Apocalypse Watch: China Cancels Gay Beauty Pageant
From this report on the cancellation of the Mr. Gay China Pageant, I learn:
1. For all of the party’s apparent success at maintaining, er, tight control over society, social change is putting the state in conflict with individuals:
“I feel really sad. This was going to be a very good event to show a positive image of gay people,” said Wei Xiaogang, a pageant judge and host of Queer Comrades, a popular Internet talk show on gay issues.
2. See above-mentioned “Queer Comrades, a popular Internet talk show on gay issues.” Seriously? I don’t know if the Party is winning or losing its war against individual freedom. There is evidence for both conclusions, but I tend to think that the Party is winning now, and that it will keep winning until China has its own financial meltdown. How ironic it would be if that happens because all of its much-vaunted dollar holdings plunge in value.
3. Even so, this seems like an extraordinarily subversive development: “Comrade is the slang term for gays in China.”
4. Some gay people in China also have a well-developed sense of subtle sarcasm: “I kind of saw that coming,” said one pageant organizer, referring to the authorities’ citation to obscure permitting procedures as a reason for the cancellation. And this: “I’m a bit disappointed but I can also relax now. I don’t have to be on a diet anymore.”
I’d always heard that Chinese culture was relatively tolerant of homosexuality, though I’d also known that the Party was innately hostile to individuality and sexuality. As ideology recedes, people will wonder why they can’t follow their chosen directions in life, whether those directions are carnal or spiritual.
It’s mainly the Christian and Muslim countries that are intolerant of homosexuality. Non-religious countries like China are a little bit more tolerant.
“though I’d also known that the Party was innately hostile to individuality and sexuality.
The Party as an abstract may be hostile to sexuality, but Party members certainly are not. My slimy Taiwanese boss was always trying to pimp out the single foreign female staff to local officials. Being short and of normal weight, I was an appealing candidate. Like a skunk spraying from its arse to repel predators, I dampened the ardor of potential guanxi mates by trotting out my ripe old age in the late 30s.
And that didn’t attract flocks of 17 year olds?
1. Actually, as far as I know, the Party does not like to see any form of beauty pageants held in China, be it female/male/gay/whatever. The reason is that this kind of events take their participants as ‘mere materials’ rather than equal human. Although you really shouldn’t trust anything they say as what they actually believe.
2. Chinese culture were quite tolerant to homosexuality until recent times (a few centuries ago) when the new Confucian school of thought prevailed and the feudal government and intellectuals (which makes me really sad) have the utmost concern on everyone’s morality. This kind of concern continues to be had till now, so you may be able to hear many Chinese people saying the same dog poop as their American counterparts like homosexuality is immoral, it spreads AIDS and, etc., but generally, people, especially young people in China are quite tolerant to LGBT phenomenons. I am friends with some gay people and they are generally nice persons with proper jobs and life. As for government opinions, I think they just want to downplay the issue.
3. As for government’s opinions on sexuality, you may be interested to know about attempts in eliminating ‘obscene contents’ on mobile phone/Internet content providers. Every young person knows the government is almost always hostile to sexuality, it’s not surprising anymore. We would say something like “why the government treats everyone as if they were children, who can be easily corrupted when they touch these materials?”
Again, they say it’s a morality issue, but anyone who has been familiar with Julia’s opinions in Orwell’s 1984 knows why. Perhaps not strangely, many people actually supports this idea to curtail one’s freedom to properly jack off. Although I do get irritated when I see unexpected sex advertisements, for example, I can still live with it.
That’s my two cents as a Chinese citizen ^_^
p.s. to Joshua: I’ve always been interested in N. Korean issues, and years ago when i was still in high school, I’ve made a (rather Voodoo-ish) prediction that that regime will collapse before the year 2012. Though our point of view might be different (as a staunch skeptic-humanist, I am quite uneasy to read many comments from Christian people in your blog) I still like reading you blog as an important informational and educational source for me. Thank you very much ^_^
Mieu, I appreciate your insights and hope we’ll hear more from you here.
Greg North Korea is not a Christian or Muslim country. Last time I checked it is not a paradise for homosexuals, neither is non-religous communist ran China.
Its not a religious issue, but a safety issue.
(as a staunch skeptic-humanist, I am quite uneasy to read many comments from Christian people in your blog) At the risk of hijacking a thread, I will ask why you’re uneasy. I’m an agnostic/borderline atheist, BTW.
Sonagi I was wondering the same thing. I know that it is the “in” thing on the internet to bash the christians and their theology, while ignoring other religions, but I do not see how it is pertinaet to shun a person based on their religious beliefs or lack thereof. Mieu in that case then you should also not read any other persons comments who are of a different faith than christianity if that is the case. In the end you will only become as prejudiced and narrow minded as the ones you claim are.
Sonagi I was wondering the same thing. I know that it is the “in†thing on the internet to bash the christians and their theology, while ignoring other religions, but I do not see how it is [b]pertinent[/b] to shun a person based on their religious beliefs or lack thereof. Mieu in that case then you should also not read any other persons comments who are of a different faith than christianity if that is the case. In the end you will only become as prejudiced and narrow minded as the ones you claim are.
Rather than jumping to conclusions or giving unsolicited advice, why don’t you let Mieu respond, a listener. I was asking a sincere question with no preconceived or expected answers in mind.
Its not a religious issue, but a safety issue.
Mieu, I think I agree with you. I also think I’m going to be sick.