Chinese gays will hold the first beauty pageant in the communist state's history on Friday, contest organizers said.

The Mr. Gay China pageant will take place in a bar in the center of the Chinese capital, Beijing. Eight people from different parts of the country will compete to be named the most handsome Chinese homosexual.

The first round of the contest will give the participants a chance to show their talents. "There are no restrictions here: one can sing or dance, do a strip or read a poem," the organizers said.

During the second round, the contestants will demonstrate clothes designed by German gay designers, while the third question-and-answer round will reveal the contestants' intelligence and personality.

The winner will take part in the international gay beauty pageant due in Norway's capital, Oslo, in February.

"Unfortunately, this contest, the first of its kind in China, will be held unofficially," said Ben, an organizer. "We have not applied for an official permission to hold the event, because it was obvious that the authorities would ban [it]."

Homosexuality was for years considered a mental disorder in China. Although it was removed from the list of mental illnesses in April 2001, gays remain marginalized in Chinese society.

BEIJING, January 11 (RIA Novosti)