The new Chan Chi-chuen Forced labour camp Food crisis of the poors How he transforms from a The future of the system under Low-income families are DJ to the first openly gay the new Chinese leadership hungrier than ever as food legislative councillor p18 p14 prices surge p12 THE YOUNG REP RTER magazineDEC 2012

These are the colours that represent the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. Have they seen the rainbow yet? p28 In This Issue

4 One Moment 12 Poor and hungry 26 Marrying him or her Surging food prices mean low-income The rugged road to homosexual 7 View families are hungrier than ever engagement The sixth must-do in university: applying for 14 Forced labour camps 29 God loves homosexuals public housing Prominent lawyer says new leadership Gay Christians find new meaning FRONT hints at reform of controversial labour re- of religion in church 9 Journalism Matters education system FEATURE The case for paywalls • A 30 The rainbow after rain Q&A with Mike Chinoy 15 Housing subsidy to N-nothings Same-sex marriage legalisation is Why another round of housing subsidy under the spotlight again giveaway does not help them much

NEWS 18 The new life of Chan Chi-chuen The DJ-turned-legislator talks about his new identity

20 Algae saves the world Microalgae may be the answer to energy shortage, water pollution and more

22 Wierd is cool How Internet has helped to spread non-mainstream songs COVER: ALAN WONG; PHOTOS: THIS PAGE: CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:JOY HUO; RUBY LEUNG; BRIAN YAP; CHAN CHI-CHUEN LEUNG; BRIAN YAP; HUO; RUBY LEFT:JOY FROM TOP CLOCKWISE THIS PAGE: PHOTOS: ALAN WONG; COVER: ALAN WONG PAGE: OPPOSITE magazineTHE YOUNG REP RTER

Editor-in-Chief Editors Alan Wong Abigail Khoo Coco Zheng Fechon Wong Deputy Chief Editors Guannan Li Alvina Hung Helen Yu Rev Hui Jackie Yin Jim Wong Kris Lui Web Editors Kristine Basilio Ada Yeung Melody Chan Dennis Lee Peyton Guan Remus Wei Art Director Roy Chan Sophia Fu Beth Liu Reporters In our previous issue, we talked to the losers in the 2012 Legislative Councils elections. Public Relation Officers Andrew Wan Check out tyr.hk for the stories and more. Clarie Lee Brian Yap Catherine Lim Johnny Lo Celine Ge Cheng Song Distribution Officer Cleo Tse Joyce Cheung Eunice Leung Giselle Chan Joy Huo Advisers Jessica Lee CK Lau Kasim Chan Robin Ewing Katheleen Wong Lavinia Mo Publisher Ruby Leung Ching Liu Steve Guo Lawrence Mak Natasha Chan Printer Rachel Leung Department of Journalism Thibault Bluy School of Communication Hong Kong Baptist University Vanessa Piao Venus Ho Printer address Dept of Journalism, HK Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Kln

The Young Reporter Volume 45 December 2012

EMAIL [email protected] FACEBOOK tyrmag WEBSITE tyr.hk 4 • FRONT One Moment A father and daugther in the annual gay parade, themed “Dare to love” this year, on November 10. Photograph by Joy Huo 6 • FRONT

Photograph by Joy Huo FRONT • 7 View

University graduates should not compete with the needy for public housing

O many soon-to-be graduates, prop- have access to university education have justifiable to allow capable and employ- Terty prices in Hong Kong these days the same, if not more, time to prepare able university graduates whose higher are pretty scary. themselves for their future careers. education is largely paid for by the tax- High prices, and probably the scare, It is unlikely that they need pub- payers to join the same waiting list for translate into a whopping 19,822 public lic housing because they are incapable. a subsidised home with those who have rental housing applicants who have re- Hong Kong’s education system is, to more pressing needs. ceived tertiary education or above. The some extent, still elitist. Less than one While the government has tightened figure is more than double the 9,036 ap- out of five young people from the age of the allocation of PRH to non-elderly one- plicants in the same category in 2010. 17 to 20 have the chance to receive a uni- person applicants since the introduction Rhetoric aside, high property prices versity education. Compared to students of the Quota and Points System in 2005, hardly justify university graduates apply- of the same age group, they are de facto it is not turning a blind eye to young peo- ing for public housing. In fact, as few as the most capable ones, at least academi- ple’s housing need, especially when social ten percent of some 93,000 non-elderly cally, and those who do not have good mobility is key to economic prosperity. one-person applicants attribute their ap- grades must perform exceptionally well The resumed Home Ownership plication to the city’s unaffordable rent, in other areas. Scheme will offer flats with an opti- according to statistics released by the The universities in Hong Kong do mum size to families with a monthly Housing Authority. not disappoint either. They are among household income of less than $30,000. There is no doubt that people, in- the best in Asia and often attract the best Families with a higher income, who are cluding the university-educated, want teachers and students from abroad and left out under current policy, are not a place of their own. The real questions the mainland. The price tag that comes forgotten either. In collaboration with are who need and deserve public housing with the education is not small. The the Hong Kong Housing Society, the most. four-year tertiary education programme, government is set to continue to imple- In his Budget speech in February, Fi- previously three-year, costs taxpayers ment the My Home Purchase Plan to nancial Secretary Mr John Tsang Chun- approximately $200,000 a year per stu- provide small- and medium-sized rental wah articulated the goal of government’s dent. Students pay only a fraction of the flats for families with a monthly income public housing programmes. The gov- amount. of about $40,000. The programme al- ernment’s policy, he said, was to provide The result is that, in monetary terms, lows them to save money, and move on to public rental housing “for low-income fresh university graduates earn a mean own the flat they rent or a flat from the families who cannot afford private rental monthly salary of $11,823, 38 per cent private market. accommodation.” He pledged to main- higher than secondary school graduates Truth be told, there is no such thing tain the average waiting time for general who have finished Advanced Level - Ex as cheap, decent private housing choices applicants, excluding non-elderly one- amination ($8,590), according to survey that do not involve a long bus ride, or a person applicants, at around three years. released by Hong Kong Baptist Univer- tedious combination of train and bus Among the more than 200,000 ap- sity School of Business and the Hong rides, away from the city. It is also hard to plicants on the waiting list, there are low- Kong People Management Association imagine how fresh university graduates income families that struggle to make in October. earning modest wages can afford even ends meet amidst rising living costs; peo- To top it all, the Housing Authority the smallest flats in the private market. ple who are forced out of their homes; statistics also show that 92 percent of But adversity has always been a cata- couples who hope to build a family; and non-elderly one-person applicants live lyst that has driven Hong Kong to where people who are living in dire conditions with their parents. And the most impor- it stands today. If even the higher-educat- or downright homeless. tant reason they apply for public hous- ed pack is not confident enough to shoul- While the underprivileged spends ing, the statistics show, is that they wish der the pressure, Hong Kong may as well on average three years waiting for the to live alone. start saving to prepare for demands for government to put an end to their hous- When land supply for public hous- more welfare in the near future. ing plight, the 18 percent of students who ing is meagre and demand high, it is un- by Alan Wong Write to us. We will publish your letters in the magazine and on our website.

[email protected] The Young Reporter run by HKBU journalism students since 1969 J MATTERS • FRONT • 9 Journalism Matters

Free press What? I have to pay for news?

OBODY enjoys hitting a wall, especially one said, adding that newspapers that had tough pay- Nthat asks you to pay before you can read an walls often faced great business challenges. article online. But despite how much you hate pay- Another Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ms walls, they will be either here to stay or gone with Paige St. John said the Los Angeles Times, which the newspapers altogether. she now works for, was struggling with implement- “How many of you bought a newspaper in the ing a paywall on its website. last week? Raise your hand if you bought a newspa- “The website is losing people at the moment. per,” asked Mr Clifford J. Levy, a Pulitzer Prize-win- It’s a difficult transition for them,” she said. “The LA ning journalist at the New York Times, the audience Times is rolling out new products on the webpages at a forum in Hong Kong Baptist University. to try to bring people in.” There were few hands in the air. Soon enough, No matter what businesses people are in, the laughters from the tens of journalism students and only way to go seems to be “social”. To news organi- professionals filled the auditorium. sations, that means finding ways to make their arti- “You are much more accustomed to reading cles appear on people’s social media feed. online, and also much more accustomed to getting “We need to have a major presence on some- your news for free. That’s terrifying for people in thing like Twitter or Facebook, we have to be there the business of journalism,” he said. because the eyeballs are there,” said Mr Levy. Part of that explains why the New York Times He added that the New York Times was try- has taken the unpopular path of putting up a pay- ing to figure out how to survive in these ecosystems wall. The reception has been mixed – some peo- which it did not control. “Ultimately, we want the ple were downright turned off, some accepts the traffic to come to our website.” fact that quality journalism is worth a few bucks “We’re all struggling to find the right balance (monthly fee for the New York Times is actually between opening ourselves up to the web and clos- cheaper than a few cups of latte). ing ourselves just enough to preserve our business However desperate the newspaper wants you model,” Mr Levy said, on how news aggregators af- to pay, its paywall is not invincible at all – sometimes fect the traffic to the newspaper’s website. intentionally so. “There are different kinds of aggregators. Readers who click on links through Twitter, Google News is an aggregator where they’ll just fea- Facebook or Google News will be able to read the ture the first paragraph of the story. Huffington Post articles even after they have reached the limit of ten is not exactly an aggregator, they are more actually free articles on nytimes.com. taking your work, and repackaging it. They’ll link to “We want to have a paywall but we do not want you, so they’ll say it’s okay. But in effect they’re re- to wall ourselves off from the web as a whole,” he ally taking the heart of your work.” by Alan Wong 10 • FRONT • J MATTERS

Mike Chinoy is a Senior Fellow at the US-China Institute of University of Journalists Interviewed Southern California and a former Asia bureau chief at CNN. He has covered China since 1975 and published multiple books on the country. I interviewed Mike Chinoy him on the US election day in the U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong & Macau, where he gave a speech on the election and US politics.

We’ve heard a lot about China during the US presidential election, what about Hong Kong in particular – what does the election result mean to Hong Kong?

I think across the board, America has an interest in seeing “one country two systems” work. Obviously there are general tensions in their relationship and part of that is suspicion by some elements of the Chinese government and Party that the US is meddling in Hong Kong. That could become a source of tension. But I think that is part of the broader dynamic in Hong Kong is that China has become increasing upset at the political development here or suspicious about what some opposition people are doing here. There’s a tendency it always looks for outsiders to blame. And they’ve already targeted at the consu- late a little bit and obviously I think that’s not true, it’s internally generated. Hong Kong is valuable to China and valuable to the US, it’s ultimately in the interest of both countries to make it work. So hopefully those kinds of tension would be minimal and not get out of hand. But that depends on what happens here and it depends on the dynamic in China too.

What do you think is the biggest change of the coverage of the 2012 election comparing to that four years ago?

My biggest criticism of the coverage is the degree to which it’s stunt as a horse race. This one ahead, that one’s ahead. This poll shows this way and this poll shows that way. There’s much less discussion about the issues themselves. It’s probably the fault of the media and probably the fault of the candidates. Social media partly causes the sort of bad Because candidates themselves tend to avoid hard discussion on complicated issues. They’re looking to appeal to the broad- coverage of the election as well as people’s est number of people to get the most number of votes. So they knowledge of the election. What do you think don’t, for example, in foreign policies debate, neither Obama is the bright side of social media? nor Romney mentioned climate change. It’s a huge issue. It’s a combination of factors. Social media is very fast. It’s empowering. It allows every- The other thing here is that because of the social media body to have an equal voice. If you have something to say. You and the internet, the news cycle, which was a 24-hour news cy- can tweet, you can put it on your Facebook page. It democra- cle, is now one-minute news cycle. The moment things happen tises the whole experience of sharing information. That’s very they’re being posted on Twitter. And that I think is exciting in good and exciting. It forces the established media organisations many ways, but also makes it harder to get any thoughtful dis- to be responsive to the public in a way it’s never been before. So cussion if everything is boiled down to a tweet. There’s a lot of it creates a kind of a dynamic of a conversation rather than a one coverage of which i haven’t really learnt that much from a lot way thing and that’s good. At the same time, it sort of opens up out of it. space for stuff that’s not true, for inaccuracy, for opinions mas- querading as facts. So it’s kind of a mixed bag. But obviously it’s fundamentally changed the dynamics. PHOTOS: ALAN WONG PHOTOS: J MATTERS • FRONT • 11

US election you can spend 24 hours a day, go to website, every blog, follow every pundit. You wouldn’t get anything done and end up with so much. They can do a service for me of present- ing a thousand words in a four-minute TV piece. And then I can decide what more. It also works in reverse. In China now, you can read the Chinese media, you can follow people on Weibo. It’s valuable to have somebody who’s knowledgeable and sort of able to step back and also who’s not susceptible to local pres- sures to help explain it to a broader audience.

What do you think is the biggest challenge reporting in China?

China is a very interesting, complicated place. One of the problems in China is that there’s so much information that it’s very hard to put it all together. It’s very hard to generalise. If something’s happening in Guangdong it doesn’t mean it’s hap- pening in Hebei. So one issue is just figuring out all these piec- es and figuring out how much you can generalise in a specific situation. It’s much much more open especially if you can speak the language. At the top leadership level is very very close still, so it’s still a challenge to trying to figure that out. In that respect it’s not so different from what I did twenty five or thirty years ago. But it’s also much more open and accessible country. You can travel, talk to a lot of people. The social media in China is a very good was to judge what a certain part of the population is concerned about, talking about. But it’s so big that generalising becomes very tricky. The size of China itself becomes a very big challenge. How does the local coverage compare to the international coverage of the election? Newspapers like the New York Times often Local coverage here has largely been wired service reports have people speaking who are called “people about the horse race and occasional feature piece. Having some with knowledge”. How does a novice reporter distance is good, taking a little step back and have some per- get that kind of connections? spective that sometimes you may not be able to in the middle of campaign in Ohio or something. If you’re there a part of the job being a correspondent is to meet as many people as you can and follow up every contact you What is the point of news organisations get, anybody you interview. As you do work, people will know having their own foreign correspondents who you are. It doesn’t happen automatically. The New York Times is the New York Times, people want these days when you can simply buy news to talk to it because people know it’ll have a big impact, which from the ever more influential newswires? is not necessarily true if you’re from a small outlet. But it’s just a question of taking advantage of every contact you have, asking a Foreign correspondents still have real value. Good cor- lot of questions, asking for advice, asking for help, slowly build respondents are both deeply knowledgeable about the place up you network of connections. by Alan Wong they’re covering but able to step back and explain it to people who are not familiar with it. They’re able to collect a lot of in- formation and digest it, present it in a way that the consumers of news back home can understand it. If you’re interested in the 12 • NEWS

SOCIETY Poor and hungry Surging global and local food prices means low-income families are hungrier than ever

ONG Kong has never lacked options income. For a three-person family, that cent of its agricultural and food prod- Hwhen it comes to dining. The many means its total monthly income is less ucts from China, followed by the United restaurants and food choices, available than $10,000. Also, nearly 80 per cent of States (16 per cent), according to Census around the clock, have even become a those families spend a quarter more on and Statistics Department. problem to people who are not adept at food than they did in the previous year. Hong Kong’s heavy reliance on im- choosing. But this has never bothered Ms “The fact is, I’m paying more, but ports has made the city’s food prices the Lee Chan, a single mother of a six-year- getting less,” Ms Chan said. Food was not ninth most vulnerable in the world, ac- old boy and an eight-year-old girl, be- her top concern until the prices of meat cording to the Nomura Food Vulnerabil- cause she simply has no money. and eggs doubled in recent years, she ity Index, compiled by Japanese invest- Her fridge, like her bank account, is added. “I don’t know why the govern- ment bank Nomura. almost empty, but she has three mouths ment subsidies remain the same.” To make things worse, a renewed to feed. She routinely skips breakfast or High food prices have even prompt- global food crisis is likely to drive local lunch to save money for food for food prices higher in the near future. her two kids, who look somewhat Prices of corn, wheat, and soybeans slighter than their peers at school. have gone up dramatically due to Her case is neither extreme the worst ever droughts last sum- nor rare among poor households in mer in the United States and Russia, Hong Kong. In fact, in Asia’s second two of the largest crop producing wealthiest metropolis, one in six countries in the world. Global food children from low-income families prices are reaching a dangerous lev- frequently go hungry, an Oxfam sur- el, which is as worst as that during vey reveals last August. the 2008 global food crisis, leading The report estimates that one to riots in more than a dozen African third of some 144,400 impoverished and Asian countries, according to households with children aged 15 or reports by the United Nations Food under do not acquire adequate food Agency released in early October. and are uncertain of future food Hong Kong University econom- sufficiency. These poverty-stricken ics professor Xu Chenggang said the children, the survey reports, have city would be drawn into the vortex to eat leftovers or even expired food of global food inflation, with meat every now and then. prices going up most dramatically. Some poor households turn to A former consultant for the cheaper alternatives to combat ris- World Bank and the International ing food prices. Ms Luk Sung-fei, who ed Ms Chan and Ms Luk to buy groceries Monetary Fund, Prof Xu said local meat lives in a walk-up building in Sham Shui in Shenzhen. But thanks to rising food prices would be driven up by the low sup- Po, has switched to frozen instead of prices there and the appreciation of the ply of soybean and corn, which are main fresh meat over the years. Fruits are a renminbi, it is no longer a viable alterna- ingredients in pig and cattle feeds, in the luxury to her. “You will never die of not tive. “The prices in Shenzhen are just as United States. “The situation will prob- eating fruits, but you can’t survive with- high as those in Hong Kong if you convert ably last until the arrival of the next har- out rice,” she said. the Hong Kong dollar to the renminbi,” vest season,” he said. The Oxfam survey shows that food said Ms Luk. Dr Sandra Tsang Kit-man, the head accounts for more than 40 per cent of the A more expensive renminbi has also of the Department of Social Work and total expenditure for families that earn affected the import prices of food to Social Administration at the University less than half of the median household Hong Kong, which imports over 17 per of Hong Kong, said food insecurity would NEWS • 13

bring about a vicious cycle of poverty. needy families like what the US govern- ple feel ashamed. Also, the food provided Workers’ health had an impact on their ment has done for decades, and it would by food banks can be poor in nutrition or work performance and their employ- have an immediate effect on the hunger- even expired, which could deter poten- ment, she said. stricken citizens, he said. tial applicants, she said. Dr Tsang sug- What is more, food insecurity may Since 2009, the Social Welfare De- gests that the government provides more lead to social unrest if the young work- partment has commissioned five non- hot meal assistances and take beneficiar- ing poor could not get enough food, she governmental organisations to operate ies’ self-esteem into consideration. “Say, added. five short-term food assistance services. the needy ones could exchange their la- And it seems that Hong Kong’s eco- Eligible users will receive food assis- bour for the subsidised food,” she said. nomic prowess does not help the poor tance, mainly in the form of dry rations, Operated by Baptist Oi Kwan So- tackle food inflation. According to the for a maximum of six weeks. cial Serve Centre, “Hotmeal Canteen” in Nomura Food Vulnerability Index, Sham Shui Po is a programme that Hong Kong, with the highest GDP provides hot meals for low-income per capita out of the top 25 most residents in the neighbourhood. Eli- vulnerable economies, is even more gible participants like Ms Chan and likely to be hard-hit by food shock her two children only need to pay than Libya, Pakistan and Kenya, $10 for a meal with rice, soup and a while Singapore ranks 49th out of dish every weekday evening. 80. “My kids can now have meat for “Singapore is relatively safer dinner every day,” Ms Chan smiled. since it has some farmlands to grow Ms Connie Fung Chong-shuk, crops within the city-state,” said Dr the Marketing Executive at the cen- Tsang. However, there was scarcely tre, said the weekly menu was su- any land for agricultural production pervised by dieticians and changed in Hong Kong, where many farm- daily, enabling beneficiaries to enjoy lands have been turned to property a healthy, enjoyable diet at a lower development, she added. price. The fact that they have to pay The Singaporean government for the meals helps boost their self- has launched a concern group to esteem, she said. keep a close eye on price spikes of An increasing number of people daily necessities. Its central bank is are flocking to the canteen since its also trying to curb inflation by ad- inception last September. However, justing the exchange rate of its cur- the operation is stymied by food rency. “Obviously, the SAR government However, the Oxfam survey reveals costs, which have increased 20 to 30 per has the ability but no intention to cush- that nearly 60 per cent of respondents cent over the years, said Mr Raymond ion the impacts of surging food prices,” did not know about food banks and those Chiu Hon-man, the coordinator of the Dr Tsang said. who have heard of it did not apply for service. Prof Xu said the government was the aid. For those who had received food In face of soaring food prices, single absolutely capable of bringing an end to aids, the majority thought the food of- mother Ms Chan does not know what current urban food insecurity with its fered was neither fresh nor nourishing more she can do. financial strength. “Food subsidy will and the maximum collection period was “Perhaps I will turn to more organi- definitely help, and it will not cost the too short. sations for help,” she said. “Anyway, I will government too much,” he said. The gov- Dr Tsang said collecting food di- do whatever I can to make sure my chil- ernment could dispense food stamps to rectly from food banks could make peo- dren don’t go hungry.” By Celine Ge Edited by Alan Wong 14 • NEWS

POLITICS Forced labour camps: Is it finally coming to an end? Prominent lawyer says new leadership hints at reforming system of re-education through labour

N mainland China, sometimes it takes dismantle the corrupt system altogether. According to Mr Xie Su-ming, the Ilittle more than a few words to get a Introduced in the 1950s, re-edu- police has business deals with a vari- trip to the country’s labour camp. cation through labour is a system used ety of companies and uses the detainees In April 2011, Mr Huang Chengcheng to detain people who committed minor as cheap labour. They are required to posted this message on his Weibo micro- crimes and force them work in labour work about 13 hours a day, manufactur- blog: “Friends, I’ll make a pot of jasmine camps. The system was the authority’s ing products like straws and automo- tea and wait for you at the McDonald’s handy tool to punish the opposition with- bile parts. They would receive physical next to the Chongqing Liberation Monu- out lawyers or judges getting in the way. punishment if they can- ment at 2 pm this Sunday.” Mr Pu said criticisms of the system not finish the assign- Amid heated discussion of the Jas- had been rising in the last few years, and ments of the day. mine Revolution and the Arab Spring, he believed the system would be abol- Mr Xie was the friendly invitation struck a sensitive ished within six months. sentenced to nerve. The authority “awarded” him two Part of the reason was the new lead- one year of la- years of “re-education through labour”, ership needed to win over the people im- bour re-educa- also known as forced labour camp. mediately, he said. tion in Decem- Three months later, another Chong- A report released recently by Com- ber 2009 for qing blogger Mr Ren Jianyu fared just munist Party mouthpiece Xinhua said his criticism of as badly. The authorities sent him to the the Central Legal Reform Committee ac- Mr Wang Hongju, camp because he had copied, forward- knowledged several procedural defects former mayor of ed and commented on “more than 100 in the system and it should be reformed. Chongqing. Since his negative postings”. An evidence the po- In June 2012, he helped Mr Fang release a year ago, he has suffered from lice submitted to court was a t-shirt that Hong, who got one year of labour re- psychological problems and only recent- reads “give me liberty or give me death”. education in mid-2011 for satirising Mr ly dared to return to the municipal. Many faced a similar fate when Mr Bo and Mr Wang, reverse his conviction “It was not a big deal how much I Bo Xilai was Chongqing’s Party chief and of disturbing social order, although Mr suffered physically. Losing freedom was his trusted ally Mr Wang Lijun the police Fang had already served his sentence. the most painful thing,” Mr Xie said. “A chief. Some defendants were sent to the Mr Pu said the cases were then al- day in the camp felt like a year.” camp even though they plead not guilty. lowed to be heard and that the political According to Mr Pu, since nobody Now that the powerful Politburo inertia of vice-premier Mr Zhang Deji- audits the accounts, the money made member and police chief are ousted, ang, a contender for a seat on the Polit- from the businesses flows right into po- some of the victims of political prosecu- buro Standing Committee, might help. lice officers’ pockets. Though abolishing tion are trying to appeal to reverse their Mr Zhang was appointed as acting chief the system will damage some officials’ convictions. of Chongqing after Mr Bo’s downfall and interests, Mr Pu thinks it is still easy for Civil rights lawyer Mr his performance there would determine the central government to do so, and he Pu Zhiqiang, who rep- whether he could secure the seat. expects the next premier, Mr Li Keqiang, resents many dis- “Vice-premier Zhang doesn’t want to give the order. sidents, including to do anything; he wants no trouble,” Mr “Li doesn’t care whether local of- artist Mr Ai Wei- Pu said. “Chongqing is the safest place ficials are making money or not. He just wei, is trying to in the country now, because nobody in considers whether abolishing the system put pressure on public security, the procuratorate, or the would give him credit,” said Mr Pu. the authorities to courts wants any trouble.”

By Lavinia Mo Mr Pu Zhiqiang, is using the open window in the wake of the Bo scandal to put

Edited by Fechon Wong BETH LIU PAGE: MO; OPPOSITE LAVINIA THIS PAGE: PHOTOS: pressure on the authorities to dismantle the hated system altogether. NEWS • 15

POLITICS N-nothings: Only urban public housing can pull us out of rental abyss

UCKED away among an array of fluores- Apartments in old walk-up buidlings the urban areas,” said Ms Wong. “But all I’ve cent-lit garages and hardware stores, a are popular housing choices among been told to do is wait unless I’m willing to T N-nothings. narrow steel door left ajar opens to a gloomy, move to units in newly developed areas.” draughty stairwell of a dilapidated tenement Their waiting time for public housing is building in Kowloon City. longer than three years – the period within Inside, a plethora of interwoven power cables writhes which the government has promised to assign a flat to general across the ceiling and down the complex’s tightly-confined applicants. But she said she could not accept the flats allocated walls, with a curved flight of stairs leading to a run-down to her as moving away would make it difficult for her husband 100-square-foot apartment occupied by a three-person family. to continue to work as a bus driver in the district. The cubicle interior lies strewn with jumbled piles of cloth- Then, there came a move to lift many agonising spirits, ing, toys and bags of all sizes, above which heaps of eating and including Ms Wong, in early October, when the Community cooking utensils sit haphazardly on plate racks. Care Fund, a trust fund co-financed by the government and the This is where Ms Wong Tsai-hung, 44, and her husband business sector, launched a new $91-million housing subsidy and five-year-old son start and end their every day. Falling out- scheme aimed at the N-nothing group. side the social safety net, the low-income family has resigned to The Fund, which operates under the trusteeship of the Sec- living in a decrepit tenement cubicle. retary of Home Affairs, offers a one-off payment of up to $8,000 And they are not alone. Known as the N-nothings class, to people who are renting cubicles, cocklofts or bed spaces in they are not covered by the $80 billion relief package intro- private buildings. duced in the latest budget, which targeted Comprehensive So- To be eligible for the hand-out, the corresponding monthly cial Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients, taxpayers and public income for one-, two- and three-person households must not housing tenants. exceed $17,060, $13,410 and $17,060 and their monthly rent not “It’s been four years since I applied for public housing in higher than $4,370, $6,705, and $8,530 respectively. The grants 16 • NEWS

will be equivalent to about two months’ rent. Having some extra cash on top of mea- gre salaries may come as a relief for some, but Ms Wong said the high rent – around $4,000 a month – was too heavy a burden for them anyway. She thinks more public housing should 550,000 be built as being housed in a public flat is people living under what will really alleviate her difficulties and improve her living environment. the poverty line The scheme has also drawn criticism from district councillors and aid groups, who doubt its effectiveness in addressing housing and poverty problems amid the city’s skyrocketing property prices and ris- ing unemployment rate. Although there is not yet an official pov- erty line set by the Hong Kong government, Oxfam adopts the definition of Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Develop- ment (OECD) that households living under a monthly income less than or equal to half of the median income of all other households of equal size. There are currently more than 451,000 households (1,177,000 people) who fall into this category. With reference to the Census and Statis- tics Department’s general household survey from 2003 to the second-quarter of 2012, Ox- fam also found that there are 194,000 work- ing poor households in the city, and over 90 per cent of them are non-CSSA recipients. That is, there are more than 170,000 working poor households that are concur- rently non-CSSA recipients. But according to the Fund, only around 30,000 low-income people are to benefit. Mr Peace Wong, social security and em- ployment policy officer of Hong Kong Coun- >10,000 cil of Social Service, pointed out that the eli- households living in gibility criteria for the subsidy were too strict subdivided flats and could limit its coverage significantly. For instance, Nam Cheong West district councillor Mr Wai Woon-nam questioned NEWS • 17

why tenants of non-subdivided flats – who may be low-income individuals or house- holds that do not own any properties or ben- efit from any utility subsidies – were not cov- ered by the new subsidy scheme. “Some low-income families living in 550,000 192,500 squalid, cramped tenement units in Cha Kwo working poor households Ling have been disqualified from the scheme for having individual bathrooms and a main entrance door,” said Mr Tse Suk-chun, the district councillor of Chui Cheung. While the effectiveness of our city’s new housing subsidy scheme is shrouded in doubt, our sister city Macau is set to witness an increase in the rental subsidy for low- income families on waiting lists for social housing. Marking a stark contrast between the two schmes, there are no rental limits im- posed on Macau applicants, who enjoy greater ease of application as households in the queue for public housing will automati- cally be granted the new subsidies. More remarkably, eligible applicants are offered with monthly, instead of one-off, payments of up to $21,786, which is adjusted according to the inflation rate and property prices. As affordability of housing has long been a nagging issue in Hong Kong and something elusive to many of the city’s low- income families, Mr Peace Wong has called for the restoration of rent control, which was abolished in 1998. “It’s worth discussing a rent control pol- icy that could benefit the city’s underprivi- leged without further reducing the number of available housing units,” he said, adding that many countries in the West had rent 90% regulation in place. working poor In New York’s Manhattan borough, for households who are example, nearly 50 per cent of rented resi- dences are rent-regulated, where landlords non-CSSA recipients are only permitted to raise the rent by a few percentage points. By Brian Yap Edited by Ada Yeung 18 • NEWS NEWS • 19 PEOPLE The new life of Chan Chi-chuen The former DJ and Hong Kong’s first openly gay legislator talks about his new identity and why he goes into politics

HEN he was a DJ at Commercial Radio, Mr But what drove Mr Chan to decide to plunge into WRaymond Chan Chi-chuen, popularly known electoral politics was another incident. as “Slow Beat”, did not know he would become a leg- In 2010, Commercial Radio received sponsorship islator, let alone getting more votes than Democratic from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Party heavyweight Ms Emily Lau Wai-hing. Progress of Hong Kong to produce a series of pro- In his first foray into the Legislative Council, Mr grammes that promoted the party’s work in the dis- Chan won a seat in the New Territories East Constitu- tricts, said Mr Chan. ency in September’s election with 38,042 votes, some 1,000 votes more than that of Ms Lau, acting chairman of the Democratic Par- ty, whose forceful character, he said, intimidated him when they first met in 2010. “I was invited by Green Ra- dio (an internet radio station) to interview her and I really wanted Mr Chan Chi-chuen (right) was to scold her for betraying Hong known as DJ Slow Beat when he Kong people,” he said. “But I did worked at the Metro Radio with Mr not dare to do so at that time.” Tam Tat-chi, Fast Beat. Mr Chan was referring to the Democratic Party’s decision to put forward a compro- “Commercial Radio has always been anti-com- mise proposal on constitutional reform. munist, but $600,000 was enough to change that. I Instead of continuing to push for direct elections was speechless,” he said. of the chief executive and all legislators immediately, When he first announced that he would run for the party supported the proposal to create five new People Power, many people did not take him seriously seats that represented district council functional con- and continued to take him as the DJ who gossiped stituencies from this year. about celebrities on radio every day, said Mr Chan. While these seats are basically returned by direct But he has since been regarded as having taken a elections, with everyone who is not already a voter in new persona by speaking out and targeting Ms Lau in other trade-based functional constituencies getting a the election. vote, the new arrangement is seen by champions of de- Mr Chan rejects the notion that People Power mocracy as a backward move for “entrenching” func- had divided the pro-democracy camp. “We are only tional constituencies. using our own methods to protect the democratic pro- With the support of the Democratic Party in the gression of Hong Kong,” he said. LegCo, the reform proposals were passed, to the dis- Speaking of the aggressive behaviour of his Peo- may of other members of the pro-democracy camp ple Power peers in the past, Mr Chan said he respect- and the accolade of those who felt the move would be ed their strive for righteousness and he might soon a step forward for democracy. follow in their footsteps. Looking back, Mr Chan is still angry with the in- “At the moment I will not be too aggressive. But cident, which he regards as a betrayal of the cause of I can’t be too sure if something that really irks me democracy by the Democratic Party. happens, such as the Democratic Party’s decision two “Look at the votes. Ms Lau (who took part in the years ago,” he said. direct negotiations between the Democratic Party and Mr Chan is the first homosexual to have become the liaison office officials) lost to a newcomer. Maybe a legislator and has taken some flak recently for not it is time for her to repent her sins,” he said. “The peo- revealing his sexual orientation during the election. ple no longer trust her because of her past actions.” But he said his close friends knew he was a homo- Outraged by the 2010 incident, Mr Chan estab- sexual, and he had told a journalist about his sexual lished Power Voters, which would later become part orientation three days before he was elected. Unfortu- of People Power, with other social activists such as Ms nately for him, the story was published only after the Erica Yuen Mi-ming and Mr Jeff Au Yeung Ying-kit. election. Although many thinks he is a radical, he prefers to “I could not control when the news story would be called an “aggressive democrat”, which he defines be published,” Mr Chan said. “I have nothing to hide as a democracy seeker who walks a slightly more con- and everyone knows it.” frontational path. By Lawerence Li Edited by Reimus Wu 20 • NEWS

SCIENCE Three birds, one stone Microalgae are the answer to energy shortage, water pollution and global warming

Super food for astronauts

Produces biofuels such Anti-ageing as biodiesel, green diesel and green jet fuel

Purifies water

Alleviates global warming

ITHIN a bright yellowish cir- biotechnology to harness the nutrient value helping to Wcle, hundreds of green dots move special qualities of microalgae to preserve astronauts’ physi- around freely at a seemingly consistent help save the environment. cal strength while they are in tempo, despite being trapped by a thin The most renowned sub-species space. piece of flat rectangular glass. of microalgae may be Spirulina, which Apart from their dietary value, mi- This is how microalgae look under is popular among consumers as a health croalgae’s significant value to the sus- the microscope. There is little to suggest supplement that increases protein intake tainability of our living environment has that these single-celled, photosynthetic and removes body toxins. yet to be realised by the public. creatures typically found in freshwater Usually advertised as an ideal anti- Well-known for their rapid growth and marine systems could be the answer aging food and weight-loss product, it is and high energy content, these tiny to humanity’s three major challenges in among thousands of sub-species of mi- greenish organisms can serve as an ideal the contemporary world – energy short- croalgae that have caught researchers’ source of biofuels. Meanwhile, they can age, water pollution and global warming. attention in recent years. also contribute to alleviating water pol- “Killing three birds with one stone” The National Aeronautics and Space lution and global warming. is how Dr Ho Kin-chung, science and Administration, the American agency With soaring global energy de- technology professor at the Open Uni- responsible for space exploration, de- mands, scientists are actively searching versity of Hong Kong, describes scientific scribes Spirulina as the “super food” es- for substitutes for fossil fuels. breakthroughs in using genome-based sential for survival, with its considerable Microalgae can be an excellent NEWS • 21

source of sustainable biofuels, with other ex- capacity of the same hectare of trees. amples including liquid and gaseous fuels de- With great success in other places, putting rived from agricultural products and animal microalgae biotechnology into practice is in- wastes. evitable in Hong Kong. Through photosynthesis, microalgae ab- After five years of research, the School sorb energy from the sun, carbon dioxide, as of Science and Technology of OUHK decid- well as nutrients in the water to produce bio- ed to collaborate with the Shenzhen Jawkai mass, which can be converted into biofuels like Bioengineering Research and Development biodiesel, green diesel and green jet fuel. Centre in mainland China to produce oil with Statistics from the Department of Energy microalgae. Last year, researchers were happy to re- cord that these green cells generated 400 tons of oil, , which was seen as the preliminary step for the industrialisation of microalgae “Attracting technology. Compared to other biofuel species that require certain arable lands, microalgae dem- people to invest onstrate flexibility. Yet, flexibility does not necessarily entail in this technology intrusion. Microalgae are actually non-competitive with the agricultural farming, as the cultiva- is the major tion requires only large open ponds or in closed photo bioreactors located on non-arable land challenge.” in a variety of climates, even including deserts. –DR. HO KIN-CHUNG, PROFESSOR OF SCIENCE AND In spite of a small geographic area, Hong TECHNOLOGY AT OPEN UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG Kong has some obvious merits to adopt micro- algae technology, Professor Ho said. Relatively long seashore lines and suitable temperatures create optimal conditions for the growth of mi- in US show that microalgae have the potential croalgae throughout the year. to yield 100 times more oil per acre than soy- However, applying microalgae technology beans or other terrestrial oil-producing crops. does have some technical constraints at this Two breeds of microalgae, diatoms and stage in Hong Kong. dinoflagellates, are found in Hong Kong terri- Many worry about torial waters, such as Deep Bay, Victoria Har- microalgae’s potential bour and Tolo Harbour. threats to the entire With more than one third of their body ecosystem, such as sup- weight containing oil, these two breeds are ex- press other species, pected to generate significant economic value. when people artificially “On average, one ton of microalgae could gen- increase their quantity. erate four kilograms of oil,” Professor Ho said. “The large-scale In addition to their high productivity in growth of microalgae bio-oils, microalgae are effective in removing may lower the oxygen pollutants, thus purifying water. level in the sea for the Apart from their Professor Ho expressed optimism about survival of other ma- dietary value, people the future application of microalgae technol- rine species,” said Prof have hardly realised microalgae’s significant ogy at sewage treatment plants to improve wa- Leung Yiu-cheong, en- value to our living ter quality. ergy and pollution pro- environment. For instance, microalgae technology can fessor at the University be used to purify 80 per cent of the sea water of Hong Kong. in Tolo Harbour, a sheltered harbour in north- He added that other limitations included east New Territories that is more contaminat- the relatively insufficient area for growing mi- ed compared to other harbours in Hong Kong. croalgae and high cost associated with remov- Microalgae can not only reduce pollutants ing the moisture in microalgae. in the water, but also absorb greenhouse gases “It’s not economical compared to other in the air during the process of photosynthesis. renewable resources, such as wind and solar,” A power plant in southern Taiwan con- he said, adding that further research had to be firmed that one hectare of microalgae was able done to put the biotechnology into effect, and to take in 74 metric tons of carbon dioxide an- that it would be difficult to attract investment. nually, which was three times more than the By Ruby Leung Edited by Sophia Fu 22 • NEWS

LIFESTYLE Weird is cool Non-mainstream performances are no longer seen as ‘’strange’’ as the Internet fans growing acceptance of weird stuff

ITH more than 500 million views online a lot. That’s why many of the bi- views as proof of popularity of songs, he Wracked up on YouTube, UN Secre- zarre trends are able to go viral in recent adds. tary General Mr Ban Ki-moon and Chi- years,” says Mr Leung Hon-chu, princi- But the internet is not the only spot nese dissident artist Mr Ai Weiwei riding pal lecturer in sociology at Hong Kong where strange styles like that get widely the invisible pony, the weird horse-riding Baptist University. circulated. dance brought by Korean rapper PSY Music producer Mr Ben Chong Mr Abe Kwok Chun-kei, 30, former with his great hit Gangnam Style has be- Tung-yan, who rose to fame because president of the Wuhua Hall Student As- come cool. of his weird songs, such as “Eating Ice sociation of Hong Kong Polytechnic Uni- Perhaps no one has expected the Cream”, notices the non-mainstream is versity, has witnessed how weird street weird dance to go international, but neti- making its way across the internet. performances turn into a trend. zens has made it so popular that you can- “(There are) huge changes in the From miming while walking on a not deny the Gangnam Style is something. past five years because of the Internet, tightrope to jiggling tennis balls while From the strange dance of Bad Ro- particularly the video-sharing website dancing, each of the executive member mance to the infectious Gangnam Style, YouTube. People now have the ability of the association has to come up with an people have become more open to this to explore new things on their own,’’ he act to perform. They do not mind if peo- kind of style; some are even addicted to it. says. ‘’This has made the local industry ple think they are weird because they are Experts think the internet has accept more new stuff.’’ performing to please themselves. helped make weird things popu- Record company executives Mr Kwok says that odd performanc-

lar. “Young adults tend to be now check the click ratings and es, trends, music or dance moves are LEUNG RACHEL PHOTOS: NEWS • 23

The music video of Korean rapper PSY’s Gangnam Style has been viewed on Youtube over 50 million times.

popular because people find them funny to have a good laugh. It is a good way to She says some people pretend to despite their quirkiness. spend time in this busy city,” says Mr Lai like popular culture because they do not “It was hard when we first started Kim-ming, a spectator on Sai Yeung Choi want to “look like a loser” or go against juggling on the street because street per- Street in Mong Kok. the “misperceived social norm”. formances weren’t as popular as they Meanwhile, the fear of not catching “I don’t tell people I dislike Gang- are nowadays,” Mr Kwok says. “We had up with the trend and what society thinks nam Style. I keep my comments to my- policemen asking to check our identity is popular may also lead to a growing ac- self. It feels like others will attack me if I cards and shopkeepers telling us we were ceptance of weirdness. post them on my Facebook,” says Mr Lai. scaring away their customers. It wasn’t “Most people watching the video on But more weird things are expected until about three years ago when people YouTube are expected to like it, since it is to show up in the world even started to accept us as performers. Now accompanied by a glowing recommenda- though some people are not even the older generations are starting to tion,” says Ms Lily Chau See-wah, a psy- into them. “I think people are appreciate our talent.” chology student at New York University. just scared to admit they like Though some of these performers “There is a sense of conformational this non-mainstream trend do not care about what others have to say bias which confirms our existing beliefs which is taking the world by about them, some passers-by indeed en- that it is a good song because of how big storm. Since the internet plays a joy street performances of strange styles. of a hit it is,” Ms Chau says, “The same big role in society nowadays, people will “I think some of the acts are hilari- thing goes with all kinds of weird things be more open to new ideas,” music pro- ous. I enjoy watching those odd street that have gained prevailing power in the ducer Mr Chong says. By performances because they allow me world.” Rachel Leung Edited by Roy Chan

Dare to By loveSong Cheng, Cleo Tse and Katheleen Wong Edited by Jim Wong, Dennis Lee and Helen Yu 26 • FEATURE

Disoriented A gay couple’s long and winding road to marriage

and years of repeated persuasions, their love for their daughter has prevailed over traditional views towards homosexuality. “It took me some time to accept the fact that my daughter is going to spend the rest of her life with a woman,” says Mr She Yuk-wah, father of Ms She, who adds that he immediately questioned his daughter’s choice when he was told about the deci- sion. He admits that his dissent popped ith their wedding banquet due to be held out from time to time when the couple pro- in December, Ms Macie Yuen and Ms Joey ceeded to a further stage. WShe Sze-nga are busy spreading their joy to “My father said I was crazy when I their families and friends that their nine- told him that I was going to marry a wom- year relationship is entering a new stage. an,” Ms She recalls with a smile on her While their relationship has flour- face. “But I know he loves me so much, so I ished, the law and the society are not on talked to him again and again. He changed their side. his attitude eventually, and has become “It’s not a matter of gender; it’s about very supportive now,” she says. ‘’He even with whom,” says Ms Yuen, a boyish helps me arrange the wedding.’’ looking 35-year-old woman. “I won’t say Contrast to her husband, Mrs Lisa I’ve switched from being heterosexual She Lai Man-hing, mother of Ms She, to homosexual. I’d just say the one who did not react strongly initially, but admit- makes me happy is a woman,” says Ms ted that things had developed out of her She, 34, shares the same thought with her expectation. “husband”. “I thought she was young and im- However, marriage is not only a union mature,” Mrs She said. “I didn’t realize between two persons but also two families. she is homosexual until I found out that Ms She’s parents do not agree with her she started dating Macie with a serious choice at the very beginning, but after years attitude.” FEATURE • 27 28 • FEATURE

It was not until her daughter’s sister-in-law, Even so, back in Hong Kong, they will still be Miss Fung Suet-yan, took action to convince the par- disadvantaged in many ways compared with hetero- ents that Mrs She began to accept the fact. sexual couples. For example, they cannot write their “I told them they’re going to lose their daughter partner’s name as the beneficiary of their insurance if they don’t agree. Moreover, what is more important policies; claim tax allowance as a couple or apply for than their daughter’s happiness?” Miss Fung recalls public housing. They simply cannot enjoy anything a what she told her parents. heterosexual couple are entitled to in this city. Ms She’s parents unwillingly accepted the reali- Facing different kinds of social constraints, Ms ty, secretly wishing she would like men again one day. She expresses her doubts. “We just don’t know why she would choose this “I have to be singled out because I am homosex- path [of being homosexual],” the parents say. “But if ual. Why can’t I enjoy the rights of being a citizen in this is what she wants and she is happy about it, we this city just because I’m not getting married with a have no reasons to reject. You may say we are ‘forced man?” she says, stressing that society is actually dis- to accept’.” After a number of family gatherings, they criminating against homosexuals. now treat Ms Yuen as a member of their family. “What we can do is to guarantee ourselves a life On Ms Yuen’s side, things has become smooth with a better condition and we do not disturb any- after her mother’s death. one,” Ms Yuen says. “It is too difficult for us to change “My mum kept pressuring me as she wanted me society and the social norms. We are not abnormal to get married and have a child in the future, I gave but just choosing our desired ways to live, so does my promise at that time,’’ Ms Yuen ex- plains. ‘’But after her death, I had no reason to convince Why can’t I enjoy the myself that I should stay heterosexual.’’ She thinks her family has an open rights of being a citizen attitude towards her sexual orienta- tion as long as she is in this city just because happy. Nonetheless, families that are as open-minded as I’m not getting married the couple’s are a minority in Hong Kong. According to the study Public with a man? Opinion Towards Homosexuality, conducted by the Home Affairs Bureau and Market everyone else.” Research and Transport Planning in 2006, 24.7 per cent of interviewees were “extremely opposed” to family members who were homosexual, while only 34.3 per cent of them found it acceptable. Apart from objection from their families, homo- sexual couples also face other challenges. In Hong Kong, same-sex marriage is not recog- nised and there was a time when it was even illegal during the colonial period before 1997. The issue had not been addressed after Hong Kong’s return to China, but hopes were lighted in June 2009 when the Hong Kong government rec- ognised same-sex cohabitation under the Domestic Violence Ordinance in order to protect people who are victims of same-sex domestic violence. That’s why Ms Yuen and Ms She will get mar- ried in Vancouver, Canada, where the government embraces same-sex marriage. FEATURE • 29 For the love of God A church for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Christians

N exotic small church in Old Testament. Hong Kong has opened its “If one cares about one’s own religion, doors to embrace non-heter- he/she will be willing to suppress lust for the osexual Christians who are God,” she said. still marginalised by main- However, BMCF regards the other stream churches. Christian organisations as being “too sensi- Why can’t I enjoy the Founded by a number of gay Christians, tive” over homosexuality, especially when theA Blessed Minority Christian Fellowship they rejected proposed legislation that tried (BMCF) serves lesbians, gays, bisexuals and to outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexu- transgenders (LGBT) at large, accounting al orientation in 2005. rights of being a citizen for 95 per cent of its total members. “The Bible does not blame homosexu- “They (LGBT) usually hide them- als,” Pastor Wong said, adding that homosex- selves in the closet, as they fear people uality existed when Jesus Christ was alive. will turn away from them. Our church is “God’s love is not confined by one’s sexu- in this city just because important as an outlet for their emotions,” al orientation” – and that was why the church church spokesman Pastor Silas Wong Kwok- was open to non-heterosexual Christians, he you said. said. Mr Leo Chan, 28, is one of the church’s According to government statistics, only I’m not getting married followers, who would reveal their sexual ori- a few of Hong Kong’s 1,400-plus local Chris- entation to fellow members only. tian congregations welcome non-heterosexu- “The priest at my old church always says al followers. They include St. John’s Cathe- it [homosexuality] is wrong,” said Mr Chan, dral, Kowloon Union Church and One Body with a man? who has been in love with another male for a in Christ. number of years. “So, I dare not spill a word “If society was open enough to diversity, about my lover.” no church would be labeled as a ‘gay church’,” But having attended the BMCF for six says Pastor Wong. months, Leo and his partner have not only found it a place where they can feel relaxed about their sexuality, but also where God wit- nesses the growth of their relationship. “Here, I have found new meaning of God’s love, that it also blesses gay lovers,” the gay Christian said. Nevertheless, mainstream churches and Christian organisations such as The Society for Truth and Light remain adamant that ho- mosexuality is a violation of God’s order in creating humans – that man should wed with woman. The society’s spokesman, Ms Helen Fu Dan-mui, stresses that homosexuality is not al- lowed according to the Gen- esis, the first chapter of the 30 • FEATURE The rainbow after rain? Same-sex marriage legalisation is under the spotlight again

HEN Mr Ice finally mustered up seen due to a lack of “social acceptability”. conditions. Whis courage to walk down the dim- “The nature of marriage is trying Mr Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit, executive ly lit passage of an old building on Nathan to combine or maximise sexuality and officer of Rainbow of Hong Kong, said Road and into its worn out lift, he had friendship between two people, which his prime concern was to call for a law lost count of the number of times he had has no distinction between homosexual against discrimination on the ground of strolled past it without stepping inside. or heterosexual relationship,” Mr Pala- sexuality, whereas same-sex marriage le- Even after he had got out of the lift muist said. galisation was not on his agenda. on reaching the seventh floor, he was still He believed the biggest difference He thought that the fairness brought filled with trepidation, pausing to make only lay in the fact that homosexual cou- by an anti-discrimination law was much sure that no one was watching him be- ples could not reproduce in a natural way, more valuable and necessary than giv- fore pressing the bell next to a door on which left them with no way other than ing homosexual couples the same privi- which a rainbow has been painted. adoption. leges of heterosexual couples. “We are Recounting his first visit to Rainbow “It was of no good to the growth of urging the elimination of those radical, of Hong Kong, Mr Ice, not his real name, the adoptees, since the children cannot irrational prejudices, such as unemploy- is glad that he had made that crucial de- fully understand the concept of fam- ment simply due to sexual orientation,” cision to join one of a few clubs set up by ily,” said Ms Priscilla Leung Mei-fun, the he added. members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and newly-elected chairperson of the legal “We are helping ourselves indeed,” transgender community in the city. services panel in the Legislative Council. said the officer who is a transgender, He said it was beyond his wildest The lawmaker did not think the time and a volunteer who helps the LGBT expectation that he had since found his was ripe to legalise same-sex marriage, members to apply for public housing and Mr Right and other friends with the same echoing the reservations of Mr Raymond Comprehensive Social Security Assis- sexual orientation at the club. Tam Chi-yuen, Secretary for Constitu- tance, and contact lawyers with expertise He said that the organisation had tional and Mainland Affairs, who said the in dealing with sexuality discrimination. coloured his life and he no longer felt recognition would involve “fundamen- Although Mr Ice’s marriage dream ashamed of his homosexuality. He now tal values” and “complicated matters” might be too far to reach for now, he was even feels natural when walking hand in months ago. quite satisfied with the increasing- ac hand with the boy he loves, although he Neither of them could see any possi- ceptance of different sexualities among seldom mentions the relationship to his bility of the society reaching a consensus Hong Kong people. family to avoid endless quarrels. on the issue in the near future. “When I first distributed rainbow When it comes to the issue of mar- “The mainstream values of society leaflets, I could always hear some people riage, Mr Ice was hoping to form a fam- do not encourage people to become ho- murmuring the F word, after they found ily with his boyfriend, if the latter also mosexual,” Ms Leung said. that the content inside is against their wished to do so. She added that the legalisation of belief. Now, there are people who still do According to Mr Stephen Palmquist, same-sex marriage had nothing to do not buy our idea, and reject our leaflets philosophy professor at Hong Kong Bap- with human rights, since the topic was by saying ‘No, thanks’. But at least some tist University, Mr Ice would encounter not covered by the International Cov- say ‘thanks’ or simply smile to me, which no problem if he marries his boyfriend in enant on Civil and Political Rights or the make me feel warm,” said Mr Ice, with a “spiritual sense”. However, if they want Universal Declaration of Human Rights. tears in his eyes. to officially register as ‘’husband and Instead, both documents suggested the wife”, enormous obstacles can be fore- issue be handled in accordance with local FEATURE • 31

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