Event Recap: Hangzhou Rainbow Marathon 2017 – See the Diversity

November 5 @ Hangzhou Rainbow Marathon

This year marked the seventh Hangzhou Rainbow Marathon organized by Sunflower LGBT Hangzhou. The event gave sexual and gender minorities the opportunity to proudly take to the streets to raise visibility and promote diversity and tolerance.

This year’s slogans attracted much attention. They reflected not only the organizers’ position on LGBTQ-related issues, but also their thoughts on the relationship the community has with the city and larger society:

The world is not just made up of heterosexuals. Today, you see us all.

There are LGBTQ people everywhere. There needs to be more tolerance in society.

He’s not a he. She’s not a she. He’s a she. She’s a he. So what? Boys love boys. Girls love girls. Yes, they can love each other. Say no to violence. Say yes to love.

Diversity makes Hangzhou a better place.

As a representative of ShanghaiPRIDE, it was exciting to get to know a fellow LGBTQ group in Hangzhou, and to walk alongside everyone carrying the rainbow banner.

In this tiny 7-kilometer marathon, it was clear how meticulously the volunteers had worked for the past few months on planning, preparing resources, promotions, and every little detail to build a great event showcasing our community.

I also witnessed how we, a diverse collection of city-dwellers, were brought together to form a community through a few common goals, and how we were able to make a mark on the city.

No matter whether we are in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Beijing, Guangzhou, or Xiamen, when we say we are proud of the diversity and tolerance of our city, what moves us is not our own identity; it is our love for the city.

ShanghaiPRIDE and CnPRIDE hope to nurture the same kind of love for our cities within our communities.