Shanghai's second pride festival opens

SHANGHAI - More than 1,000 people showed their support for China's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community at Saturday's opening of the second annual Shanghai Pride, China's only LGBT festival.

While some events at last year's festival were shut down or met with opposition from local police and officials, Saturday's event kicked off without any obstacles.

"There is a huge desire for something more in the gay community," said Kenneth Tan, a spokesperson for Shanghai Pride. "The event is about getting the gay community to come out collectively as a whole."