What happens when you put a conservative right-wing Chinese Christian in a room full of same-sex marriage advocates? We won’t know for sure until September 17, when Tuesday’s controversial debate will be aired by Guangdong Southern TV (TVS), but with sexologist Li Yinhe and other activists involved, it will be interesting to see.

In the meantime, Li Tie—a vocal opponent of legalizing gay marriage as well as a staff writer with the small editorial department at Southern Weekly—who took part in the debate, is being blasted by netizens and online celebrities from all across China over statements he’s posted to his microblog account over the past few days. Late last night, Li tried to drag his colleagues at the newspaper into the mess to back him up, and hinted this morning that after being rebuked for trying to pass off his personal views as those also of the newspaper’s, he might now lose his job.

Guangzhou shoppers compensated after beaten and humiliated by mall security guards

Eight factory workers from Panyu were beaten, put in restraints and paraded down the street after security guards at the Wanjia wholesale clothing market on Xianlie East Rd. in Tianhe mistook them for shoplifters last Sunday. The eight women were surrounded by nearly 20 off-duty security guards after doing one lap through the market and preparing to leave. Without a word, the men began kicking and punching the women, later tying them up and walking them through the streets to the nearest police station.

The market has offered each of the women RMB 9,000 in compensation and issued an apology, but wouldn’t say if any of its security guards have been fired. Can’t be easy for them to spot shoplifters in a market that crowded, but apparently they didn’t even stop to ask the women to open their bags for inspection.

Former Guangzhou rocker returns

Chinese rock star Wang Lei, who built his career in Guangzhou in the 1990s and rose to greater prominence after it was revealed that he was the much-discussed “Mr. Doggy Style in the alley” mentioned in Muzi Mei‘s sex column back in 2003, has a show tomorrow night at Live House.

Another posh mall for Dongguan

The Dyna City mall opens today with a DJ performance and fashion show scheduled for this afternoon; check out the flyer listing times for those and other events here.

Today’s Chef is…

New Express has run another ‘foreigner feature’, this time getting to know 25-year-old Thijs van Rhoon, executive sous chef at the Crowne Plaza Guangzhou City Centre. van Rhoon arrived in Guangzhou last year after stints in Taiwan and Shanghai, and even had some good things to say about the city: “I think Guangzhouers are more open when you talk to them. They’re happy to tell what it is they’re really thinking, whereas most Shanghainese are stuck in their own little world.”

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