After much obstruction by Chinese authorities over different matters, “Shanghai Pride”, Shanghai’s first homosexual festival, finally took place today. Drag queens donned colourful Chinese opera costumes to take part in fashion shows and “hot body” competitions. There was also a “Big Bash” barbecue held in a bar. At the end of the event, two fake gay marriages took place as a symbol of them announcing their love.
From this piece of news, we are able to see how differing cultures in one city affect each other so much.
The first culture we have here is the conservative Chinese culture. The conservative Chinese culture is unable to embrace an alternative lifestyle, in this case, homosexuality. Therefore we can see how the government reacts, by sending officials to forcefully prevent an event like “Shanghai Pride” from taking place. Traditional Chinese are against homosexuality because they believe that it is an unnatural deed that interferes with the continuation of the family line. So collectively, these Chinese do not condone homosexuality.
For more liberal Chinese who embrace homosexuality, or who are homosexuals themselves, they need to develop the mindset of an individualist in order to break out from the general collectivist nature of this Asian society. Most of such Chinese are not only liberalized, but also westernized, as they pick up certain liberal habits from the West.
In fact for this festival, the organizers are Americans by the names of Tiffany Lemay, and Hannah Miller. Also, quoting a gay man, Chen, he says that, “I think gay culture in Shanghai has gradually come out of the closet, thanks to the expat community in the city.”
We can see from here how exposure to the culture of the west helps the Chinese to be unafraid of being more individualist.
With this minority of Chinese individualists emerging from all over, a small community is formed to cater to the needs of these people. In this case, the homosexual community in Shanghai is known as the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) Community. The individual homosexuals who join the community then make use of their collectivist characteristics so that the community’s bonds can be strengthened, against the majority of conservative Chinese in China.
That is why, despite the countless attempts by the police to disrupt the festival, such as stopping the screening of a gay film in a café, and canceling various events at different venues repeatedly, the LGBT Community still managed to continue the show.
Wouldnt you say that the formation of gay groups and event reverts to being collectivistic instead of individualistic community? Could you say they are forming a sub-culture by expressing their individualistic needs collectivistically(?)
ReplyDeleteYeap that's what I said towards the end of the post.
ReplyDelete"The individual homosexuals who join the community then make use of their collectivist characteristics so that the community’s bonds can be strengthened, against the majority of conservative Chinese in China."
It's being individualist, and then back to collectivist again.
Honestly, I don't think anyone can be a true individualist in this society. We all have to conform one way or another. It's only human nature to do just that.
I attest to the fact that being an individualist also means you are being part of a minor collectivist group which can go against a larger collectivist group.
ReplyDeleteHow deviant you are to socio-cultural norms makes you a rebel but as a rebel, one automatically assumes a place in the collectivist anti-culture.
A true individualist will have to live in recluse and be unaffected by society which is a bridge too far for most of us.
I agree with you completely bulletride. That is why you can't be an individualist unless you're a hermit. But even as a hermit you have to conform to nature's ways in wherever you're living. And you still have to follow the laws to a certain extent of whichever country you're in. Perhaps nobody at all can be a true individualist?
ReplyDeleteI would never have believed that a conservative society such as the Chinese one would condone such public displays of individualism, had i not read this! Kudos to the rebels!
ReplyDeleteDoes this bring up the question on whether a an individualist community wil always exist in traditionally collectivistic majorities, regardless of how conservative they may be historically?