Steven Zhang took three days to make the decision to participate in China’s first-ever Mr Gay Pageant to be held this evening in Beijing, with his hesitation coming from worries over what would happen when he was “outed” by the event.

Gay pageant contestants want acceptance, not hype

He did not expect the huge media attention both from home and abroad before the event.

The 30-year-old Liaoning native, who broke up with his boyfriend months ago, is now worried that the media exposure, particularly within the nation, would lead to unwanted consequences like losing his job or hurting his family’s feelings, due to the social stigma and discrimination against homosexuals.

“I’m mentally prepared to get over it but not sure how long it would take. Well, so far I have no regret,” he told China Daily yesterday, a day before the pageant featuring eight contestants from the mainland.

However, he conceded that he made the decision on impulse, despite the goodwill objections from friends citing widespread discrimination against homosexuals in the country with a 5,000-year tradition that values reproduction.

The event, masterminded by Gayographic, a gay public relations and event management company, will feature three rounds, including freestyle, fashion show, and Q&A session, according to Zhang Liang, also 30, an overseas returnee now working in the finance industry in Beijing and director of Gayographic.

Read more at chinadaily.com.cn