Advising GLBT Students Heading to Asia

Six Comments from CET Academic Programs (www.cetacademicprograms.com)

 

CET is a study abroad organization that has been sending students to China, Japan, and Vietnam since 1982. Our shared experience (mostly in China) has led to the following six general comments. We encourage you to share these comments with your students!

 

  1. Asia is a huge region that defies generalities. Local laws, norms, and views of GLBT students vary widely by country and even by region, so students should seek out resources specifically related to their destination. A student living in China should understand that acceptance levels in Shanghai are very different than acceptance levels in Harbin, for instance.

 

  1. Text Box: Wrote one Resident Director about China: Students who ask about coming out in China need to be briefed about the challenge—it seems to be okay here in Beijing, but of course there is the whole Chinese belief that there is no homosexuality in China, and not a lot of understanding. We have gay students most every semester, people know, and it doesn't seem to be a big problem. The people who would be the least tolerant are also the most oblivious—it just doesn't occur to many Chinese that someone could be homosexual. On the plus side, as with racism, most Chinese just haven't thought much about these issues and so their attitudes seem much more open to change than those of people in the U.S. So mostly they are surprised by homosexuality, but also pretty open-minded. In general, Asian culture values “the group” over “the individual,” so there is an emphasis on conformity. Asian people who consciously present themselves as “different” (including GLBT people) often cause confusion and are sometimes ostracized. The Asian emphasis on marriage and family also places great pressure on GLBT people, and many choose to remain closeted for this reason. 

 

  1. However, foreigners living in Asia are usually not expected to adhere to Asian cultural norms. As obvious “outsiders,” many feel that they are free to be themselves in ways that they could not at home. One gay student, who was not “out” at home, told us that he thought living in China was the most “freeing” experience he had ever had. He could do or be whatever he wanted, and his Chinese friends accepted him, without judgment, as a typical foreigner. Students who in the US might be perceived as “different” may be relieved to find themselves viewed simply as “American” in Asia.

 

  1. There are sizable (though largely invisible) gay communities throughout Asia. Although most Asians face great pressure to remain closeted, there are gay and lesbian bars, coffee houses, chat rooms and other public spaces where communities have been created. (An internet search will produce dozens of new websites, some of which are listed in a separate attachment.) Mainstream society is often unaware that these communities exist. In some parts of Asia (Thailand and China, for example), there are also small transgender communities.

 

  1. Students that seek out these communities should take common sense precautions. Students should understand that the people they meet in these communities are not exempt from local cultural norms, and they are often risking a great deal by visiting a bar or coffee house. Students should respect their friends’ confidences and wishes to remain closeted. Also, education about safe sex varies widely in Asia, and we have heard reports of prostitution/robbery schemes targeting foreigners (Beijing), so students should approach gay relationships or sexual encounters with caution.

 

  1. Text Box: Wrote another RD about China: If people choose to be open about their sexual orientation, I think that it is important for them to know that it will be a constant challenge. They will need to be very patient and need to be prepared to keep explaining themselves. People here will not be politically-correct, and there's no point in expecting them to or in becoming enraged at their questions, their attitudes or their stares. This is also an issue for guys with long-hair, overweight people, anyone with purple hair or body piercing, too. People are going to stare, people are going to offer comments, and people are going to ask blunt or rude questions. I think anyone who comes planning to change the attitudes of the nation is going to end up bitter and exhausted—a Taoist attitude works much better. For American GLBT students heading to Asia, we advise cautious, deliberate exploration. American study abroad students should consult with their Resident Directors and plan to take their time in exploring both local GLBT resources and their own ability to live openly. Resident Directors or other program participants & alumni may be able to help students connect to the local GLBT community. Students should find ways to “test the boundaries” of local acceptance—by inquiring about how people view GLBT issues without self-disclosure, for instance. They should also realize that it might be in their best interest to explore these issues off campus, away from local faculty or classmates who may not be accepting. Our students who have deliberately sought connections with the GLBT community have developed meaningful friendships and left Asia with a unique understanding of GLBT issues.

 

Questions or comments are welcome!

 

Mark Lenhart

CET Academic Programs

800-225-4262 ext 3147

mlenhart@academic-travel.com

 

 

For more information about advising GLBT study abroad students, see What can a study abroad office do? by Kathy Sideli (http://www.indiana.edu/~overseas/lesbigay/int.htm).  This article offers ten general suggestions for study abroad offices that advise GLBT students.

Resources for International Students in Asia

 

The International Lesbian and Gay Association’s website (http://www.ilga.org/) includes news, events, and a survey of many countries’ legal treatment of GLBT issues. The Asia sections address China, Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam, and other countries.

 

Utopia Asia (http://www.utopia-asia.com/) is a popular portal for gay resources, written in English. Included are country-specific links, resources related to HIV/AIDS, travel advice, and links to chat rooms.

 

Fridae (http://www.fridae.com), based in Hong Kong, claims to be the first dedicated, non-pornographic gay and lesbian portal in Asia to “tap the full potential of a huge and rapidly growing community.” The website includes an online magazine with recent news, a support section, and city guides, from Beijing to Bali.

 

Gay and Lesbian Hong Kong (http://sqzm14.ust.hk/hkgay/), lists resources for counseling, AIDS information, and events in East Asia.

 

GayNet Japan (http://www.gnj.or.jp ) offers a list of recent press related to Japan, among other things.

 

Recent Press

 

CNN.com: “Coming out in China,” July 9, 2002 http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/east/07/08/china.gay/

BEIJING, China (CNN) – Bar owner Zhang Yi practices the art of mixing cocktails everyday at his On-Off Bar, a place designed for Beijing's homosexual men and women to mix freely…

 

Time Asia “Coming Out in the Open,” Oct 2, 2000. http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/2000/1002/malaysia_gay.html

Anwar may be in jail for alleged sodomy, but Malaysia is growing more tolerant of its gay community…

BBC World Series “Gay and Lesbian Life in East Asia”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/highlights/001122_out.shtml

The breadth of gay and lesbian experience in East Asia is incredibly varied. It ranges from Chinese lesbians who call themselves 'female comrades' for want of a better word, to 'Muk nar' or transvestites in Islamic Malaysia. East Asia Today's special series: Out In Asia explores the experience of gay men and women in Asia.

 

Academic Works

 

Same-Sex Love in India: Readings from Literature and History
by Ruth Vanita (Editor), Saleem Kidwai (Editor) (Paperback - September 2001)

 

Mobile Cultures: New Media in Queer Asia (Console-Ing Passions)
by Chris Berry (Editor), et al (Paperback - April 2003)

 

Queer Japan: Personal Stories of Japanese Lesbians, Gays, Transsexuals and Bisexuals
by Barbara Summerhawk (Editor), et al (Paperback - November 1998)

 

Cartographies of Desire: Male-Male Sexuality in Japanese Discourse, 1600-1950
by Gregory M. Pflugfelder (Hardcover - March 2000)

 

Male Colors: The Construction of Homosexuality in Tokugawa Japan
by Gary P. Leupp (Paperback - March 1997)

 

Gays and Lesbians in Asia and the Pacific: Social and Human Services
by Gerard Sullivan (Editor), Laurence W. Leong (Editor) (Paperback - January 1996)

 

Gay and Lesbian Asia: Culture, Identity, Community
by Gerard, Phd Sullivan (Editor), Peter A., Phd Jackson (Editor) (Hardcover - May 2001)

 

Queer Asian Cinema: Shadows in the Shade
by Andrew Grossman (Editor) (Paperback - March 2001)

 

The Emerging Lesbian: Female Same-Sex Desire in Modern China
by Tze-Lan D. Sang, University of Chicago Press (Hardcover - April 2003)

 

Sakhiyani: Lesbian Desire in Ancient and Modern India (Sexual Politics)
by Giti Thadani, Giti Thandani

 

Dear Uncle Go: Male Homosexuality in Thailand = Sawatdi Khrap 'a Ko Paknam
by Peter A. Jackson (Hardcover - January 1995)

 

Tongzhi: Politics of Same-Sex Eroticism in Chinese Societies
by Wah-Shan Chou, et al (Paperback - July 2000)

 

Passions of the Cut Sleeve: The Male Homosexual Tradition in China
by Bret Hinsch (Paperback - December 1992)