A crowd of merely hundreds would be a rare sight at a parade in San Francisco. But at Shanghai Pride, China’s first gay pride celebration, in a country where gay sex was illegal until 1997 and homosexuality is still widely stigmatized, a crowd of hundreds was a fabulous start.

Last week, a rainbow of faces gathered in the metropolis of Shanghai to kick off what supporters hope will become a yearly tradition. Festivities even included a symbolic marriage ceremony for two couples, even though gay marriage is illegal in China. The weekend was rounded out with a Hot Body Competition, a Queer Olympiad, and some drag shows.

It’s not clear whether China’s gay community would be thrilled with how things went. While the surprising turnout and the positive media coverage are definitely signs of progress, the government’s reaction was disturbing. During the week leading up to the main party, Shanghai authorities shut down several planned pride events. There were reports that police threatened some venues out of participating, and many blame anti-gay sentiment for the interference.

Still, previous attempts at pride celebrations in China have not been nearly as successful as this one. There’s a fight ahead, but Shanghai Pride 2009 is proof that things are beginning to change.

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by Kay Dover, editorial