Week 8 - Alex Nguyen - A03

The article “Teaching Justice and Living Peace” speaks on an issue that is so rarely spoken of in Asian communities, and the author hits the nail on its head when pointing out why: we Asians are taught to be shameful and modest about not only our sexualities, but our bodies. Asian communities would have an easier time of becoming more accepting of non-heterosexual, non-cisgender identities if we had the space to talk about and express our physical selves to begin with.

One thing I would have liked to have seen mentioned more in the article would be the role that European imperialism and Christian proselytization played in the suppression of Asian sexuality. Much of the homophobia and transphobia mentioned in the article was rooted in Asian Christianity, which must have its roots in European tradition, superimposed onto Asian culture. Of course, Confucianism, as Lee states, plays a role in prioritizing heterosexuality and in preaching physical reservation, but Christianity condemned being gay and transgender.

I agree that the Asian community must grow to be more comfortable with ourselves and our bodies, so that we can fully incorporate and support our LGBT community. In doing so, however, it is also important to uncover Asian LGBT history, and the history of sexual suppression particularly of Asian Americans. Asian American sexuality, particularly that of our men, has consistently been ostracized. They have a long history in American cinema of being seen as either predatory, i.e. the Yellow Peril, or as sexless and bumbling. Reclaiming Asian sexuality should involve reclaiming Asian sexual history and culture as well.

The video I attached has to do with Vietnamese LGBT history (with English captions), and even though it’s quite short, I found it particularly empowering.

Question: What are other hegemonic ideologies about Asian sexuality that we subconsciously adhere to?

Boyung Lee. “Teaching Justice and Living Peace: Body, Sexuality, and Religious Education in Asian-American Communities.”
[Thủ Phất Thanh Đài]. (2017, February 22). The timeline of LGBT in Vietnam history [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-m4Pl2nl93Q