ShanghaiPRIDE Successfully Concludes Its 11th Annual Festival

For the past 11 years, ShanghaiPRIDE has overcome countless obstacles to bring a celebration of diversity, acceptance, and love to Shanghai; Pride11 held on June 8-16 was no exception. Through this year’s theme, 同享彩虹 | Share the Pride, the city’s LGBTQ community, allies, volunteers, and sponsors joined together for a week of culture and community-building aimed at raising visibility and celebrating all of our multifaceted identities.

Leading up to the festival, ShanghaiPRIDE partnered with designer fashion brand Coach for this year’s dynamic main visuals. The photo shoot captured moments of freedom and celebration through the perspective of four individuals from Shanghai’s vibrant LGBTQ community, each in a unique interpretation of how they Share the Pride.

Another highlight of the pre-Pride season was the Rainbow Bike Ride on May 18 in commemoration of the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia. Participants donned t-shirts from our sponsor Old Navy and biked from six different points throughout the city to converge for a celebration at Cotton’s. ShanghaiPRIDE Film Festival also boasted several exciting warm-up events, including a screening of two prominent international queer films, The Queen of Ireland on May 24 in partnership with the Consulate General of Ireland in Shanghai and Sorry Angel on May 30 in collaboration with the Consulate General of France in Shanghai. Both events featured post-screening Q&As from their respective lead actors, who flew to Shanghai just for the occasion.

Pride11 officially kicked off on June 8 with the opening of Pride Art, a showcase of photography and paintings by over 50 artists who explored the topics of “Self-Awareness,” “Relationships,” and “Community.” Pride Art overcame a last-minute venue change and was held successfully at Polar Bear Gallery from June 8-16. The opening afternoon was packed with fans of queer-themed art.

The annual ShanghaiPRIDE Film Festival (ShPFF) ran for eleven days and showcased a collective 50 hours of LGBTQ stories throughout Pride11, providing a platform for emerging queer filmmakers throughout China and the world while bringing some of the most prominent global films on queer subjects to local audiences. Opening day on June 8 saw the screening of Berlin International Film Festival Teddy Jury Award-winning film, A Dog Barking at the Moon, along with all the nominees and winners of this year’s Chinese Short Film competition. The Best Film winner, We Outlaws, will represent ShPFF at the Iris Prize Festival this year. When accepting the Best Film award, We Outlaws director Wang Kaixuan announced that though the film has won several awards since its first screening, the award from ShPFF was most meaningful.

Pride11’s extensive educational and community events this year included the Out & Equal China Forum, a partnership between ShanghaiPRIDE and Out & Equal Workplace Advocates aimed at advancing LGBTQ workplace diversity and inclusion. Held at downtown Corporate Avenue on Thursday, June 13, the conference saw over 100 companies in attendance, doubling in size from last year.

That same evening was ShanghaiPRIDE’s Ladies Party, an annual celebration for women-identified members of Shanghai’s LBGTQ community and their allies in drag. The ladies party overcame the challenge of a last-minute venue change before finally settling in at Roxie, a Shanghai LGBTQ institution beloved by the city’s queer women. The event was especially fabulous this year thanks to a Night Angels theme, along with plenty of raffle prizes.

One of ShanghaiPRIDE’s most anticipated annual traditions, the Pride Run, led by Nike+ Run Club, was successfully held on June 15 as members of the community and its allies raced proudly around the city via seven different routes decked out in Nike BETRUE t-shirts to raise funds for Beijing LGBT Center. All participants received a Pride Run medal and a goody bag.

The Pride Run’s finish line led straight to Andaz Xintiandi, Shanghai, which played host to the annual Pink Brunch. Attendees made the most of the sunny day at this afternoon party by tucking into the lavish BBQ buffet on the venue’s outdoor terrace, winning raffle prizes and enjoying the beats of the day.

ShanghaiPRIDE’s biggest celebration arrived that evening in the form of the Pink Party. After a last-minute venue change brought party-goers to the colorful neon atmosphere of RIINK, this jubilant dance party was chock full of dancers clad in the celebratory hue, raffle prizes, and tons of Pride.

ShanghaiPRIDE wrapped up on Sunday, June 16 with some of its most important community and educational events, including Pride Talk at M Glam. Audiences heard directly from Shanghai’s LGBTQ community as nine individuals shared their personal stories about life under the rainbow, from coming out later in life to being LGBTQ and autistic. Also, on Sunday at Andaz Xintiandi, Shanghai, the LGBTQ Groups Open Day provided an opportunity to explore the community groups that support LGBTQ individuals throughout China, while the Rainbow Media Awards honored the press institutions that cover LGBTQ subjects.

On June 16, three forums led by queer community leaders shed light on relevant topics for anyone who identifies as LGBTQ. The Rainbow Family forum shared insight on starting a family as an LGBTQ couple, while at the LGBTQ History forum, two queer historians delved into the community’s storied past around the world, including the roots of homophobia in European imperialism. Finally, the Gender Minorities forum showcased speakers from the nonbinary, genderqueer, and intersex communities, who shared their personal stories and shed light on their identities.

ShanghaiPRIDE is powered entirely by volunteers. Our devoted volunteers, who put in hours of hard work and commitment, make the festival possible year after year. The festival is also greatly supported by our sponsors and consulate partners – without their generosity and contribution, the festival would not be possible. This year’s sponsors included Title Sponsors – Andaz Xintiandi, Shanghai, Converse; Platinum Sponsor – Bayer, and Gold Sponsors – Budweiser, Coach, Cotton’s, Diesel, Dow, GSK, Nike+ Run Club, and Old Navy. Consulate partners included Consulates General of Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and the US in Shanghai.

For more information about the festival, contact ShanghaiPRIDE via email shanghaipride@gmail.com or visit shpride.com.