The "Lan Yu Group" was established to help homosexual men by eliminating homophobic discrimination in southwestern China's Chongqing Municipality on Saturday.

Lan Yu Group co-founder Liu Ji (left second) hugs a gay man at the group's first meeting in a Chongqing bar, on Saturday, April 21, 2007.

The group is named after "Lan Yu," a popular Chinese gay film.

Hundreds of volunteers attended the group's inaugural meeting held at a bar in the city's Shapingba district. A number of homosexual men were invited to perform at the meeting.

Some of the men at the meeting had contracted HIV/AIDS after having unprotected sex.

Officials from the Chongqing Center for Disease Control and Prevention encouraged the volunteers to give these men bear hugs, saying it is one way of showing their care. But they said hugs are not enough and urged the volunteers to fight against homophobia and discrimination.

One of the founders of the group, Liu Ji, is a student from the Southwest University of Political Science and Law who has been leading a campaign fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS since 2004.

He said the group plans to organize more activities to bridge the gap between gay men and other members of society because discrimination often causes gay men to withdraw from society.

The group is currently looking for more volunteers. It will open hotlines to provide information on HIV/AIDS and homosexuality soon.

(CRI April 23, 2007)