Call for Dining For Diversity Hosts, May 19

原创 Kyle M. theBeijinger

Dinner is about to be served, and it’ll be for a good cause. To help raise awareness and funds for marginalized members of the capital’s LGBTI community, Beijing Gender is coordinating a citywide group of dinner parties called Dining For Diversity on May 19.

It's all pretty straightforward: by inviting 10-15 friends to your humble abode, and asking each for a donation, the “proceeds you raise at your dinner party will be used to run Beijing Gender programs advocating for equality and diversity.”

Among those programs are the China Rainbow Media Awards (which honors journalism about, and cultural products for, their objective and tolerant treatment of LGBTI groups) the NGO's Rights and Advocacy Program (which is "devoted to the legal realization of LGBTI rights in China") and the widely touted All Gender Toilet Project.

The group’s fundraising goal is RMB 200,000 and they hope each dinner party can raise around RMB 3,000. But their aims also run deeper than that — while breaking bread together, those who participate are encouraged to share their stories, detail their views, and unify for fair treatment and acceptance.

By snapping some selfies, having fun and showing unity, the pictures from the parties (shared with the hashtag #ImHungryForDiversity) will help maintain morale and raise awareness. All this, of course, could not be more timely given the recent internet crackdown on LGBTI topics in China.

If you’re interested in hosting, contact Beijing Gender Development Manager AJ Song at aj@bghei.org or 186 8594 0334‬.

Photo: Courtesy of Beijing Gender