I01: Understanding the Asian LGBTQ+ Movement

Intersectionality is a vital part of the fight for human rights. We see environmental feminism, the fight against racism among BIPOC communities, and the branches of the widespread LGBTQ+ movement. These individual coalitions contribute to the unity under the larger umbrella of the battle for freedom for all, threading together the different patches of the same jacket, each one unique to its environment but at its core, inherently dedicated to the same cause.

Arguably, the fight for LGBTQ+ rights has been one of the biggest liberation movements our society has seen — the push for freedom and acceptance started hundreds of years before the first brick was thrown at Stonewall, and is still making its statement today. This uphill battle has faced its push backs, but ultimately, love will always succeed, trekking further up in hopes of reaching a world in which all LGBTQ+ individuals can live without fear or shame.

We look upon LGBTQ+ movements led by the Black, White, Latinx, etc. communities and we feel inspired, motivated. They bring light to all the years they have been silenced and speak proudly, reclaiming their identities.

It makes us, as the Asian community, wonder, why are we not as loud? Where is our voice? Where is our pride?

The shame around speaking up is not unknown to us as Asian youth. We have been silenced time and time again, whether that pressure comes from others around us or feelings of embarrassment and hatred towards ourselves. We struggle to find others that match our zealousness for advocacy and change. We have been told it’s better to “stay out of drama” and to stay quiet, for fear of being swept up into conflict with others.

Although, Gen Z has challenged these limits, breaking barriers and painting a future of acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community. We are unapologetically loud. And while we can see immense pride in the eyes of Western culture as our generations shift the narrative away from shame and bigotry, there are still so many individuals that are not free to express themselves the way they wish. Thus, we can see in so many more Asian communities — the institutions that discriminate and oppress, the cultural and social norms that shame, as well as the self-hatred that inhibits these individuals from breaking free.

When compared with the rest of the world, Asian countries show a noticeable limit in LGBTQ+ rights and protections. Only eight have enacted legal protections for the community. Twenty Asian countries outlaw same-sex sexual activity. In seven, homosexuality can be punishable by death. Cultural norms prevalent throughout Asia view homosexuality as socially unacceptable, or something to be hidden and ashamed of.

Individuals oppressed under these institutions are stuck, unable to express themselves. These people who grow up under cultures and religions that express anti-LGBTQ+ mindsets have incredible difficulty in claiming their sexual identities’, this causing self-hatred, embarrassment, and the repression of their sexualities. Asians that may not necessarily live in Asian countries but still are certainly under the influence of Asian cultural norms display the same tendencies of repression and shame. Here, we see pan-Asian LGBTQ+ individuals unable to embrace their sexualities in the face of institutionalized discrimination and disapproval from the environments they grew up in.

The failure of numerous Asian countries to recognize and accept the LGBTQ+ community puts so many individuals at risk for physical and emotional trauma — something that is prevalent for those who identify as LGBTQ+ but have not yet expressed it publicly, as well as those that identify outwardly. In the movement for widespread liberation in Western countries, understanding that members of the LGBTQ+ community fear for their lives in Asian countries can be baffling. It is through this fear and these institutions that oppress LGBTQ+ individuals across Asia that we realize that our freedoms are not universal. It is harder, as a cohesive community, to be completely open about sexuality because there are still so many institutions that need to be dismantled and homophobic views that need to be reassessed.

While we see institutions and civilities that oppress and shun, we can also see hesitation towards claiming the Asian LGBTQ+ movement in those living amongst a community so large and loved.

A study conducted by Sapna Cheryan in 2017 delved into the judgement of the LGBTQ+ Asian community in the eyes of a Western-dominated world — one in which is markedly more LGBTQ+ friendly and accepting in terms of legislation.

In the study, participants read a brief description of a man named “John,” identified as “an Asian American man” or “a gay Asian American Man.” They proceeded to ask the participants questions like “How fluently do you think this person speaks English?” and “How integrated is this person in American culture?” which they answered on a seven-point scale. The results showed that “a gay Asian American man” was considered significantly “more American” — identifying with more aspects of American culture — than “an Asian man” whose orientation wasn’t specified.

Asians, widely accepted to be “more American” when identifying as LGBTQ+, may lean towards assimilating themselves into the wider and safer branch of “American” or “western” LGBTQ+ movements; the ones that tie themselves to American culture. And when faced with the immense discrimination surround homosexuality across Asia, those who desire to express themselves freely see two neighbouring branches of the LGBTQ+ movement and gravitate towards the one more accepting — they are more likely to push away the prejudices present in the Asian community.

This inability to identify proudly as an Asian LGBTQ+ individual stems from a long history of internalized racism, it is a long and winding path of causes that rely on our generation and future generations to actively disassemble to assert our pride with zero feelings of dejection or shame.

Though when we look back at how far the Asian coalition of LGBTQ+ individuals has come, we are presented that the struggles of the Asian LGBTQ+ movement are what makes this movement so unique, and even more important to claim and be proud of. This continuous battle against homophobia in our culture and our institutions makes this achievement of freedom something so incredibly remarkable — pride that we can use to challenge systems and views that don’t allow LGBTQ+ individuals to express themselves freely.

Poet Fatimah Asghar, when asked about her struggles in owning her identity in the face of cultural barriers, said, “I’ve heard straight Muslim people [say to me] you’re just trying to be Western. People will try to convince you that [being queer and Muslim] can’t co-exist. It’s disheartening. They’re not contradictory at all.”

The Asian LGBTQ+ movement is separate and it is unique, highlighting every person that has gone through their struggles of discrimination in their ongoing journey to pride and happiness.

Understanding the Asian LGBTQ+ movement means highlighting those living in countries that do not offer the same freedoms, and knowing while their progression to liberation may take time, there is hope for inclusivity and protection.

Understanding the Asian LGBTQ+ movement means removing the doubt and the hesitation in asserting Asian LGBTQ+ pride; it is a branch of a movement that should be celebrated.

Understanding the Asian LGBTQ+ movement boils down to the fight for human rights. Everyone deserves a safe space to love and to express themselves without self or environment-perpetuated shame.

The right to freedom and the right to love is a human right.