China's 1st government-backed gay bar has opened after a 3 week delay sparked by intense media attention, in a nation where homosexuality is still a sensitive subject. The bar opened Saturday in a low-key fashion in the tourist town of Dali in the southwestern province of Yunnan, Zhang Jianbo, founder of the Dali HIV/AIDS prevention and health association, said. The venue aims to provide a place where homosexuals can meet in a relaxed atmosphere and get information about HIV/AIDS prevention. It was due to open on World AIDS Day on December 1 with the support of the local government, which invested 120,000 yuan in Zhang's charity, but volunteers were put off by the intense media attention sparked by the news. Homosexuality in China, where it was officially considered a mental illness until 2001, is still an extremely sensitive issue. Gay men and women find it difficult to come out to their friends and family. One of the reasons lies in the nation's 1 child policy, which makes parents rely on their only child to marry and produce grandchildren. China's health ministry warned earlier this month that homosexual transmission of HIV/AIDS was gaining pace. The official China Daily newspaper said in 2005 that the number of homosexuals in China came to around 30 million, although it conceded few were willing to acknowledge their sexuality.
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