In Dali, China, a government-funded gay bar opened in order to spread HIV prevention messages offering safe sex education and free condoms, according to an article on the Advocate.com.

Dali has one of the China’s highest AIDS rates with same-sex transmission being one third of the new HIV infections.

“Some readers think that it’s a waste of taxpayer money, or an indirect endorsement of homosexual behavior,” the Beijing News said. “They think if there were another way to reach out to the gay community, it wouldn’t be necessary to open a bar.”

The bar receives government funding and the staff is volunteers from a local, nongovernment organization involved in AIDS prevention.

To read the full article go here.

-Katelynd Jarvis