SHANGHAI: The visibility of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community in China has been growing fast recently but its profile became more prominent this week as Shanghai hosted the country's first gay pride festival.

Although LGBTers will not take to the streets for a traditional-style parade, the festival is being hailed for making the community more "visible" along similar lines to the way it is in the United States, where President Barack Obama officially designated June the National Gay Pride Month.

The Shanghai event, which includes films, art exhibitions, panel discussions and theatre productions, began on Sunday and is set to finish on June 14.