West Hollywood Marries Seven Gay Couples From China

Seven gay and lesbian couples from China were married in the Southern California gay capital of West Hollywood on Tuesday after winning a contest sponsored by a pair of Chinese Internet companies. The seven couples were selected from among more than 2,000 based on videos they submitted detailing their love stories, after Internet users voted for their top 10 favorites on Taobao, Alibaba’s popular e-commerce site. West Hollywood Mayor Lindsey Horvath officiated the wedding ceremonies at a city library for six gay and one lesbian couple who managed to get U.S. visas. The contest was also sponsored by Blued, a social media app popular with gays in China. While these couples’ marriages are recognized in California, which legalized gay marriage in 2013, their unions will not be legal in China. China decriminalized homosexuality in 1997, but does still not allow gay marriage.