Gay Bar Raided in Shanghai

Police raided a popular gay bar in the Bund riverfront of Shanghai early Sunday and detained more than 60 people.

The Herald Sun reports that some DJs, customers, and staff members were held up to 12 hours after being detained at Q Bar, where police charged that "pornographic" shows were taking place.

Police gave no details about the allegations, but according to the Sun, "the report cited migrant workers who live in a makeshift shelter on the roof of the building where the bar is situated that they 'often saw naked men on the roof, drinking beer, chatting loudly, and even having sex.'"

One DJ said he believed the raid resulted from a competitor bar that complained to police.

Shanghai was the location of the first gay pride festival in China in 2009, although some events were canceled by authorities at the last minute. Being gay was considered a crime in China until 1997, and homosexuality was officially listed as a mental illness until 2001.