LGBT culture in Hong Kong

Despite the history of colonization and the resulting process of Westernization since 1842, Hong Kong still embodies many aspects of Chinese traditional values towards sexuality.[1] However, popular media remains ignorant, marginalizing and discriminating against LGBT members of Hong Kong in favor of perpetuating heteronormativity.[1]

In 1991, the government of Hong Kong legalized male-male same sex relations. Since then LGBT activism has increased, asking for legal protections.[2] A wave of political activism began in the 2000s.[3]

In 2005, the government of Hong Kong conducted a telephone survey with over 2,000 persons responding. Of them, 39% indicated that homosexuality "contradicts the morals of the community."[4] 42% of those surveyed in 2005 stated that homosexuals were not "psychologically normal".[5]

A 2012 survey by Community Business had 1,002 respondents chosen at random and 626 persons who identified as LGBT. Of the respondents chosen randomly, 50% stated that they accepted LGBT individuals while 25% stated they did not; 3% stated that they believed LGBT individuals were not "psychologically normal". Of the LGBT employees, 53% stated that they had to "pretend to be someone they are not" and therefore felt exhaustion, while 26% stated that the work environment did not accept them, so they at times had to stay home at work.[5]

By 2012 many individuals who originated from Mainland China became a part of Hong Kong's LGBT culture. LGBT marches are legal in Hong Kong, while they are not permitted in many areas in the Mainland. Joanna Chiu and Christy Choi of the South China Morning Post stated that in Hong Kong lesbians stated that conservative lawmakers and Christian groups in Hong Kong make lesbianism less accepted in Hong Kong compared to Mainland China, but that Hong Kong lesbians are better able to resist pressures to marry other men.[6]

Economy

Housing

In Hong Kong, high real estate density is used as a government regulation strategy of land prices.[7] This high land price policy contributes to a limited choice in living environment, and therefore a bigger need to live with other people, often with the immediate family.[7] The family space is regarded as a contentious site for coming out for LGBT Hong Kongers.[7] Living in confined space with the family makes it more difficult for many transgender Hong Kongers to embrace their gender expression without the risk of being exposed and encountering family violence.[7]

The family unit in Hong Kong is often reconfigured to include anyone able to contribute economically to the unit in response to the lack of welfare benefits.[7] For LGBT Hong Kongers, these family values makes achieving financial stability into a way to become accepted into the family despite their queer identity.[7] This notion also reveals a larger expectation for LGBT Hong Kongers to embrace self-reliance and individualism in order to survive materially in a society where housing depends on intimate family relations.[7] Heterosexual marriage also becomes a way for LGBT to pursue housing outside of the family unit because of the prioritization of married couples under the Home Ownership Scheme.[7] However, often the idea of moving away from the family can be considered under filial piety as breaking up the family, impacting many LGBT Hong Kongers' decision to continue to live with their family, despite the depression, confusion, and isolation from queer relationships it may result in.[7]

Bars and Cafes

Volume Up, the first LGBT-oriented record label in Hong Kong, was founded by Evan Steer.[8]

Institutions

The Hong Kong Ten Percent Club is an LGBT organisation. It was one of the first ones founded in Hong Kong.[9]

Women Coalition of Hong Kong is an LGBT rights organisation. It was founded around 2002.[4]

Education

The University of Hong Kong has a Queer Straight Alliance.[10]

Recreation

Waiwai Yeo of the WCHK stated that around 2002 the LGBT community did not feel comfortable enough to hold a gay pride parade.[4] The Hong Kong Pride Parade was first held in 2008.[10] Waiwai Yeo stated that 1,000 people participated in the first parade and that it increased to 2,500 in 2011. The Wall Street Journal wrote that this is "a far cry from the millions who flock to the annual pride parades in Brazil and elsewhere."[4]

Pink Dot, another pride event, attracted around 15,000 in 2015.[11]

Les Pêches The Lounge establishes parties for women who are lesbian and bisexual.[10]

The Hong Kong Tourism Board started "Pink Season" to attract LGBT tourism. Dr. Lucetta Kam Yip-lo (金晔路; 金曄路; gam1 jip6 lou6; Jīn Yèlù[12]), who wrote Shanghai Lalas: Female Tongzhi Communities and Politics in Urban China, stated that "LGBT bars or events such as the pride march are a big tourist attraction for lesbians."[6]

The Hong Kong Lesbian & Gay Film Festival is also held.[13] Representations of LGBT Hong Kongers are distorted in music, film, and television to perpetuate social discrimination.[1] Such queer artists like Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing are repeatedly attacked by the media, even though their fame has set the precedent for supposedly straight Canto-pop actors and singers Aaron Kwok and Andy Lau, who embrace queer performances like cross-dressing.[1]

Notable residents

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Yau, Ching (2010). As Normal As Possible. HKU: Hong Kong University Press. pp. 133–149.
  2. ↑ Wehbi, Samantha. Community Organizing Against Homophobia and Heterosexism: The World Through Rainbow-Colored Glasses. Routledge, 13 September 2013. ISBN 1317992490, 9781317992493. p. 66.
  3. ↑ Tang, Denise, p. 90-91.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Chen, Te-Ping. "Pop Star’s Stadium-Style Coming Out." The Wall Street Journal. 25 April 2012. Retrieved on 27 September 2014.
  5. 1 2 Steger, Isabella. "How Gay-Friendly is Hong Kong? It Depends." The Wall Street Journal. 18 May 2012. Retrieved on 27 May 2014.
  6. 1 2 Chiu, Joanna and Christy Choi. "Lesbians from mainland China revel in Hong Kong's freedom." South China Morning Post. Sunday, 11 November 2012. Updated Saturday, 17 November 2012. Print: "More mainlanders join gay pride on parade" Retrieved on 27 September 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Tang, Denise (2011). Conditional Spaces. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.
  8. ↑ "Editors of Time Out." Time Out Hong Kong. Time Out, 8 November 2011. ISBN 1846701147, 9781846701146. p. 235.
  9. ↑ Tang, Denise, p. 90.
  10. 1 2 3 Lai, Jennifer. "Is it OK to be gay in Hong Kong? Archived 2014-09-27 at WebCite" (Archive). CNN. 18 August 2010. Retrieved on 27 August 2014.
  11. ↑ Grundy, Tom (20 September 2015). "Sea of Pink: Over 15,000 attend gay equality rally as Hong Kong lags years behind on LGBTQ rights". Hong Kong Free Press.
  12. ↑ "Dr. KAM Yip Lo, Lucetta | 金曄路博士." Hong Kong Baptist University. Retrieved on 26 September 2014.
  13. ↑ "Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival 2014." Time Out Hong Kong. Retrieved on October 4, 2014.
  14. 1 2 3 Cheng, Jennifer. "Hong Kong's LGBT community seeks ban on discrimination." South China Morning Post. Thursday, 15 November 2012. Updated: Saturday, 17 November 2012. Print title: "Reaching out for tolerance". Retrieved on 27 September 2014.
  15. ↑ Chan, Wilfred. "Tycoon's lesbian daughter Gigi Chao shakes up conservative Hong Kong Archived 2014-09-27 at WebCite" (Archive). CNN. 11 February 2014. Retrieved on 27 September 2014.

References

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