Hong Kong Pride Parade

http://hkpride.net

Queer Culture and

Representation.
Representation
Pink Politics in Hong Kong.

27 June 1969: Stonewall Riots birth of Gay Pride

Anita C.K. Lee, PhD

13 October 2015

International Day Against

Homophobia and Transphobia

http://dayagainsthomophobia.org
/idahot--events/idahot
events-2015
2015--hong
hong--kong/

Pink Politics in Hong Kong

1960s: homophobia first

appeared; defined as a fear of or
contempt for homosexuality or
homosexuals" or the fear of
g homosexual
becoming
2005: First International Day Against
Homophobia and Transphobia
h
http://www.idahohk.org/2013
d h hk
20 3
(IDAHO)
/aboutus.php
IDAHO: initiated by Louis-George
Tin & ILGA (International Lesbian
and Gay Association) to raise
people'ss awareness towards
people
homophobia http://dayagainsthomophobia.org
/may-17/

Pro-stability for economic development

Social attitudes toward homosexualityy uniquely
q y
shaped by a mix of Chinese and Western ideas about
gender and sexuality
British
B iti h colonization
l i ti Western
W t
social,
i l religious,
ligi
and
d
legal influences worked to stigmatize homosexuality
1971 Marriage Act: marriage is legally defined as
a union between a man and a woman
Suppressed information about practice of nonnormative gender identity and sexual practices in
Chinese history
Cultural amnesia: assume homosexuality a Western
import foreign to Chinese culture

Hong Kong Before 1997:

Under British Rule

Chinese Cultural Traditions

Same-sex relations not uncommon and tolerated if
not threatened the family unit
Few past examples for religious-based homophobia
leading
g to persecution
p
as in the West
Family obligations to get married and to reproduce
privilege heterosexual relationships
Difficult for gays and lesbians to lead
independent lives

Cross-dressing important part in Chinese history

Theatre roles traditionally played by men
Love affairs between female impersonators and
their male lovers

Movement
2013: Work Place Pride, declaration of Amsterdam
2004: Inception of Hong Kong Pride Parade in Lan
K i Fong
Kwai
F
with
i h 100 people
l

Homosexual contact between men was illegal,

whether consensual or not
Sexual relations between women were not
mentioned in the legal code
Sentences were harsh
conviction of anal intercourse (buggery): life
imprisonment

Conservative Chinese: homosexuality was a vice

from the West, so no place in Chinese culture
Late 1960s: discussion of the legalization of
homosexuality

Before 1997

Before 1997

Late 1980s: the flourish of gay activism

1991: consensual homosexual relations between

adults in p
private were decriminalised ()

1986: Ten Percent Club

(Hong Kongs first gay club, now almost extinct)
1989
1989: first lesbigay film festival; activists began
using the term tongzhi
tongzhi ()
tongzhi: originally meant friend; adopted by
the Chinese Communist Party as comrade;
comrade ;
lacked sexual overtones; an umbrella term for
the diverse members of HK Chinese GLBT
community
it
Samshasha (), local gay activist:

began publishing books in Chinese to show

homosexuality had a long history in China

Legal only for men 21 years of age or older

Bias still existed throughout

g
societyy
Fear of mainland-style oppression
8 Dec 1996: first Tongzhi
g
Conference
June 1997: Equal Opportunities Bill (Sexuality)
(Private Member
Memberss bill) in Legislative Council (LegCo)
Heated debate of a proposed anti-discrimination law,
g, employment,
p y
, and p
public service
In housing,
Narrowly defeated: 25 votes vs 27
8

After 1997

Sexual Diversity in Hong Kong

HK GLBT community more visible and active,

g legal
g reforms
demanding
services: bars, bookshops, and saunas proliferate; film
festivals, exhibitions, demonstrations
1999: Hong Kongs first gay pride day, Tongzhi Day; a
two-week festival: parties, activities, & seminars
Recent
R
t years: confrontation
f t ti vs Christian
Ch i ti groups
Pink Alliance (Tongzhi Community Joint Meeting or
TCJM) established
2005: Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Unit
http://www.cmab.gov.hk/en/issues/equal_gender.htm)
p
g
q _g
)
established (http://www.cmab.gov.hk/en/issues/equal_gender.htm
7 Nov 2012: Motion of Cyd Ho () Equal rights for
9
people of different sexual orientations

Impact of Cyd Hos Motion in LegCo

New activism for g
gender and sexual diversityy

Same-Sex Marriage
SameAround the World

Same-Sex Marriage
SameAround the World

Source:
http://www.freedomtomarry.org/
landscape/entry/c/international

BigLove Alliance (): LegCo members

((Cyd
y Ho and Raymond
y
Chan),
) p
pop
p stars and
celebrities
Scholars Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity
()

Discussion on reverse discrimination ()

Society for Truth and Light ():
Open Letter to
Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC)
Heated discussion among Christian groups

Implications for legalisation of same-sex marriage

Since 2001: 21 countries with full legislation

http://www.sbs.com.au/news
/sites/sbs.com.au.news/files/s
tyles/full/public/171614161.jp
g?itok=01LoMfL1&mtime=13795
63087

Partial legislation: Mexico

Laws underway: Australia, Slovenia, Colombia
Civil unions: Andorra,
Andorra Austria,
Austria Chile
Chile, Colombia
Colombia, Croatia,
Croatia
Czech Republic, Ecuador, Germany, Greenland, Hungary,
Liechtenstein, Malta, Northern Ireland, Slovenia, Switzerland

Same-sex marriage
Other type of partnership
Foreign same-sex
same sex marriages recognized
Limited recognition of same-sex marriages
No recognition of same-sex couples

Laws restricting freedom of expression

De jure penalty that is not enforced
Imprisonment
Imprisonment (up to life sentence)
Up to death

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:World_laws_pertaining_to_
homosexual_relationships_and_expression.svg

Queer Film Festivals

GLBT Heritage in San Francisco

26th H
Hong K
Kong L
Lesbian
bi
and Gay Film Festival
15 Sept 10 Oct 2015

1989: 1st Hong Kong

Lesbian and Gay
Film Festival
http://www.hklgff.hk/

13

San Francisco International

Lesbian & Gay Film Festival

Over 150 queer film festivals worldwide

San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film
Festival
Oldest and largest lesbian and gay film festival
Gay activists behind political movement: public art
important in liberation movement Super
Super-8
8 movies
cheap and easy
Distribution service,, social events as support
pp
and
meeting place for festival planners, queer artists and
film industry professionals
1977: launch of first festival as Gay Film Festival of 14
Super-8 Films

Regulation
R
l ti off Q
Queer E
Eroticism
ti i
in UK

1979: 3rd Annual San Francisco Gay Film and Video

part of SFs yyearlyy
Festival in mid June as p
commemoration of Stonewall
1981: festival venue changed from Roxie Cinema to
C
Castro
Th
Theatre timing
i i coincided
i id d with
i h gay and
d llesbian
bi
migration to San Francisco in 1970s
gala opening night and champagne receptions
1990s: explosion of interest in new queer cinema
criticallyy acclaimed in Sundance Film Festivals;;
independent films with gay and lesbian content
1992: title started to include lesbian
1996:
1996 Frameline
F
li Award
A
d for
f years
outstanding
t t di
15
contribution to queer filmmaking

1885: Labochre (new law passed in England

g all forms of male homosexuality)
y)
outlawing
1895: trials of Oscar Wilde
1950s: relaxed sex attitudes in wartime tightened
l
lengthy
h jail
j il sentences for
f homosexual
h
l acts, even iin
private
1954: Montagu Trial
Trial, a sensational case that scandalised
high society; defendant convicted of homosexual offences
August
g
1954: Wolfenden Committee September
p
1957:
Publication of the Wolfenden Report on Homosexual
Offences and Prostitution
1967:
1967 Homosexual
H
l Reform
R f
Act
A t passed,
d decriminalising
d i i li i
16
homosexual acts in private

Queer as Folk (UK, 1999)

Queer as Folk (UK, 1999)

UK series: 2 seasons, 10 episodes

Title: dialect expression from Northern England,

theres
there s nought [colloquially pronounced nowt]
nowt ]
so queer as folk, meaning theres nothing as
strange
g as people
p p
Controversy in the UK:

Production: Red Productions

Broadcast: Channel 4 Television
Corporation, UK
Series Writer: Russell T. Davies
Series Director: Charles McDougall,
McDougall
Sarah Harding

Notable screenplay for well-written

monolog es
monologues
6 award and 6 nominations including
1999 Seattle Lesbian Gay Film
Festival and Austin Gay & Lesbian
International Film Festival
5 seasons of N. American version
(20002005) co-produced by US
Showtime/Canadian Showcase

17

Conservatives shocked at a 15
15-year-old
year old engaging in
illegal homosexual acts with an older man
(homosexual age of consent () was 18,
though then reduced to 16)
Explicit nature of sex scenes: first episode featured
extensive
i sex scene with
i h masturbation,
b i
rimming
i
i
(performing anilingus on), and semen

18

Queer as Folk (UK, 1999)

Regulation
R
l ti off Q
Queer E
Eroticism
ti i
in US

Breakthrough in portrayal of gay characters on

mainstream TV fantasy: gay male archetypes
Stuart Alan Jones (Aidan Gillen): 29 yr. old, rich,
gorgeous and always centre of attention
Vince Tyler (Craig Kelly): 29 yr. old, funny,
adorable but without confidence;
adorable,
love for Stuart unrequited

1950: start of gay rights activism first gay

activist society,
society Mattachine Society
Until 1960s, regular raids on gay bars and
discotheques in US cities police harrassment
1966: administration policies changed
1967: first student gay rights organization at
Columbia University, Student Homophile League
(SHL) SHL chapters at different Us
27 June 1969: Stonewall Riots birth of Gayy
Pride Movement LGBT rights

Every night, both cruise Canal Street,

Manchesters gay village

Nathan Maloney (Charlie Hunnam): 15 yr. old,

wild and coming out with a vengeance

19

Queer
Q
E
Eye (f
(for the
th St
Straight
i ht G
Guy))
(US, 2003
20032007
2007))
Company and Crew

Source:
http://www.bravotv.com/
Queer_Eye/

Queer
Q
E
Eye (f
(for the
th St
Straight
i ht G
Guy))
(US, 2003
20032007
2007))

The Fab Five

Production: Scout Prod.

Broadcast: Bravo TV, US
Series Created by: David
Collins
Series Producer: David
Collins Series Original
Music: Murrayy Gold
Series Production Design:
Claire Kenny

20

Ted Allen: food and wine

i
connoisseur
Kyan Douglas: grooming
expert
Th
Fili
Filicia:
i interior
i
i d
design
i
Thom
expert
Carson Kressley: fashion
savant
Jai Rodriguez: culture expert

21

2004 Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality

Program
Fab Five: talented gay men determined to
educate and rescue
rescue clumsy straight men from
chaotic houses with tasteless clothes and trash
hip and good taste of gay men gay lifestyle
A make better one-hour series, guide to
b ildi a b
building
better
tt straight
t i ht manto
t gett th
the girl,
il
the job or just the looka newly enlightened guy
(B
(Bravo
website)
b it )
22