Police in Shanghai raided a newly
opened gay bar early Sunday morning, all
things Shanghai website Shanghaiist.com reported.
At least 50 patrons of Q Bar, a new bar
located in the touristy Bund, were rounded up and escorted to a
nearby police station at around 1AM.
According to various Twitter feeds,
people were held for up to 12 hours without access to food or water.
Detainees messaged that the police kept them in the cold without
outerwear, which was left behind in the bar.
“In the ten plus hours we were locked
up, we were kept without food or water, and this is inexcusable!”
tweeted @Xiaowuzhi. “Police attitude was also extremely rough!
60-70 people all cold and hungry and thirsty and tired. What law
have we broken just drinking at a bar?”
The Shanghai Daily reported that
police descended upon the bar looking for evidence of “pornographic”
shows. Several reports suggest officials fixated on the details of
the gogo boy act.
“Did he take it all off? Were his
genitals visible? Were bar patrons inserting bills into his thong?”
the police asked.
While being gay in China remains taboo,
Shanghai has become a bright spot for the gay community. The
city hosted the country's first gay pride festival in 2009.