Our photo theme this week is China Pride. As the country’s biggest Pride celebration continues in Shanghai — in sync with Pride events across the world — we spotlight some of the organizations working throughout China to improve LGBTQ rights and awareness, often in extremely challenging circumstances.
This year is not only the 10th anniversary of ShanghaiPRIDE, but also the 10th anniversary for PFLAG China (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays of China).
With operations in over 40 cities across the country, PFLAG “strives to encourage LGBT people to embrace their own identity” via “dialogues, exchanges, helpline, lectures and other activities.” They also look to “facilitate communication and understanding between LGBT and their families and friends; and to publicly advocate equality betweensexual orientations and improve the social visibility of LGBT people.”
In a country where conservative views toward the LGBTQ community are widespread and education on LGBTQ rights is minimal at best, PFLAG does hugely important work in helping individuals, groups of people, and society at large, become more accepting of their LGBTQ loved ones and friends.
