Hong Kong - The first TV show in China to feature an openly gay host debuted on the Internet on Thursday, the Associated Press reported. Phoenix, a satellite TV provider in China, launched the hour-long talk show "Tongxing Xianglian" ("Connecting Homosexuals") on its PhoenixTV.com website, with clips also slated to appear on the satellite channel.

The country's Communist Party has long persecuted and even executed gay people, considered examples of decadent Western society; the China Psychiatric Association ceased defining homosexuality as a mental illness in 2001.

"There are many people in China's gay community, but people don't have a deep enough understanding about this community," Gang Gang, the show's producer, told AP.

"This community faces a lot of trouble and difficulties. They face a lot of pressure."

Hosted by 27-year-old AIDS activist Didier Zheng, the show will explore homosexuality from legal, parental and sociological perspectives, touching on issues such as gay marriage, Gang told AP.

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/2k8mam (AP)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6528509.stm

http://www.phoenixtv.com