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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| 'Police cancel' China gay pageant | 'Police cancel' China gay pageant |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| A Chinese gay pageant, said to be the first held in the country, was ordered by police to close an hour before opening, organisers say. | A Chinese gay pageant, said to be the first held in the country, was ordered by police to close an hour before opening, organisers say. |
| The Mr Gay China event was thought to mark a new openness toward the gay community in China. | The Mr Gay China event was thought to mark a new openness toward the gay community in China. |
| Organisers said police informed them it could not go ahead because they had not applied "according to the procedures". | Organisers said police informed them it could not go ahead because they had not applied "according to the procedures". |
| Homosexuality was illegal in China until 1997, and officials described it as a mental illness until 2001. | Homosexuality was illegal in China until 1997, and officials described it as a mental illness until 2001. |
| The event's organiser, Ben Zhang, said he had been hoping the event would mark another step towards greater awareness of gay people in China. | The event's organiser, Ben Zhang, said he had been hoping the event would mark another step towards greater awareness of gay people in China. |
| One of the judges, Weng Xiaogang, told the AFP news agency: "In my opinion, I believe it [the cancellation] had something to do with the issue of homosexuality." | One of the judges, Weng Xiaogang, told the AFP news agency: "In my opinion, I believe it [the cancellation] had something to do with the issue of homosexuality." |
| The eight contestants were competing for the right to represent China at the Worldwide Mr Gay pageant next month in Norway. | The eight contestants were competing for the right to represent China at the Worldwide Mr Gay pageant next month in Norway. |
| The whole world was thinking China was doing a very good thing. But now I think everybody will be disappointed. Jiang Bo | The whole world was thinking China was doing a very good thing. But now I think everybody will be disappointed. Jiang Bo |
| Mr Gay China contestant | Mr Gay China contestant |
| The event, in an upmarket Beijing nightclub, would have included a fashion show and question-and-answer sessions with the contestants. | The event, in an upmarket Beijing nightclub, would have included a fashion show and question-and-answer sessions with the contestants. |
| Some 150 people who turned up to watch, many of them from media organisations, were left to view a deserted stage. | Some 150 people who turned up to watch, many of them from media organisations, were left to view a deserted stage. |
| Contestant Jiang Bo, 29, told Reuters: "It's a disaster. I'm full of disappointment. I thought the government was becoming more and more tolerant. | Contestant Jiang Bo, 29, told Reuters: "It's a disaster. I'm full of disappointment. I thought the government was becoming more and more tolerant. |
| "They were making a big step. The whole world was thinking China was doing a very good thing. But now I think everybody will be disappointed." | "They were making a big step. The whole world was thinking China was doing a very good thing. But now I think everybody will be disappointed." |
| In June last year, the organisers of China's first Gay Pride Festival were told to cancel two of their sessions - and that they would face "severe consequences" if they went ahead. | In June last year, the organisers of China's first Gay Pride Festival were told to cancel two of their sessions - and that they would face "severe consequences" if they went ahead. |
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