Denise Ho Fights for Gay Marriage Rights
Denise Ho (何韻詩) made an appearance at Hong Kong’s annual July 1 protest march, supporting the efforts of LGBT rights coalition Big Love Alliance, which she co-founded with singer Anthony Wong Yiu Ming (黃耀明) along with many prominent activists within the entertainment industry. Despite heavy rain and strong winds, Denise, Anthony, and Ellen Joyce Loo (盧凱彤) stood at Big Love Alliance’s booth at Causeway Bay to hand out flyers, rallying for equal rights.
Since publicly declaring her lesbian orientation at the Hong Kong Pride Parade last year, Denise has been very outspoken about equality issues and fought tirelessly for the LGBT community. Denise extended her rallying efforts to include same-sex marriage rights. “I have always talked about requesting [political] consultation or equal rights for gay people, and haven’t discussed the possibility of marriage. To be blunt, we hope to have all the benefits that an average person would enjoy. We have put [our goals] on our flyers this time. We hope to have the same marriage and medical rights.”
Denise’s good friend Anthony Wong Yiu Ming also spoke in support of same-sex marriage at the event. He believes that while they may not achieve marriage equality overnight, they are for certain treading on the right path. Anthony added that the United States Supreme Court’s recent ruling calling for the federal ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional shows that the world is finally stepping towards true equality.
Anthony also rallied in support for universal suffrage in Hong Kong. He believes that unfair laws and regulations are results of a government that does not truly represent its people. He hopes that justice will return to society, and praised everyone for doing their part by attending today’s protest.
Ellen Joyce Loo, part of girl band at17, attended the event to support Denise and Anthony. She is not too concerned over questions about her sexual orientation, and emphasized that there is no need to publicly declare her preferences. Ellen added that she hopes to give voice to victims of discrimination, and sees LGBT rights as the most important goal.
Source: Sing Tao
This article is written by Katrine for JayneStars.com.
Man, I am so sick of these homosexuals trying to grab whatever attention they can get………even trying to fight for gay marriage rights, when they probably never will marry the same sex……….
yuaida, I am so sick of you trying to accuse other people getting attention when in fact they are not……….even trying to say they can’t get married, when they probably can get married in some countries……….
@May
@Yuaida,
are you two five years old or something?? One said hat gays will never get married. The other said they probably can get married. Well gays are getting married and raising families in countries around the world. he men are donating their sperm and having a surrogate mother. The women are getting donor sperm and one of them is carrying the baby.
You two are so back in time, wheeeeew!
yuaida,
I wonder why you are here and commented when you are sick of the attention. We are living in the media era where news is provided all over the Internet. If you don’t want to read particular news, don’t click and read it.
@yuaida: not only does homophobia suck, but it’s also outdated. Get with the 21st century and refer to people who are attracted to people of the same gender as gay or lesbian. Learn to show some respect for people and their choices and stop behaving like an ignorant child. Your post is shameful and it makes you look ill educated and narrow minded. If that’s your intention, then congratulations, you’ve succeeded in making an a** out of yourself.
Lol, Mt. I really don’t know and understand what you think.
@May: Read my post again. And if you still find it difficult to understand, then go back to staring at the wall. Good luck.
Hey yuaida,
Momoka Nishina just quit the industry.
Kei Megumi better and bigger
I hope your wife is OK with you talking about this.
No worries’ we watch together
I need to find me one of those.
stop hating on ppl. every article u hve smethng negtive to say. I say good on her.i am bi. f proud of it. I wl marry anyone I wishes be it grl or guy.
Some can’t even admit to dating the opposite sex, more so admitting to dating the same sex. I was shocked at the French response to the LGBT issue. And if the French, who are I suppose very sexually open sort of people can fight it so fiercely, I am not hopeful for Asia.
But like I said; give them the common law rights, later move to legal marriage rights so that the other half will be protected legally and so they may know the joy of divorce.
And true equality is not represented by allowing gays to marry. That to me is too OTT.
“Give them the common law rights”
Why do homosexual’s rights are being “” and heterosexual rights are birth rights?
No entity has the right to give or take a way anyone’s basic human rights.
They would not be out there “grabbing attention” if their rights were not taken away in the first place.
What is basic human right?
And what right is taken away?
What are inalienable rights?
What rights are then given?
Birth rights are not categorised into heterosexual or homosexual. They’re rights to a human being. Why make the distinction? That exists because now we have differences in sexual preferences and the laws never quite accommodate that differences, until now. Like I said, let them have rights as common law partnership first. Then the right to marry. Then the right to adopt and all that flows naturally from that right. You can rush things but some section of people feel they’re the less necessary rights. I understand the anguish and the desperation. But those who opposes homosexuality, are they the evil doers and those who embraces homosexuality the do gooders? This is the murky part. Those who quote religion, etc etc against homosexuality is vilified and are called the villains. But are they? Should anyone be called the villains? I don’t like the aggressive approach. I am more convinced with the more gentler approach. I often had seriously almost to the point explosive discussion with some family members dead set again any union between the same gender. Some takes time. Is the time right to have right of marriage for same gender couple? I don’t know.
What I do know is if the gays feel their rights have been trampled at and they’re discriminated, what about the even worse group, the transgender group? What about their rights? Gay rights movement is making a lot of noise, as if their rights is the truest form of discrimination but what about the more discriminated group, the transgender?
I am not the one who is making the distinction. Why do you say, “give them (homosexual) the common law rights” ? The right to marriage should be inclusive in the place and one group should not have to fight for it. And you are asking what is taken away? Why would they be denied of such right in the first place? When is the right time? When is the right time to stop racism? When is the right time to fight for women suffrage? When is the right time to fight for gender equality? The right time was when both human was created because no discrimination should occur in the first place. We are thousands of years behind already and you’re asking when is the right time.
BTW, it is the LGBT community, not just gay.
Discrimination and prejudice goes together. By proclaiming anti gay movement (gay encompasses all those represented by LGBT community)as people who are discriminating others, aren’t this a form of discrimination itself? Homosexuals existed since time immemorial but in recent decades the demand to recognise that form of relationship surfaces. You want it now, you want now no matter what, no need to wait and all that. I agree. But what about the majority communities who are against a gay union? Like I said mindset takes time to change. WHich is why I believe in recognising the common law rights but for marriage itself, that will take time. Imagine gay marriage is allowed as it should be but for the timing, they come to a church to be married but turned away by the pastor or priest who goes by the book as in the Holy Bible. That pastor or priest will of course be subjected to much verbal abuse and potentially criminal charges. But such a fundamental change to the definition of the term of legal marriage between no longer male and female but 2 individuals affects not just that particular couple. It affects all aspect of life and to rush the implementation creates discord. Like you said even until now women don’t have equal rights, there are still people who thinks calling another race certain derogotary remarks is ok, so on and so forth and how long have they been fighting? It is the mindset and rushing things won’t help.
I am happy there are so many pro choice here and I do see this as a choice, as in your choice to who to love. But to disclaim those who disagrees is the same as those who disclaims you for agreeing. Aggression from both sides just shows both sides as ugly and both sides as right and both sides as wrong.
I am sorry to say I do not see an urgency in this singular matter although I do agree with you on principle. I just feel the aggressive approach by those within this community may leave many feeling rather run down, like bulldozed.
I don’t believe anyone coming out and wanting this right as grabbing attention; after all there is a risk of alienation from family members, friends and community. However it is in the end to generate enough attention to push for reform. But I feel so much focus on this particular group that other causes are sidelined or other discriminated group ignored.
Sorry to butt in, Funn Lim, but I am a little bit confused about your thought on this. It looks like you don’t support gay marriage one the one hand but support gay rights on the other hand.
“I just feel the aggressive approach by those within this community…”
No, there are many straight people, family members of gay people, etc that take the ‘aggressive’ approach, at least in western countries. If you refer to Denise Ho’s approach, the maybe yes since it is HK.
I support gay rights but I don’t support NOW NOW NOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW approach.
Whom you refer to ‘now approach’? Denise Ho? Or French people? If the former, then I agree. But if the latter, how far you know about French people?
“I support gay rights but I don’t support NOW NOW NOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW approach.”
So this is like saying, I support gay rights, but I don’t want to see them having their rights in my life time.
When do think it’s right time to implement equal right for everyone?
I have a hard time following your thought flow in all your comments. They sounded so convoluted.
Funn Lim,
” I was shocked at the French response to the LGBT issue.”
I hope you don’t assume anything based on what you read. I know you are talking about the French protest against gay marriage that happened 2 months ago. What I want to say is that the article made the protest sound so big when in fact it is not. France, after all, is a big country. So when we see many french people on the street, they are actually a very minority. For example, in China, they have 1.3 billions people, and let’s say 300 millions people are a minority, and the other 1 billion are a majority, so of course the 3 millions people will look like a minority. But if we compare the 300 millions people in china to the usa, of course the 3 millions people will look like a majority because the usa has 300 millions people as well. So it depends on which angle you see the thing. After all, France already legalized it (<<< I guess you don't know about this when you commented previously).
And many french people, unlike americans, silently support gay marriage. They won't act like americans who like to be political in everything just to get attention.
And what Lee said was right, nobody's rights are given. Everyone's rights are birth rights. Funn Lim, would you like it if in Malaysia, all the malay people say they 'give' you some rights to live in Malaysia?
I earned my right by being born to Malaysian parents in Malaysia and paying my taxes, as enshrined in a piece of paper called the constitution. They did say the right is given but all these years we all basically just ignore them or if need be, the only real natural born are not those race.
Gay rights is murky. It is not birth right, not gender right since no one is born gay so to speak. I am all for equality but I am not convinced by sweeping statements that true equality is when same gender can marry, A lot of problems are not solved by that alone. So take away the true equality and just go for the right to love and marry whatever your gender may be. That I am more convinced.
French people give me the impression they’re vocal. But like you said many silently support but the mass demonstration I see does not support that argument. I did not know it was legalized, all I know is the govt wants to, those people demonstrating doesn’t want to and I see young people, old people, all across the board which was what shocked me. It is perhaps a 50-50 situation. I don’t mean to say it shows the French badly because there is no right or wrong. Everyone has their belief system. I just don;t believe why one set who disagrees is called wrong and those agree is applauded and vice versa.
The only way to ensure a working outcome is to first do away with prejudice. And it doesn’t start with education. It starts at home.
Funn Lim,
“…the mass demonstration I see does not support that argument. I did not know it was legalized…”
I think you didn’t read my comment above. I said that yes, there was a big protest, but it was a big protest because we only see it from one angle, but we see it from another angle, it was actually a small protest since France has a big population. What I mean is the number of people that protest, not ‘how’ they protest.
And yes, it was legalized in May 2013.
People are born heterosexual. And you know that because? Just because heterosexual is common does not mean people are born heterosexual.
The word “gay” right is used because a term is needed to indicate that certain group of people are denied of their rights. If there’s no discrimination in the first place, there won’t be a term “gay rights” or “gay marriage”. It is simply human rights and marriage. There won’t be a need to make that distinction.
You earned your right, but other people’s rights have to be given.
“People are born heterosexual. And you know that because? Just because heterosexual is common does not mean people are born heterosexual.”
So you mean you know people are born homosexual or undetermined? Why not just use the term asexual.
@May I don’t think Denise Ho’s approach to legalizing gay marriage is the NOW NOW NOWWWWWWW type because she knows it will take time for people with so-called closed mindsets to digest the fact that all people are in fact equal. She said in an interview after her come out that she really hopes the HK government can legalize equal rights (which I don’t think happened in the end) and when asked about her thoughts on the legalization of gay marriage, she said she can not even hope for the legalization of gay marriage in HK until she is 70 or 80 if they don’t legalize equal rights now.
^sorry, replied to the wrong comment. supposed to be for the one above… 😛
Hi, supitskingsley. I think you missed something here. Actually, if you read the comments above again, Funn Lim said that she did not support the now now nowwwww approach. Then I asked who was doing the now now nowwwww approach. I said if it was Denise Ho doing the now now nowwwww approach, then I agreed WITH Funn Lim that I didn’t support the now now nowwwww approach.
And yes, I actually knew about the interview. Actually, I don’t think Denise or Anthony (or any other closeted celebrities in Hong Kong if that matters) hold out much hope of legalizing gay marriage. They probably knew it would not be in their generation. What they are doing right now is to have some basic rights, such as anti-discrimination law. I think this law is good because it prevents people from being fired because of their sexual orientation, thus allowing them to find money and then escape from Hong Kong.
Props to them for continuing to fight for their rights!
Our state just passed the law to continue gay marriage and just had our annual gay pride parade this weekend, I’m glad to say I’m proud of my city.
Best of luck to them! Love is between two people who love each other regardless whether their other half is the same sex or not, as long as they’re happy it’s what matters.
An addition;
” Love is between two (consenting adults) people who love each other regardless whether their other half is the same sex or not, as long as they’re happy (and if of consent age), it’s what matters.”
That is your definition, not universal.
To others, love can be among any number of consenting adults who love one another regardless gender and numbers as long as they’re happy, it’s what matters.
Preaching moral principles without a consensus of absolutes is an exercise in futility as each can establish their own sets of guideline and no one is wrong when measured against their own morals.
“I think I am, therefore I am”
Friedrich Nietzche
And I see some arguing to include the word species rather than just people.
We are getting into a very murky definition here.
Funn Lim,
How to include the word ‘species’ when previously you already included the words ‘consenting adults’ in response to Austin’s comment.
Easy.
” Love is between two (consenting adults) people who love each other regardless whether their other half is the same sex or not, as long as they’re happy (and if of consent age), it’s what matters.”
to
” Love is between two consenting adults of human species OR between one consenting adult of human species and of a different species who is capable or incapable of consent where the 2 consenting adults of human species love each other or the one consenting adult loves the species other than a human species regardless whether their other half, whether human or otherwise where if human is of consenting age is the same sex or not, as long as the human or humans are happy, it’s what matters.”
Please don’t include furniture. That will add inanimate objects, etc.
Murky definition is precisely my point no matter how much you want to fine tune yours, which is not my point at all. Whatever definition, however narrow it may be is still no more “acceptable” than others’. Therefore, we are left with good old Nietsche’s school of relative morality: let’s accept them all.
I think marrying the same sex is a sickness and is not nature because you CANNOT reproduce naturally. They need to get help. Donating sperms or eggs and all that nonesense is making relationships confusing and complicated. Creating a society with no standards, anything new is cool dispite if it’s wrong it is simply not right to me. In America, gays already have lots of rights and they are abusing it by pushing this into law forcing people to agree if not jail time is where you’ll go. In America, they could raise a family, walk down the street butt naked and dress like a female or male in brigt daylight down the street whether it disturb you or not they don’t care!!! They can still practice what they like to do in their pravite life without being taking away like other countries still punish gays. They are pushing this into law to get attention, publicity and force people to agree it’s a threat. Soon schools will be force to teach gays are normal behaviors in health classes. Any real churchs or Catholic churchs will not allow a gay wedding events so what now sue the church for teaching unlawful believes? Accuse them of a hate crime? Marrying the same sex is okay…what’s next? Marrying your sibling is fine too or your dog because love is love…it’ blind even though in your conscience is telling you noh ah. The majority of the world are mostly heterosexual, forcing others to acknowdge yours sexual behavior is normal is just lousy and wrong. I know many people are afraid to voice their opinion about this because they don’t want to be attack at a personal level, to be name nasty and hated but they all think is not natural and is wrong. CA voted yes on prop 8 so what does that tells you? They want to keep traditional marriage and gays should just do their own thing. If you have a desire to kill or make young kids to fall for you it’s okay let’s make that into law too…this is the type of intention I get from the gays.
no rules..no standards no morality no consequence. Anything goes, love and peace only no need to earn it…geez what kind of world is that.
hrei,
This is not to attack you at a personal level or to name you nasty or to hate you. But what I want to say is that I don’t get the type of intention that you get from the gays. Nor did I see a MAJORITY of gays walk down the street butt naked and dress like a female or male in brigt daylight down the street.
My solution for you is simple: get out of the USA. Go and immigrate to muslim countries. Or maybe african countries excluding south africa. Oh, wait. I forgot that they are muslims and black people respectively, which I guess you hate them since your heart is full of hate. And I believe they hate anyone that is non-muslim and not black as well.
And guess what? In the USA, no gay people and their family members really care what you think since you are just a nobody to them. Deal with it.
When I said my piece to Yuida and May, it was to let them know that gay relationships and gay marriages are a reality, and these couples are even raising children that is the biological child or children of one of the partners.
hat I said was a reality check for them both as they seem lost in transition as to what is happening in the world around them. It was not said as a reflection of my spiritual or moral beliefs or standards, my approval or disapproval of gay marriages or gays raising children as a family. If anyone wants to pick on me, go right ahead.
After all, I seem to always ruffle feathers her. I speak from a reality point of view. I do not live in a cream puff, angelically innocent, powder puff magic 12th century world.
Trini,
I guess you misunderstood me. Of course, I know what is happening in the world around me. Perhaps, I misused the word ‘probably’ in my above reply to Yuida because I was copying his writing style. Go and reread again my reply to Yuida, and you will find out that my words of choice are almost similar to that of his, including the word ‘probably’ (<<<Perhaps you misunderstood me because of this word?).
@May, I am sorry for misunderstanding you. Yes, you are right. Sometimes the way we word our sentences can cause misunderstandings. I apologise. Yuida does need a good wake up call.
Actually, it was my fault because I did not word my sentences but rather followed what he wrote in order to mock him until I forgot that other readers could misunderstand my meaning.
By the way, a reality check for you: there are many gay couples that already become grandfathers/ grandmothers and some are even godfathers/ godmothers.
I meant what I said is ……….
I also meant… I seem to always ruffle feathers here.
Good for her. A lot of the Asian actors are closet gays and they don’t want to come out to ruin their career. Just like some Americans. Jodie Foster won’t come out even though people know she’s gay. In reality, actors want to hold a part of their lives private, but if you don’t care and want to support your cause, then it’s great too.