Da Wen and
Xiao Qiang (aliases), tie the knot at a gay marriage ceremony in Beijing, Jan
22, 2011. [Photo/t.sina.com.cn]
Da Wen and
Xiao Qiang hold a marriage certificate similar to the ones issued by Ministry
of Civil Affairs on Jan 22, 2011. [Photo/t.sina.com.cn]
Beijing's first gay marriage between two men was held in
Beijing on Saturday amid a storm of controversy over same sex unions, the
Beijing Times reported.
Da Wen and Xiao Qiang (not their real names) held a
"comparatively open" wedding ceremony with fifty-about friends
attendance after meeting three years ago in an internet gay community.
"We just want to live a stable life as normal couples
do, no matter if the wedding is held or not," said Xiao Qiang. "The
society is more open than before, which makes us brave enough to show the
public" Da Wen added.
The couple displayed marriage certificates similar to ones
issued by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, but they are not believed to be real
as gay marriage is not legally recognized in China. It is thought to be the
first wedding held between two men in Beijing, previously gay women held a
ceremony in South China's Guangdong province.
The wedding was held with the presence of an emcee, Xiao
Dong, who works at the Beijing Rainbow Volunteer Station on HIV/AIDS
prevention. "Their marriage is a remarkable move in the gay community
because a settled-down relationship helps reduce the chances of AIDS
infection," said Xiao.
Statistics from a 2010 Health Report conducted by the
Beijing Health Bureau show among the 1,233 new HIV/AIDS cases last year in
Beijing, the ratio of male to female was 7.62: 1, with 60 percent of new
infections contracted by man-to-man sexual relations.
"They set a model among gay couples, to encourage more
gays to have a stable relationship, which not only benefit themselves but also
the whole society." Xiao added.