Playing Language

Let's have fun.

I took these pictures in Amsterdam, I simply love these cards - they make fun with classical pictures. The lines are smart and subversive! Click to enlarge and read!

Reading Hong Kong Pride

Finally I start looking seriously into the language used in Hong Kong Pride official homepage. Before comparing it to London Pride, I would like to look into the Chinese and the English version of the Hong Kong one first.

Indeed I strongly believe that they are written by different people and probably targeting readers from different background as well. Only by reading the theme, it is not difficult to spot that Chinese version is more serious, with phrases like “呼籲”, “一年一次的約定” and “赴約”. Chinese one turns Pride Day into a mission while the English one says it’s a party – less formal but more fun. For example they translated “赴約” into joining the engagement, also, they used phrases like “full gear” and “celebrate”. Seems the English version is closer to the gay culture in Western, which celebrates sexuality, and turns gay parade into a party.

Of course I cannot say everything is based on cultural difference (it is just too lazy to think so). The reason behind these differences, I would say, is the history of gay right movement in Hong Kong. Not a long time ago, Hong Kong Pride Parade is still IDAHO - International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia. Now IDAHO still exists, but obviously Pride is becoming more important. However, it still takes time for locals to learn celebrating, while people from other countries would be more familiar with this practice.

However, maybe it is not necessary to party for party sake – why we have to follow the West?

Where is the Pride?

Suddenly I notice something interesting. When the name “Pride Parade” is invented by the West, Chinese never really translated the whole term. Taiwan Pride is translated into 台灣同志遊行, when Hong Kong Pride is called 香港同志遊行.

Yes, of course one can say it is because most people are still tolerant of LGBT society but not really accept and embrace them, therefore it is better not to shock people. However maybe it is only one of the reasons.

Literally, pride can be translated into自豪, 驕傲 or 自尊, in English it is very positive but in Chinese, when one ought to be humble, to say being proud of oneself would be arrogant. It is nearly impossible to translate the whole meaning, so maybe it is better to avoid it. The tactics of Hong Kong and Taiwan are quite alike – using slogan instead.

Besides, sometimes “Pride” does not only shock for straight people, I would say LGBT community needs more time to learn to be proud of themselves as well. When Hong Kong Pride still tries educating the community to “be yourself”, maybe it is still a bit far from pride.

And of course, like parade and 遊行 are already different from each other. Parade is fun and 遊行 is political. Pride parade is imported. The problem the community facing is that we take the parade from the West but we do not have such heritage, no stonewall, no Harvard Milk, the whole idea of Pride Parade is transplanted from the West (or societies using English as first language) to the East.

I am wondering, if it is possible to invent something for LGBT community in Hong Kong?

Queer Day Oslo - Norwegian also missed out the Pride (but once my Norwegian friend told me in tradition, they also emphasize being humble).

Icons

Loads of icon on pin buttons - but Oscar Wilde was sold out (taken in Stockholm)

Honestly I have never participated in gay pride in Hong Kong, not only because I was not here last year, I also felt not confident enough to go there. However, I watched some videos on youtube. They did some typical “gay pride” performance last year indeed, but I am even more looking forward to the pride day this year. As finally they co-operate with RTHK. I guess it is much better to have RTHK helping in organizing, and this year they even invited some celebrities.

Icons are always very important in LGBT. I guess it is because history is always important in any kinds of social movement. In London pride there is an exhibition of gay icons. The website mentioned people like k.d. lang, Harvey Milk and Andy Warhol. What I am thinking is, the difficulties in Hong Kong maybe is that, we lack of gay icons.

Gay icons are not only including gay or lesbian (otherwise Sandy Lam would not be an icon in gay community in Hong Kong), but people who are recognized by the community. However, still there are not many of them recognizing or directly contributing to Hong Kong LGBT community (other than Anthony Wong in advertisement in AIDS concern), which I think is something lack in gay movement in Hong Kong.

Imagining Hong Kong Pride

Ok, I have to admit I am a bit tired for serious analysis so I guess it is nice to have some fun, and after all LGBT community is creative isn’t it? (I know it is stereotype again, I know.)

Maybe it would be fun to imagine Hong Kong Pride after 10 years? I wish it would be bigger, of course, and more fun. I don’t mean gay culture in West is the best (and “the West” is just a concept of course, it is not the same in… let’s say Poland and Sweden), but it is just nice to have fun sometimes.

I wish there would be more celebrities supporting. Of course gay icons such as my idol Anthony Wong, and others like Sandy Lam, at17, Chet Lam and Denise Ho (some said Prudence Liew is a Lesbian icon but I know nothing about it)… but it would be even better for those very straight acting people appear in the parade – it is diversity.

The LGBT bookstore in Stockholm

I wish there would be more different kinds of activities. I don’t mean parties. When I was in Stockholm I visited a LGBT bookstore – it is my all time favorite. Sometimes I feel Hong Kong LGBT community is lack of theories to back up. People struggle because they do not have the knowledge. I remember one of my interviewee (in honors project) told me she felt much better after taking gender studies in university. It is her case and my case as well, so I strongly believe knowledge improves the condition of this community.

Concert of Chet Lam and Eman Lam in October - all my lesbian friends were going there... of course also the show of Denise Ho just a few days after, basically you see 90% of young lesbian population there.

I wish people sing and dance. I know it is a bit silly but when the West have YMCA, Go West, I’ll survive and Dancing Queen, why don’t we also make our own anthem? I think it would be really fun, but please I don’t want a sad song… I mean, actually there are some popular songs in the community. Hmmm… refer to my gay friend, they like Sandy’s songs such as 沒結果 and 哭, but hey, it is so gloomy! Actually Denise Ho’s 光明會 is nice (and many said the song is refer to LGBT community), however my gay friend would not approve it I know (he would say, “I don’t like her.”).

Oh I am going to turn it into an essay… it is nice to imagine, indeed I just wish one day we do not need parade anymore – yeah, it is very contradicting.

More thoughts on naming

Last week I went to a talk held in university accidentally. Finally I encountered Connie from WCHK after watching the (in)famous episode of Hong Kong Connection a few years ago. She is a very attractive speaker. Even though I have known and of course experienced in using all those terms in LGBT world that she introduced to the audience, it was still a very pleasant experience to revise.

Later on I found out the target audience of the talk is student in social work, then I understand that they learn these terms to communicate with LGBT clients. Yes, it is easier when one learns these terms, then people would think that she or he is part of them.

It reminds me with my honors project, I interview lesbians. One of them always uses the term “homosexuals” and “heterosexuals”. It sounds weird to me as she sounds very clinical, and as if she is not belongs to any groups. Then later, I found out she feels her being an outsider in school and friends, and then I could see the reason.

Suddenly, I realise the lack of gay right movement in Hong Kong. We don't have enough theories to back up like in Taiwan for example. If the girl could learn to use less formal words like "straight", then maybe she would be able to think more positively towards herself.

Answer to names

Recently I read offcial website for London Pride, and seems I found part of the answers for the naming issue.

They do not use a lot of terms like queer or LGBT, instead they use neutral words like "you" or "people". It is just so amazing to me, even these are really simple words. However it just shows how neutral and diverse the participants (that they expected) are. It includes everyone, it welcomes everyone.

Indeed, if Pride day is merely a day for LGBT or people who support them, it would be a rather meaningless party. If Pride day excludes some people, then it just does the same thing like those homophobias. The use of "people", therefore, is really one of the best things I have seen in the whole website.