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Year of the Dragun
Dragun is a new fashion glossy that celebrates gay Asian men. But are they showcasing Asian style or feeding a growing Asian fetish? Does it matter? QT investigates.
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Dragun Magazine is a quarterly Asian Alternative Lifestyle publication that launched in June 1999. It covers fashion, celebrities, pop culture, society, arts and more with a queer edge that speaks to the world. The magazine is about 60-65% gay asian in content that reaches out to include the North American landscapes in which Gay Asians find themselves.
Dragun shared its readership stats with us:
Location of Reader as a Percentage
USA - 39.8%
Canada - 17.8%
Singapore - 5.7%
Thailand - 4.2%
Indonesia - 1.7%
Australia - 2.2%
Malaysia - 1.8%
Hong Kong - 1.5%
China - 1.5%
Other - 23.8%
Total - 100.0%
Ethnicity of Reader as a Percentage
Chinese - 30.9%
Vietnamese - 4.5%
Filipino - 3.8%
Korean - 0.8%
Japanese - 2.2%
Taiwanese - 1.3%
Thai - 6.3%
Malaysian - 1.7%
Other Asian - 2.2%
Caucasian - 30.9%
Black/African American - 0.5%
Aboriginal - 0.2%
East Indian - 0.3%
Arabic - 0.2%
Other - 5.7%
Total - 100.0%
Sexual Preference as a Percentage
Gay/Lesbian - 83.3%
Bisexual - 14.0%
Straight - 1.0%
Other - 1.7%
Total - 100.00%
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In several cities in North America - particularly on the west coast and notably Vancouver, San Francisco and Los Angeles - there is a groundswell of Asian influence manifesting itself indelibly on the collective consciousness of the popular culture of youth and young adults.
Ethnographic observation in those cities has demonstrated a clear and solid foundation of Asian cool - manifesting itself particularly in fashion:
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Chinese dragon motifs on silk shirts, often mixed with western references such as cowboy hats -Asian cowboy was big in LA during the summer of 1999
The almost standard rave fueled Japanese animation/cartoon references on everything from tank tops to backpacks -particularly popular with younger techno/rave aficionados- Hello Kitty was recognizable to even the most removed and mainstream respondents.
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Wacky re-spun American iconic influences which Japanese designers have reinvented and thrown back at the US including re-takes on stereotypical Americana (Elvis et al); bug eyes sunglasses; Japanese rock star parody; a faux glamour/fake prosperity trashy-rich person look; even reinvented Latino references
The Hong Kong bad guy/gangster look fueled by the continued popularity of Jackie Chan, John Woo and Chow Yun Fat movies -the dressed-in-black-expensive-suit-kill-you-for-a-quarter pose.
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Chinese letters and symbols appearing on the arms and necks and backs and thighs of North American kids in the form of tattoos.
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Ornante silk kimonos and a heightened sense of feminine Asian fashion -also easily modified and built upon by adding western fashion influences.
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And… hybridism. The single most important underground fashion movement of 1999 -not exclusive to Asia- but combinations seen everywhere from Miami to Vancouver incorporated Asian fashion sense mixed and matched with everything from fur cowboy hats to East Indian jewelery up to and including lumberjack jackets.
-source: Pop Culture 2000 report - Angus Reid group
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2000 is The Year of the Dragon
Bold, spirited and headstrong, the Dragon is revered as one of the most auspicious and coveted signs in the Chinese Zodiac. Dragon's are known for their charisma, confidence and courage. While on one hand Dragons are blessed with vitality and determination, they also tend towards arrogance, intolerance and impatience. They are efficient and effective, but can also be rash. They are particularly compatible with the monkey, rat and snake, but clash with the dog.
A Dragon child is thought to bring good fortune to his or her family. Not surprisingly, whenever a Dragon Year rolls around, China's birthrate increases exponentially. During the last Year of the Dragon in 1988, for example, Hong Kong's birthrate more than doubled. This year, an even greater increase in births is expected as the Year of the Dragon's coinciding with the millennium bodes great things.
More Stats:
Canada's Chinese number more than 900,000 people in 225,000 households, mainly located in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary. They have an annual purchasing power of $5.2 billion.
-Advertising Age Magazine, February 7, 2000
Asian lifestyle influence is the largest trend in North America, followed by Dance Culture.
-Angus Reid 1998
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- CHUM Television’s bold leadership took on the mantle of probing into the Q world in 1998. We were the first in the world to do this sort of show — along with two specials.
But for a number of reasons, QT- QueerTelevision is now on indefinite hiatus. Please enjoy encore presentations of our first two seasons, now airing on Sextv The Channel and Pridevision.
QTonline.com remains available and full of valuable and entertaining information that continues to be relevant to the queer world.
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