Gay Internet Talk Show Launches in China

If you speak Mandarin, check out the new web series Phoenix TV Media Group launched yesterday. It’s a historic moment you won’t want to miss.

The Hong Kong-based network’s new media division, Phoenix Satellite Television, has released the first episode of a 12-part online series called Connecting Homosexual People. It’s the first show on any Chinese media platform to address gay issues as a central theme.

The goal of the show, which features a series of discussion panels led by openly gay hosts from various Chinese regions, is “to get in touch with each other and communicate,” says producer Gang Gang. “We hope that after this show airs, homosexuality will no longer be an issue.”

Those are pretty lofty goals, but Phoenix Satellite Television’s Vice President Zou Ming has argued that the series can’t fail to be a success, since it’s the only show catering to a Chinese demographic that’s 30 million strong. And since PST was last averaged at 180 million regular viewers across mainland China, that seems like a safe bet.