Mr. Gay China: The Movie
I was present at January’s Mr. Gay China Pageant the night it was suddenly cancelled just an hour before it was set to start. Following the numerous LGBT events that had not been cancelled in 2009, the Mr. Gay China pageant felt like another step toward the community’s “coming out,” making its cancellation all the more devastating. I think Ryan Dutcher of Gayographic, the gay PR firm that had organized the event, said it best in a statement to the press when asked whether the cancellation was a major setback for China. Dutcher replied: “It’s hard to say. It’s something that’s happened before. Not a step back, but definitely not a step forward.”
Now the Queer Film Night at CNEX is presenting a screening of the documentary Comrades, You’ve Worked Hard, which aims to tell the full story of the Mr. Gay China Pageant and its cancellation.
The documentary is directed by Wei Xiaogang, founder of Queer Comrades, which provides an online forum to discuss LGBT issues in the form of webisodes and blogs. Wei was present at the Mr. Gay China Pageant and was set to judge the contest prior to its cancellation.
“Queer Comrades have been following with them since the beginning,” says Wei during our phone interview. “We just naturally followed and documented the whole thing. So we had the footage to make a full documentary film. But how to tell the story is always the hardest part.”
The film chronicles the pageant from its beginning to premature end. With organizers and contestants present at the screening, the CNEX event offers anyone who wants to learn more about the reality of gay rights in China an excellent opportunity.
For those who can’t make it, Wei says he’ll put a shorter version of Comrades, You’ve Worked Hard on the Queer Comrades site later in May.
Comrades, You’ve Worked Hard; 8.30pm, Friday April 16; CNEX Salon Cafe. RMB 50 (includes one drink).
by Christine Laskowski, www.thebeijinger.com
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