ShanghaiPRIDE Turns 10, June 8-18
Shanghai, April 18, 2018 — A decade ago, a movement was born among a handful of queer organizers in China’s most populous city. This June 8-18, ShanghaiPRIDE is thrilled to celebrate 10 years of raising awareness and promoting tolerance and acceptance for the LGBTQ community.
The theme of ShanghaiPRIDE’s 10th anniversary is “Our Community | Our Identity | Our Pride.” The community has seen tremendous change over the past decade: The city’s queer scene has grown exponentially, becoming more diverse and more open every day. Most of the original ShanghaiPRIDE organizers were foreigners, but today, the organizing team is proudly led by locals, and the annual event has become the largest and longest-running Pride festival in Mainland China. Meanwhile, grassroots LGBTQ groups have sprouted up all over China, spurred by younger generations who learn the value of equality and diversity from an early age.
Queer identities have transformed in the last decade, too, with greater awareness and acceptance of the infinite possibilities for gender and sexual identification. Our festival has also grown more inclusive, with efforts to focus on the identities marginalized even within the LGBTQ community.
Finally, our pride has never burned brighter. The countless challenges we’ve faced over the past 10 years have only built a stronger, tighter team of volunteers. We’ve also had the opportunity to share our experiences and our pride with other queer groups across Mainland China. This year, ShanghaiPRIDE will join LGBTQ organizations in other Chinese cities to hold events throughout the month of June in conjunction with CnPRIDE.
ShanghaiPRIDE is honored to have received the support of consulates, companies, individuals, and media for 10 years. All of our sponsors and supporters have contributed to the incredible social change the last decade has seen.
In honor of ShanghaiPRIDE’s 10th anniversary, get ready for our biggest festival yet!
We’ll kick off the celebration with the annual Rainbow Bike Ride on May 19, the same week as the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. The event will see six teams of brightly clad bikers starting from six points and meeting together form the six-color rainbow Pride flag. Funds raised will help cover ShanghaiPRIDE’s 10th anniversary.
The international event TransPride comes to Shanghai on June 2, with talks, films, and a party celebrating the transgender community. TransPride Shanghai hopes to create a safe space for the local trans population and allies to share information and other resources. Raffle sales throughout this year’s ShanghaiPRIDE festival will support transgender community.
Two of our oldest traditions, the Pride Run and Pink Brunch, will launch Pride week this summer. On June 9, runners will set off from nine iconic Shanghai locations — with connections to the city’s history, culture, and queer community — to converge at the 10th venue for an anniversary brunch. Proceeds from the run will benefit the China Team at the 2018 Gay Games.
Chinese Short films from last year’s ShanghaiPRIDE Film Festival reached 12 international LGBTQ film festivals on four continents. This year, filmmakers of all experience levels are again invited to share their queer stories with the world. Short film submissions will be screened during Pride week, and the grand prize winner will have the chance to win funding for their next project through our partner, Iris Prize Festival.
will be more diversity in the performances this year, ranging from plays looking closely into local LGBTQ issues to hilarious Chinese and English improvs.
This year, we give some love to queer families with a packed schedule of events on June 9. First, the Rainbow Family Conference will focus on queer relationships and couples raising children. PFLAG China is also commemorating its 10th year; the celebration will include a women’s panel discussion and PFLAG Open Day — showcasing the work of each city’s PFLAG branch — in the morning, followed by the annual conference in the afternoon.
Women Up! on June 9 will spotlight two critical issues: sexual harassment and domestic violence. The following day, speakers and organizations will attend a special edition of Queer Talks on LGBTQ individuals with disabilities. And on June 16, 10 speakers will share presentations on topics relating to community, identity, and pride at the annual Pride Talk event.
Trivia Night is back this year to test your knowledge on queer history, culture, arts, and entertainment. Assemble a team and compete for the title on June 13, and don’t forget to participate in our online quiz beginning in April for the chance to win bonus points at the main event.
Finally, what’s a birthday without a party? ShanghaiPRIDE will ring in its 10th year with a bling-themed celebration on June 9 — think glitter, bubbly, and jewels fit for a drag queen. Then, on June 14, we celebrate queer women at the annual Ladies Night party. And in honor of the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival on the 18th, the dragon festival-themed closing party on June 16 will end the festivities with a red-hot bang.
ShanghaiPRIDE is a non-profit festival run entirely by volunteers. Stay tuned for more information on pre-Pride fundraising events and merchandise sales, proceeds from which will help cover the operating costs of the event.
For more information on Pride10, visit shpride.com or follow ShanghaiPRIDE on WeChat (Shanghai-PRIDE), Weibo (weibo.com/shanghaipride), Facebook (facebook.com/ShanghaiPride), and Instagram (@Shanghaipride).
Contact Information
Email: shanghaipride@gmail.com
Website: shpride.com
