Excited
Me and the husband marching with the queer married folk, SF Pride 2004
According to an article in today’s San Jose Mercury News, a poll taken by researchers across California reports that Asian Americans are soundly against California’s Proposition 8, a referendum designed to end same-sex marriage by putting in an amendment in California’s constitution. Their findings conclude that 57% of those polled (out of 1100 Asian Americans) would be voting against the proposition.
On the one hand, it’s very encouraging to hear these results, especially since there has been a push by most California Asian American politicians as well as Asian American LGBT groups to get the word out against putting something in the state constitution. However, I’m wary about getting too excited about this, especially given that there’s a strong movement by conservative Asian American Christians to vote for the proposition. Just last Sunday, there was a rally in San Francisco’s Chinatown to get Chinese Americans to vote for Prop 8, and while there were groups such as Asian Equality there to counter-rally and demonstrate against it, it does send a disturbing message. (I happened to be in San Francisco Chinatown at the same time of the rally, but gave it a WIDE berth so that I wouldn’t get caught up in the hoopla — for obvious reasons.)
Also, the term “Asian Americans” is so amorphous that it limits a lot of people who’d be able to participate in these surveys because of their lack of fluency in English and American culture, and so it helps to not read too much into this. I think it does help that since the same-sex marriages that have happened in 2004, the Asian and Asian American media has done a lot to dispel many of the misconceptions and stereotypes of queer Asian Americans (and I’m proud to say that I played a small role in that).
But of course, there is rhetoric by those who are for the proposition, such as Bill Tam, a San Francisco (!!!!) native who’s leading the drive to get the proposition passed, and who’s quoted by the Merc as saying:
“We hope to convince Asian-Americans that gay marriage will encourage more children to experiment with the gay lifestyle and that the lifestyle comes with all kinds of disease,” he said.
Experiment?! Uh, Mr. Tam, most of us who are queer don’t experiment — we already know, we just want to confirm. And obviously, Mr. Tam has never bothered to look at all the efforts that Asian Americans have done in San Francisco to prevent the spread of HIV and other STDs all over San Francisco and nationwide, especially by groups such as API Wellness Center.
Anyway, regardless of your political beliefs, if you are an American citizen and can vote, please do so. And if you’re for Prop 8, please don’t tell me.
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Grace: Whoa. ...Whoa. I think if I tried to wrap my head around that, it would explode. I don't get it at all. And thanks for donating to Equality California.
I think the funny part is that it seems most Asian Americans in SF same-sex marriage is a nonissue, especially after getting bombarded with it years ago when nearly all the Asian American media finally started doing relatively realistic portrayals of queer folk (and considering I was featured on nearly all the major SF Asian Am newspapers and TV shows at the time--I couldn't go to any restaurant that Asians were running without being asked, "Aren't you the guy who..."--needless to say, I ate at home a lot), so the shock value of seeing Asian American queers in couples has diminished significantly.
I remember hearing that the Asian Am fundies were up in arms after the local Chinese news showed a 5 part series featuring me and the husband--and I was amazed how careful they were to portray us as a "typical" couple--and part of the reaction by the fundies was that we were "too normal" instead of totally pandering to the stereotypes of gay men--and I think for many of them, it was the first time to see two Asian American men in a happy couple. It helped that the newscontinually said that I was "at UCSF doing my PhD" and looked like the good boy that most Asian parents dreamed of--except that I like boys. Hence, the crazed response from most of the Asian fundies back in 04. Funny how racism and homophobia converged at that moment for them.
Grace: Whoa. ...Whoa. I think if I tried to wrap my head around that, it would explode. I don't get it at all. And thanks for donating to Equality California.
I think the funny part is that it seems most Asian Americans in SF same-sex marriage is a nonissue, especially after getting bombarded with it years ago when nearly all the Asian American media finally started doing relatively realistic portrayals of queer folk (and considering I was featured on nearly all the major SF Asian Am newspapers and TV shows at the time--I couldn't go to any restaurant that Asians were running without being asked, "Aren't you the guy who..."--needless to say, I ate at home a lot), so the shock value of seeing Asian American queers in couples has diminished significantly.
I remember hearing that the Asian Am fundies were up in arms after the local Chinese news showed a 5 part series featuring me and the husband--and I was amazed how careful they were to portray us as a "typical" couple--and part of the reaction by the fundies was that we were "too normal" instead of totally pandering to the stereotypes of gay men--and I think for many of them, it was the first time to see two Asian American men in a happy couple. It helped that the newscontinually said that I was "at UCSF doing my PhD" and looked like the good boy that most Asian parents dreamed of--except that I like boys. Hence, the crazed response from most of the Asian fundies back in 04. Funny how racism and homophobia converged at that moment for them.
Somewhat off topic... but I recently came across a gay guy who was FOR Prop 8. I wanted to reach into the computer screen, rip his weaselly Facebook profile photo off his page, crumple it up and stomp on it. Or Photoshop something really vulgar onto his forehead. This guy held the highest leadership position in the LGBT group at my school, and we recently discovered that he is a far right wingnut. I really want to revoke his presidency retroactively. I am somewhat relieved that he is not a California resident and can't vote on the matter. Dirtbag. Okay, I had to get that off my chest. Thanks for listening.
Oh, just to be on topic... this Asian-American (i.e. me) donated to Equality California.
Somewhat off topic... but I recently came across a gay guy who was FOR Prop 8. I wanted to reach into the computer screen, rip his weaselly Facebook profile photo off his page, crumple it up and stomp on it. Or Photoshop something really vulgar onto his forehead. This guy held the highest leadership position in the LGBT group at my school, and we recently discovered that he is a far right wingnut. I really want to revoke his presidency retroactively. I am somewhat relieved that he is not a California resident and can't vote on the matter. Dirtbag. Okay, I had to get that off my chest. Thanks for listening.
Oh, just to be on topic... this Asian-American (i.e. me) donated to Equality California.
It was very emotional for many of us on the No side. For me personally, it was like looking into the faces of my relatives and seeing them shake their head at me and hearing them tell me you don't deserve to have the chance to get married. I was reluctant to chant or chant loudly with the group because these were my elders, the people you were taught to respect. But then they started preaching over the loudspeaker and my anger and frustrations welled up, and then chanting No on 8 was no longer an issue.
We didn't engage the prop supporters (though it was tempting!) because it would be pointless to do so to these people who've already made up their minds. The point was to show the press that there are Asian Americans who oppose the ban, a lesson that was learned 4 years ago when anti-same-sex marriage supporters totally bum-rushed us by rallying a crapload of people for the media to see and say, "Hey, Asian Americans don't support gay marriage" and we had no chance to respond.
Apparently there will be another Yes on 8 rally in Cupertino this Sunday... so I am just as skeptical about the survey as you are. I'm just glad we do have Asian Am politicians on our side who support us: http://www.noonprop8.com/articles/2008/10/11/asian...
It was very emotional for many of us on the No side. For me personally, it was like looking into the faces of my relatives and seeing them shake their head at me and hearing them tell me you don't deserve to have the chance to get married. I was reluctant to chant or chant loudly with the group because these were my elders, the people you were taught to respect. But then they started preaching over the loudspeaker and my anger and frustrations welled up, and then chanting No on 8 was no longer an issue.
We didn't engage the prop supporters (though it was tempting!) because it would be pointless to do so to these people who've already made up their minds. The point was to show the press that there are Asian Americans who oppose the ban, a lesson that was learned 4 years ago when anti-same-sex marriage supporters totally bum-rushed us by rallying a crapload of people for the media to see and say, "Hey, Asian Americans don't support gay marriage" and we had no chance to respond.
Apparently there will be another Yes on 8 rally in Cupertino this Sunday... so I am just as skeptical about the survey as you are. I'm just glad we do have Asian Am politicians on our side who support us: http://www.noonprop8.com/articles/2008/10/11/asian...
That's the nature of California. The San Francisco Bay Area and greater Los Angeles are known to be liberal, but the rest of California is fairly conservative, like the Central Valley, Orange County, and the Inland Empire, and some conservative leaning areas such as Santa Barbara/Ventura County and San Diego. It's not a surprise that Prop 8 is winning since I've lived in a lot of these areas, and it's infuriating to see that people who are against Prop 8 don't seem to be targeting areas which could provide crucial votes, such as Santa Barbara/Ventura, parts of Sacramento, and San Diego, as well as the Latino vote (since 1/3 of all the same-sex couples who got married in San Francisco back in 2004 had at least one person who was Latino!).
That's the nature of California. The San Francisco Bay Area and greater Los Angeles are known to be liberal, but the rest of California is fairly conservative, like the Central Valley, Orange County, and the Inland Empire, and some conservative leaning areas such as Santa Barbara/Ventura County and San Diego. It's not a surprise that Prop 8 is winning since I've lived in a lot of these areas, and it's infuriating to see that people who are against Prop 8 don't seem to be targeting areas which could provide crucial votes, such as Santa Barbara/Ventura, parts of Sacramento, and San Diego, as well as the Latino vote (since 1/3 of all the same-sex couples who got married in San Francisco back in 2004 had at least one person who was Latino!).
For those that are curious but do not know the statistical background on prop 8, a quick bit of Google gives this breakdown for the population as a whole
"... a public opinion poll published this month found 47 per cent of respondents favoured the measure, with 42 per cent opposed and 10 per cent undecided. The result was based on polls conducted through the summer in this usually liberal-minded state."
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c8da527e-9a17-11dd-960e-...
For those that are curious but do not know the statistical background on prop 8, a quick bit of Google gives this breakdown for the population as a whole
"... a public opinion poll published this month found 47 per cent of respondents favoured the measure, with 42 per cent opposed and 10 per cent undecided. The result was based on polls conducted through the summer in this usually liberal-minded state."
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c8da527e-9a17-11dd-960e-...
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