Two mottos (inspired by the
Stonewall Rebellion) from Virtual Pride 2020 I took away with me is that:
1) LGBT+ people are unique,
wherever you look around the world, and that
2) you have to do what is right.
An important interactive, safe
place site mentioned on Virtual Pride was Rainbowpedia, which encourages LGBT+ to
tell their personal stories. It’s an online archive which is dedicated to LGBT+
history and news. It’s purpose is to end homophobia by making the LGBT+ visible
and better understood so I have incorporated links throughout this post where
relevant – here’s the main site:
So here’s a summary of what I
learned from Virtual Pride 2020 about the global LGBTQIAPD2S+ community around
the world, culturally, politically, socially, from their first person
perspective within their society. This post focuses on Australia and Asia:
Tasmania
This part of the world has made
big strides in advancing gay rights over quite a short period of time, meaning
that they have gone from being one of the most backward to overtaking many
other countries and continents. This shows that if a country doesn’t quickly
advance LGBT+ rights, it’s not because it’s unrealistic, it’s due to a lack of
respect.
#shinetogether
Western Australia
Another example of how only a few
hundred LGBT+ activists can make all the difference to the improvement of
rights is in this part of Australia. In 1989, just 300 protesters went out into
the streets of Perth and began campaigning for the decriminalisation of being
gay. Not long after, their protests were answered with the good news that being
gay would be decriminalised in Western Australia. Now, every November they
celebrate and commemorate the successful march on Parliament that advanced gay
rights!
Australia
First Nation Rainbow was established
in Australia in 2018 to explicitly include First Nation people into the LGBT+
community in a way which incorporates and acknowledges their own cultural
heritage behind their gender expression and sexuality. Transgender Aboriginal
people often identify as ‘brotherboys’ (or Brotha Boys), ‘sistergirls’ (or
Sista Girls), queer, Cobians, and they contribute to LGBT+ Pride drag acts and
Mardi Gras.
For more information and a really
good video, see this site I discovered:
Sidney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi
Gras also brought out how Lgbt+ Aborigines are more disadvantaged than white
LGBT+ despite being on acknowledged Aboriginal Land.
Japan
Last year, around 200,000 took
part in Rainbow Pride in Japan (established 1994), however there is still a
long way to go in this country. Discrimination is rife across the board,
impacting on health, education, employment, to the extent that Amnesty
International is attempting to apply international pressure on Japan to bring
about equal rights.
However, before being colonialized,
Japan recognised a third gender, the Wakashu:
Hong Kong
Activist and singer Denise Ho is
leading the way in the fight for democracy in Hong Kong because, for LGBT+
people there, becoming part of China is not a viable option, especially due to their
very poor record with LGBT+ rights and treatment in China. Nevertheless, I was
interested to find a Chinese gay choir called the Hangzhou Polar Lights Singers
who are an incredibly talented choir who sing beautifully! Have a listen:
Malaysia
Here, homosexuality is illegal
and LGBT+ are treated as though they don’t even exist, or at best are
considered as 2nd class citizens who have no representation in the
media. Very few support Malaysian LGBT+ and they are not making any progress
despite other Asian countries somewhat improving.
Philippines
Here in Asia, gay people are
acknowledged in the human rights system and there are moves to further LGBT+
human rights and combat social injustice and discrimination. The Manila Pride attracted
77,000 people last year. Trans women in the Philippines got together and
started an organization in 2002 called STRAP which is now the longest existing
trans organization in the Philippines. Culturally, the Trans Philippines Anthology
collects artwork, essays and poems.
Asia Pacific
Generally speaking, it is taboo
to be gay in the Asian Pacific eg Fiji.
A favourite quote of mine from
this year’s Virtual Pride is a clip they aired of someone pointing out that,
contra to anti-trans voices and narrow-mindedness:
“I don’t need a vagina to be a
mother” – so true!
What this quote is also trying to
do is get away from narrow biological definitions of women which in themselves
cause body image problems for cis women who are infertile, adopt rather than
give birth, cannot have periods, or are biologically altered for medical reasons
eg mastectomy, hysterectomy thus are made to feel as though they are not real
women and in some cases, made to feel less of a woman because they cannot be
mothers, as though being a biological mother is the only way to be one!
Another favourite quote I’ve
taken away from this livestream is:
“Love has no gender, we are all
equal” – I couldn’t agree more! We are all human together therefore we should
all have the same human rights.
Elsewhere in Asia:
Vietnam started their own
Pride in 2012
Taiwan became the first
country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage (May 17th 2019) and
they have gay sports events. Nevertheless, being gay is still considered an
evil by some.
Taipei will host a gay
sporting event next year in 2021!
Singapore suffers from
widespread discrimination problems, mostly caused by their Section 377A which
criminalizes homosexuality. However, there is a very touching event called Pink
Dot where people usually create gatherings to form pink dots, in support of the
freedom to love who you want, with pink symbolising love. During lockdown when
this was not possible, people hung pink lights in their windows to show support
for LGBT+ and in the hope of lifting the spirits of any LGBT+ people feeling
isolated from their community and support groups at this time. I think this was
a beautiful social act that every country could learn from to support LGBT+
people and youth in their own countries, especially those who have been stuck isolated
at home during this pandemic, some of whom were left with anti-LGBT+ family and
no organizations to visit outside the home.
South Korea has extensive
hatred and discrimination against LGBT+
Indonesia also struggles
with having a strong LGBT+ community.
In South East Asia, there
is a very high percentage of mental health problems within their LGBT+
community, around 62%. However, this is not surprising, given that protection
for the LGBT+ community is non-existent so life is especially tough there.
Cambodia
It’s unsafe to be visibly gay on
the streets so the LGBT+ community there celebrate Pride virtually on the
internet every year, for 16 years. This means that this year’s virtual Global
Pride has risen their profile and plight in the world because, rather than only
having their stories heard within their own communities, they can explain their
situation to everyone around the world. In this way, they have been ironically less
isolated this Pride than ever before! I think this is an excellent reason in
itself to hold a virtual, global pride every year (although not to the
exclusion of participating in marches and parades in person, but in addition to
turning up to your local Pride!) in order to support isolated LGBT+ globally,
to raise awareness of LGBT+ people and their celebrations or plights anywhere
and everywhere in the world. There needs to be a balance between being educated
and aware of both what’s going on in your area and country as well as globally,
and what you can do to support LGBT+ anywhere in the world. Nevertheless, there
is some hope on this horizon, with the first ever gay dance company in
Cambodia:
To end on an harmonious note,
here’s a link to an Asian LGBT choir network site with links to various other
worldwide LGBT+ choirs, including the UK, with musical clips to listen to:
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