Beijing – In apartment 2108, there’s a small second-hand book market. It seems nothing special but the dozens of rainbow-colored signs decorating the room offer some clues to the uniqueness of the event.

This is a gay-themed sale in the unit, which functions as the Beijing LGBT Center, for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

More than 70 books and hundreds of magazines and DVDs were donated by people from the LGBT community, with about half the titles dealing in homosexual subjects.

“The book market is a new channel of fundraising,” said Yang Ziguang, manager of Beijing LGBT Center. “But what matters more is that it’s another opportunity to build up the sense of a big family, and bond together.”

Founded on Feb 14, 2008, the center is a public, nonprofit organization which aims to raise the awareness of self-identity of the LGBT community, and promote the gay movement and multicultural development, according to the organization’s mission statement.

The center has invited celebrities such as the openly gay mayor of West Hollywood, John Duran, and Taiwan movie director Zhou Meiling, a lesbian, to give speeches to the LGBT community in Beijing. It also provides other activities such as movie screenings, chorus training, an English corner and travel opportunities.