One step forward, two steps back: Chinese health rights lawyer Yu Fangqiang reports that he has established
a new NGO in Nanjing, while Shanghai’s Rainbow Space, a gender and sexuality center, lost their home in Shanghai. 


The good news first, from Nanjing:

“Its name is “天下公”(Tian Xiagong, which means justice for all in the world.
This institution would succeed tenets of Beijing Yirenping Center, opens
anti-discrimination activities mainly in Jiangsu, Anhui, Shanghai and Zhejiang.

“What is more, we would
devote ourself to civilize citizens. Hopefully, Nanjing Tian Xiagong can
do something on supporting the spread of grass-root organizations, promoting
public’s awareness of basic human rights in China and finally facilitating the
process of Chinese legalization. Nanjing Common World also
conducts surveys among disables, hepatitis, AIDS, abnormal receiving and curing
psychopaths and we have legal aid service. Besides, food security is another
topic we are concerning.   

“We will be pleased to receive your
recommendations of any journalists, lawyers, scholars, NGOs and related beings
in those four areas. You can send mails to yutake2007@gmail.com.”

方強已在江蘇南京成立一家新的NGO:南京天下公。該機構將秉承北京益仁平中心的宗旨,在江蘇、安徽、上海、浙江等地開展反歧視工作,並致力於社會公民教育。我們的願景是支持草根組織的成長、促進公民平等權的實現並最終推動中國法治進程。”天下公”將在殘障人、肝炎、艾滋病、精神病強制收治等領域進行各種調查研究和法律援助,我們也計劃著手關註食品安全話題。歡迎您推薦以上四個地區的記者、律師、學者、NGO及相關社會活動家!可將聯系方式發送至:yutake2007@gmail.com,萬分感謝!

Meanwhile, “Rainbow Space” (aka
Shanghai Gender/Sexuality Culture Activity Center, “the Center” for short)
reports that despite a dynamic period of activity, they lost their space in Shanghai:

“Since its opening in
last November, the Center has played a very active role within and out the
LGBTQ community in Shanghai. We have promoted connections and cooperation among
various local gender/sexuality organizations and communications and visibility
of gender/sexuality diversity. Over the years, in Shanghai there are many LGBTQ
grass-root organizations of all types, but we did not have an institution that
has the function as a center. The Center came into being in such a situation,
and has contributed a lot for the integration of resources both within and
outside the community and for the public influence.

“However, the current
“Rainbow Space” is facing a “Space Crisis”. The Center had
to leave its then venue at 696 Wei Hai Road, because of the building was to be
demolished in January 2011. Also, because of funding shortages, It’s a great
pity we are temporarily not able to settle in new venue and office. The Center
has, from the establishment, made various efforts to raise funds, and we are
also actively looking for more resources. Therefore, we hope that those who
have visited or concerned The Center can provide us with more information and
help, and to maintain the long-term existence of Shanghai Gender/Sexuality
Center.

“At the same time, the
Center is still carrying out a variety of gender/sexuality themed cultural
activities in Shanghai, and continues to advocate our purpose and missions. In
March 2011, we organized a “100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day
Celebration: cooperated production of The Vagina Monologues“. The
performance was staged in a coffee shop and caused much lively discussion and
debate. Recently, cooperation with coffee shops and other and public venues
will be the major way for us to carry on our activities.

Of course, we sincerely
wish to have our own space as soon as possible, and thus to form a sense of
belonging, familiarity and identity with all participants of our activities. In
this way, we can better improve and communications and visibility of
gender/sexuality diversity.”

For more information,
contact Xiang Qi: Msn:reecho_chen@hotmail.com,
Email:xiangqi119@gmail.com


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