Event Recap: Rainbow riders gather together
As a traditional warm-up celebration for ShanghaiPRIDE, Rainbow Bike Ride was successfully carried out on the morning of May 19 to commemorate IDAHOT International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, which is held every year on May 17! More than 200 riders joined this year on a rainy morning — riding from every corner of Shanghai to RIINK.
At 9:00 on May 19, six cycling teams each in T-shirts representing a color of the rainbow flag (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple) proudly started from six corners of Shanghai. This year, the six lines not only started from scenic spots, but were also closely related to the Shanghai LGBTQ community and historical landmarks, such as famous LGBTQ friendly bars and restaurants, and Century Park and Shanghai Stadium.
Hear what some of us have to say about the ride!
Red Route
A: Did you know that we had two participants riding e-bikes? When we were struggling, they were very calm.
B riding e-bikes: You know what, they are exercising their legs and I’m exercising my hands.
Orange Route
Our photographer, who’s wearing a smart black t-shirt, is quite special to our team. He’s trying to capture the memory of our beautiful journey.
Yellow Route
The weather is quite wonderful today! It’s my first time joining an LGBTQ event! It’s really fun!
Green Route
There will be a rainbow after the storm, won’t there? We make rainbows out of action, so it doesn’t matter whether it rains or thunders.
Blue Route
The funniest thing is that as soon as we started, the rain stopped and when we arrived it started again!
I’m so happy to join this event despite the rain.
Purple Route
A: We rode for 21 kilometers!
B: Of course it was ok for us. I thought many participants would take a cab but everyone stuck with it except for a few problems.
C: Rain? Oh yeah! It was a little too much. The most exciting moment was when we took off our raincoats and joined the rain.
Between 10:00 and 11:30, the rainbow team gathered at RIINK. Finally, we made a rainbow inside of RIINK with all riders and ShanghaiPRIDE volunteers.
When we arrived at our destination, we were treated to a light breakfast. A big thank you to RIINK for hosting us, EMMA & TOM’S for the snacks, and OneWorld Healthcare for the T-shirts and bags.
