Gay party starts to lose its sparkle

SHANGHAI: Organizers of Shanghai's Gay Pride Week were dealt a third blow yesterday when the manager of a local bar - one of the two venues for the celebration - made it unavailable without offering a reason.

The loss of the location came hot on the heels of the forced cancellation of two film screenings at a local bar on Wednesday after festival organizers were told by the municipal commercial bureau that the venue lacked appropriate licenses to stage films.

A play planned for today at a photography studio was also in need of new digs after a man from unidentified authority compelled organizers to pull the plug.