Over 1000 Attend Hong Kong’s First Gay Pride

Over 1,000 people took part in Hong Kong’s first gay pride march this weekend. Gay, lesbian and bisexual marchers from mainland China and Taiwan joined Hong Kong groups for Saturday’s event which saw colourfully dressed participants walk a two-mile route through the center of the city. Bystanders looked on in bemusement as the first event of its kind unfolded in the city where traditional taboos mean many gay people are afraid to let families and work colleagues know their sexuality. March organizers made headlines ahead of Saturday’s march when they were refused permission to hire a double-decker bus from a leading Hong Kong bus operator for the event. Connie Chan, one of the organizers, called the march a success. “It’s time for Hong Kong to have a regular pride parade just like other modern Asian cities.”

HIV on the Rise in Hong Kong

An estimated 33% of gay and bisexual men in Hong Kong will be infected with HIV by 2020 if prevention programs which promote safe sex fail to work, experts claim.

The primary cause of HIV in Hong Kong is person to person contact through sex. The number of gay and bisexual men diagnosed with the HIV has risen sharply since 2003.

This rising trend among gay and bisexual men hold true in many countries.  HIV drugs, which can control the virus but not cure the infection are more readily available.

As of now, an estimated four percent of Hong Kong’s gay and bisexual men are HIV-positive and genetic analyses of virus samples found three HIV strains within the local community.