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Identified in the media as partners, Zhang Yi and Hai Bei posed for wedding snaps in front of curious passersby at Qianmen Street.

Some 30 Chinese gay and lesbian activists in Beijing staged a mock wedding photo session on Feb 14 - Valentine’s Day - to canvas for acceptance of same-sex relationships and marriage, reported Chinese gender and health web site Aibai.

Organisers gave out roses and flyers to onlookers to promote social acceptance of same-sex relationships and support of same-sex marriage laws. For the past few years sociologist Li Yinhe has been submitting proposals at the People’s Congress to enact same-sex marriage legislation.

The Aibai report noted that for some passersby, it might be the first time they have met a gay or lesbian person in real life.

Although China does not specifically criminalise same-sex sexual acts and homosexuality is no longer officially considered a mental disorder, it is seldom discussed outside of city centres.

A female participant who asked to be identified as Dan Na said that while many opposite sex couples are openly going on dates on Valentine’s Day, many same-sex couples are afraid to appear to be doing so.

The 24-year-old hopes for the event to have helped increase the visibility of gay men and lesbians, and that they are not much different from everyone else.

Zhang Yi, a 25-year-old male participant who posed with his parter Hai Bei, told reporters that like many other opposite-sex couples, gay couples too want to form a family unit with a loved one and for some, even taking a real wedding picture is a realisation of that dream.

For more photos, click here, here and here.