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Asian Homophobia Overrated
Posted on this Website in June 2002 with Permissions from ColorQ
First Published in ColorQ
An Asian emigre in the US recalls dumping a white ex-bf who did not respect the immigrant's culture and background. According to the Asian man, the white man had no interest in understanding the struggles and sacrifices of his Asian boyfriend's family. "He wanted to be my great white savior. Show me the American way." the Asian said, "Later I found out he had a pattern of dating immigrant men."
Like straight whites, many white glbts believe that men of color (their supposedly "passive bottom" yellow boyfriends or "sexually-aggressive, well-endowed" black boyfriends) need to be "rescued" from their communities of origin, which whites perceive to be inherently flawed. This mode of thinking comes from colonialist European hypocrisy -- the need to justify the exploitation of men of color by claiming that particular form of exploitation is beneficial for the men.
A prime example is the catalog-bride phenomenon which brings Southeast Asian women to the US to marry European American men they've never met. White men boast about providing poor Asian women with a better life while not at all addressing the economic, social and racial inequalities that cause the women to make such choices. Many of the women brought over to the US are abused by their "spouses", and even in the absence of abuse, one must ask, "Why don't European American men place themselves in picture catalogues for the viewing of Filipina and Thai women in the hopes of being sent over to Southeast Asia as husbands?"
The "rescue mentality" is a product of an European male-dominated heterosexist world view which should have no relevance in queer life. Ironically, it is practiced by white men who don't give a second thought about assuming the role of the "dominant white male" in interracial interactions.
Differences in Asian and European/European American Homophobia
Asian societies are not necessarily heaven when it comes to homosexuals. Parents cry over, remonstrate with, and even disown queer children, especially in the case of sons who must carry on the family line. But Asian sentiments of disapproval pale in comparison to the violent homophobic hate of many European American families. An American father tried to cleave open his son's head with a hammer after finding out he was gay. Talk about American family values.
Some Asians, particularly those influenced by Euro/Euro-Am culture, disassociate themselves from friends whom they discover are queer. But this passive rejection is nothing like the deep-seated irrational rage some Euro Americans dish out to their queer ex-friends. A gay American thought it wise to tell his high school best friend that he is gay before they become roommates at college. The result: the gay youth was beaten unconscious in his own front yard and went to hospital with a concussion. So much for friendship. And there is the well-known case of Brandon Teena, a FTM transgender youth was was gang raped and murdered by 2 former friends when they discovered he was a biological female.
Homophobia an European Import?
Homosexual or gender-bending behavior has existed in Asia, just as it has existed on other continents, since prehistory. Many non-white societies have a place for queers in public life, or did until recently.
There is reason to believe the homophobia and the limitation of gender identities in modern Asian societies (and other non-European societies) is an European import. Singapore is known to tolerate lesbians. Gay bashings are virtually unheard of. Nevertheless, gay men could be arrested under Singapore's sodomy laws, a British legacy. Most of the homophobia comes from self-styled "Westernized" Singaporeans who try to ape European values and denounce their Asian traditions as "pagan" and "ungodly", amongst other things. Politicians accept their Western education as the normative, universal standard and pride themselves on upholding an Anglo version of "morality".
In Thailand, transvestites are a common sight, and homosexuals are visible and accepted in every aspect of life from grade school to college and beyond. Most straight Thais have openly gay relatives and friends. Yet, in Laos, a neighboring country with a similar material culture and language, queers are closeted. Thais and Laotians are so closely related they can understand each other's speech, and cuisine differences are minimal. The only substantial difference is Laos had been under French colonization, while Thailand has never been colonized by Europeans. Some observers attribute the tough situation for queers in Laos to the cultural legacy of Europeans.
The European/Euro-Am attitude of showing the rest of the world how to be a non-sexist, non-homophobic society is hardly appropriate considering that it is Europeans/European Americans who exported their cultural evil of virulent homophobia to the non-European world in the first place.
