CHINA / National
An insight into gay life in China
By Erin Zureick (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2007-07-24 15:46
A lot can change in six years.
At least that's the experience of Didier Zheng, an openly gay Chinese man
who just wrapped up a stint hosting China's first Internet television
show devoted to addressing homosexual issues.
Didier Zheng, A French teacher and AIDS activist, hosts a live weekly
show on the Internet about issues ranging from AIDS prevention to why
some people are gay. [chinadaily.com.cn]
Educated at the Sorbonne University in Paris, Zheng said he found a new
climate in China after returning in 2006 from his six years abroad.
That's because in 2001 the Chinese government took homosexuality off its
list of mental illnesses; and Shanghai's Fudan University introduced its
first undergraduate course on homosexuality in 2005.
And then there's Zheng's live weekly show, which made its Internet debut
in April. Called "Tongxing Xianglian," or "Connecting Homosexuals," the
show's purpose was to educate gay and heterosexual communities about
issues ranging from AIDS prevention to why some people are gay.
Speaking to chinadaily.com.cn in French-accented English, Zheng is
talkative and eager to talk about gay issues. The 27-year-old has a slim
build and engaging personality.
"After 2001, everything changed," Zheng said. "Society is changing. We
are paying more attention to gay man's socialization and integration
[into society]."
A French teacher and AIDS activist at Chi Heng Foundation, Zheng believes
that China's economic development, coupled with an influx of foreign
ideas from across the globe, has helped China make progress in its
treatment of gays.
The show's guests were chosen to represent different aspects of gay life.
For example, some were celebrities such as singers and actors, while
others included doctors and ordinary Chinese. Zheng also conducted
interviews at a gay bar called Destination in Beijing's Sanlitun
nightclub area.
"I just want to give more information, especially to non-gay people," he
explained. "They know very little about gay life."
But despite the warming climate in China for gays, the show also
indicates how much more progress the country needs to make.
Zheng thinks the Internet format of the show worked well because content
is archived online at www.phoenixtv.com and viewers can watch it at their
convenience. But he also acknowledged that the authorities monitored the
show's content carefully, though he declined to cite specific examples of
changes.
So far, 16 million people have logged on to watch the talk show, which
had 12 episodes.
"There are many people in China's gay community, but people don't have a
deep enough understanding about this community," the show's producer Gang
Gang said before the debut. "This community faces a lot of trouble and
difficulties."
Zheng said his family, especially his brother, have been very supportive
of his decisions. But many of his friends have not been as fortunate -
which partly motivated him to host the show.
"Discrimination is very common in a society," Zheng explained, adding
that he thinks that younger generations are slowly changing this behavior
and that this is an international norm.
The show aired through the year's second three-month programming season.
Zheng said he is unsure if he will be asked to do something similar for
another season.
Zheng hopes in the near future to produce some special reports and
conduct more interviews. His goal is to speak with high-level
international officials such as the mayor of Paris to ask them about the
government's role in legislating rules related to homosexuals. He said
these interviews could serve as possible models for Chinese behavior.
"I just want to speak out about gay life in China."
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