Beijing authorities close 'homosexual salon'
BEIJING,  May 31 Kyodo
 
    China's first "homosexual salon" was shut down by 
Chinese authorities on May 14 for "advocating homosexuality, and 
going against the purposes of health education," an official 
Chinese newspaper reported Monday.
   
    The Worker's Daily, quoting responsible officials, said the 
salon in Beijing "was spreading erroneous points of view, and
instead of opposing, advocating homosexuality."
   
    The report cited a soiree at a Beijing dance hall where"candles 
flickered, music played and lovers fluttered across thedance floor. 
The lovers, however, were all men."
   
    The manager of the dance hall, who was not named, was dismissed
for apparently organizing the event.
   
    The "Men's World Salon" was set up last November as a forum
where gays could openly discuss homosexuality while undergoing
education on preventing the spread of AIDS.
   
    Homosexuality in China has long been taboo, and is considered
to be counter to Chinese traditional morality. It is widely
believed that due to the dangers of the AIDS virus,  Chinese health
officials have found it necessary to begin educating gays.
   
    The paper, citing clinical reports, said that in recent years
10 cases of HIV positive or full-blown AIDS carriers have been
discovered in Beijing, of which four had homosexual histories.
   
    In April 1992, an AIDS hotline was set up by the China  Health
Education Research Institute, which received 1,126 calls over  an
eight-month period, with 15% of the callers claiming to be
homosexuals, the paper said.
   
    The paper reported that in a recent survey, 71% of those
polledfelt that homosexuality was not normal, 34% thought it was
againstthe law, and only 12% thought there should be freedom of
choice in sexual  preference.
   
    Neither China's Ministry of Public Health nor the Public 
Safety Bureau acknowledged responsibility for the closure of the
salon.