Meet Gabby Gabriel: The 'Lesbian Godfather'

Cue Gabby Gabriel, a leading figure in Shanghai’s community of queer women, who has become affectionately known as – if not all too realistically – the ‘Lesbian Godfather’. As the head of Shanghai Les Queers (LQ), Gabriel is regarded as a touchstone of the LBTQ community, offering knowledge, counsel and organisational expertise to a once-struggling scene. Having relocated from Boston five years ago in the pursuit of love and happiness, Gabriel quickly settled in, but recognised just one hitch in the plan: the lack of a strong, visible community for LBTQ women in Shanghai.

‘When I arrived in the city, I got involved with the existing community as much as I could by participating in monthly meet-ups with other queer women – but it just wasn’t enough.’ With little on offer besides meet-ups, occasional events and a small selection of disconnected communities, Shanghai’s queer scene lacked diversity and safe social spaces for the uninitiated. Having forged links with expat and Chinese women over the course of several years, it wasn’t until May 2015 that Gabriel could finally launch Shanghai Les Queers as a ‘safe, fun environment for queer women in Shanghai’.

‘The key focus of LQ is to create a comfortable space with a regular routine and social exchange,’ Gabriel explains, reclined atop the squeaky-clean faux-leather sofas in a corner of Roxie, Shanghai’s only bar for queer women. Since its 2015 launch, Roxie has become a focal point for the LBTQ community, hosting weekly parties and social events as well as becoming a meeting point for LQ members. ‘There are few places queer women can really call their own, which makes Roxie a special and important hub for both the LBTQ community in Shanghai and visitors to the city.’

Working closely with Roxie is just one facet of Gabriel’s work with LQ. The organisation offers monthly parties, collaborations with other LGBT groups and fortnightly discussion groups to bring the community together. ‘Discussion groups provide intellectual stimulation on our most important issues that many LBTQ women would not usually have access to in an organised way.’ Offering a distinct mix of social activities ensures that there is a feeling of belonging from all community members, especially considering an almost 50-50 split of Chinese to expat members.’

‘There’s a strong emphasis on a sense of openness between the expat and local communities with over half of members coming from Shanghai or further afield in China.’ Social cohesion between the two groups is a vital part of the LQ philosophy, not only to formulate a strong community but also to offer queer Chinese women a rare space to feel at home and express themselves beyond the limits of strict cultural norms. ‘One of the goals of LQ is to make Chinese LBTQ women feel empowered. By encouraging a sharing platform between the Chinese and expat communities, Chinese queer women can have access to a free community that resembles the societies available to expat women in their home countries.’

To find out more about LQ Shanghai, follow their official WeChat (ID: LesQueers).