the couples-in-love.
Exhibits, Festivals and Prides
Summer came early with the opening of China’s first Art Exhibit on Gender Diversity in June. A wild bunch of artists displayed a varied collection, including gay-erotic paper cuts and lesbian-themed photography. And things continued to heat up as the season rolled along.
The Fourth Beijing Queer Film Festival invited talent from Taiwan and Hong Kong to join in a week-long feast of queer cinema, and the Shanghai Pride managed the catch the attention of both foreign and domestic media, creating a worldwide China hype reminiscent of the Olympics.
Outgames
At the Outgames, which might be dubbed as the “Queer Olympics”, there was a Chinese delegation present for the first time in history. Although the Chinese delegation counted less than 10 people, they managed to win 1 gold and 1 bronze medal. It was reason enough for the Chinese media to start a nation-wide debate on whether a “gay gold medal” should count as a gold medal or not.
Gay gold is gold of course, and 2009 can be written into the history books as a gay golden year.
Don’t be shy! Hit us at info@queercomrades.com with all your questions, suggestions and more, or visit www.queercomrades.com for more information.
This Column was published in the METRO-section of the Global Times newspaper on Thursday, December 31, 2009.
同志们辛苦了!
作家：魏建刚
北京已经有过了两场雪，又是一个年关，虽说全世界经济没有能够“牛”转乾坤，希望明年的老虎可以冲冲晦气。然而09全球经济衰退却没有阻挡中国同志们的运行脚步，从立春时前门大街的同性婚纱照，闹得前门水泄不通；到中国首届性别艺术展，召集到千奇百怪的酷儿艺术家挥洒热情；在宋庄美术馆举办的第四届北京酷儿影展，首次汇集到两岸三地的酷儿影像制造者；再到盛夏上海骄傲行，虽说走的不多，可宣传到位；同时金秋时节因中国首次有代表团参加的2009年8月在丹麦哥本哈根举行的世界同性恋运动会，而在国内各大网站引起的“中国同志得的金牌算不算金牌”的争论。今年算得上是中国同志运动的丰收年。
