Chinese Web site will present what its producer describes as the country's first show to focus on gay issues and the first with an openly homosexual host Didier Zheng, an AIDS educator and activist. The weekly hourlong Internet TV show, "Tongxing Xianglian," or "Connecting Homosexuals," is scheduled to make its debut Thursday on Phoenix tv.in 2001, the Chinese Psychiatric Association stopped listing homosexuality as a mental illness. The new show will explore homosexuality from legal, parental and sociological perspectives and will deal with issues like gay marriage. Though the Communist government promotes Internet use, it has also set up an extensive surveillance and filtering system to prevent Chinese from accessing material considered obscene or politically subversive.
Original Report:
HONG KONG -- China is getting it's first gay "TV show" Thursday with the launch of a new web site that is focusing on gay issues. The show will also have an openly gay host.
The hourlong Internet TV show "Tongxing Xianglian," or "Connecting Homosexuals," will be sent weekly on the web site phoenixtv.com, producer Gang Gang told The Associated Press.
Gang hopes the show will improve public understanding of Chinese homosexuals. Even though homosexuals have appeared on Chinese TV shows before, this is the first time a show will focus on gay issues and the first with an openly gay host, AIDS activist Didier Zheng.
"There are many people in China's gay community, but people don't have a deep enough understanding about this community. This community faces a lot of trouble and difficulties. They face a lot of pressure," Gang said.
The new show will explore homosexuality from legal, parental and sociological perspectives, dealing with issues like gay marriage, Gang said. The program will also feature a friend-matching portion.
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