CRI听力:Gay-mazing Poker Race

Participants in the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgendered Center event will get into groups of three or four. They will receive a list of selected hutong bars, and race around to each one. When a team arrives to a bar, they must drink one handcrafted beer per team member.

After the team finishes the beers, they get to select a playing card from the bar's deck. The team with the best hand at the end of the race wins a free keg of Great Leap Brewing Beer.

Nathalie Johnstone from the brewery:

"We really wanted to work with a charity in Beijing, and we knew the LGBT Centre has had a lot of difficulties, and we know how difficult it is in China for sure. The things that they do we just really admire."

And, the event benefits Beijing's communities on a few levels.

"It is a poker run, but it is focused not only on the charity aspect where the profits will go to the LGBT centre, but also just to bring awareness and some fun to the hutong area. You know, it's great weather, we just wanted people to walk around the hutongs more, find their way around. We'll be providing maps, so, that's really another thing we wanted to focus on."

The LGBT Center has just moved into a new, much larger location at Guangximen, which can host many more activities and councilling opportunities for the Beijing Community. Program manager at the Center, Stephen Leonelli, says a fun event like the Gay-mazing Poker Race is a great example of the centre's diverse programming.

"We have a variety of programs that I think would really appeal to a whole bunch of different types of people. I think, everyone likes to watch movies, lots of people like to study English. So those things are totally welcome for anyone who his LGBT or otherwise."

The LGBT Center's events are attended by about 90 per cent Chinese locals, but Leonelli says they love for expats to get involved as well, and not all programming is in Chinese -the Gay-mazing Poker race included.

"We have one program, the English discussion group, which is often led by foreigners, and other foreigners are very welcome to participate. Other programs are open to foreigners if they can speak Chinese or feel comfortable speaking Chinese. We would definitely like to do more English language programming, so, on that note, if any English language speakers are interested in becoming volunteers I would very much welcome them toget involved and we can think about what else we can do together fort he foreigner and Chinese community."

The gay-mazing Poker Race is open to everyone and begins 2pm on Saturday, April 7, Great Leap Brewing, Doujiao Hutong #6. Better get your fun hats on!

For CRI, I'm Eva Cohen.