discrimination in Hong Kong, I was
shocked to say the least – and I
couldn’t wait to see what they had in
store!
Star-crossed lovers
In true Shakespearean fashion, Anthony
and Sammy are two star-crossed
lovers fighting against tradition in a
backward, archaic society. The Hong
Kong of this story has become an
Orwellian dictatorship where freedom
is suppressed under Article 23, an
anti-subversion law that prohibits
acts of sedition and treason against
the Central People’s Government. In
referencing Article 23, the scriptwriter,
Alex Ng, blurs the lines between fact
and fiction. Article 23 does exist, and
has been the cause of great anxiety and
controversy among Hong Kongers, who
feel it may be utilized as a means to
further erode their freedom of speech.
The students use their drama as a
means of exploring the implications of
Article 23 to the extreme. They paint
a picture of Hong Kong as a paranoid
autocracy where the government is
commissioning the invention of sexual
orientation machines, while homosexual
citizens are labelled mentally ill and kept
segregated from the “normals” for fear
of contamination.
Granted, it’s a fiction and perhaps
far-fetched. But how can Hong Kong
ensure it ends up on the right side of
history when it comes LGBT equality
and rights?
Education on LGBT issues
It seems the education system is the
next port of call in cultivating tolerant,
compassionate and open-minded
citizens who will one day pave the
road for LGBT rights. These local
students have taken matters into their
own hands to voice their opinions and
raise awareness. When asked what his
motivation was for writing the play, Alex
responds: “I don’t know why, but many
people call me gay, and that gave me
inspiration…I turned to drama because
some people really are homosexual and
are being discriminated against and I
feel I can say something, being Alex the
gay.”
It would be understandable to
assume that
Nurture and Love
is the
product of teenage catharsis, a way for
Alex to voice his feelings about being
bullied over his supposed sexuality. On
the contrary, Alex is extremely popular
among his classmates and insists that
it’s all harmless teasing over nothing.
He says, “the students in Raimondi are
quite caring, I don’t think they would
discriminate against homosexual
students.” It’s uplifting to hear that Alex
thinks so highly of his classmates.
Steven, a former student of Lai King
Catholic Secondary School, describes
his rather different experience in coming
to terms with his sexuality: “I was not
willing to seek help because of the
terrible and negative consequences
of coming out in a Catholic secondary
school. Some punishment would be
given by the school teachers, such
as referring you to a counsellor so
that you could ‘become straight’. I felt
powerless because I had no rights to
express my feelings and thoughts about
my homosexuality. It was very tough
for me to overcome my difficulties and
I adopted negative coping strategies
by ignoring my sexual orientation and
pretending to be straight.”
It’s worrying that the root of Steven’s
distress in dealing with his sexuality
was the fear of condemnation from his
teachers. School teachers, along with
others in the community, clearly need
to be trained to deal sensitively with
LGBT students, who may be struggling
with feelings of shame, anxiety and
guilt. In light of the increase in youths
suffering from mental health issues and
depression in Hong Kong, which has
a high suicide rate for young people, it
is imperative that schools find a way to
open up the conversation about sexual
orientation with their students.
The way ahead
Nurture and Love
recognises the link
between discrimination and mental
health, as Anthony and Sammy finally
accept that the inequality they face
in Hong Kong will never change, and
tragically take their own lives. Ever the
optimist though, Alex sees light at the
end of the tunnel. In a dramatic climax,
the deaths of Anthony and Sammy
spark a revolution and the play ends
with the people of Hong Kong standing
up for equality, overthrowing the
government and abolishing Article 23.
I wish I could be as optimistic as
Alex. I hope for Steven’s sake, and for
the many students struggling with their
sexuality, that change lies in the not too
distant future. Today’s youth are ready
for it – they’re just waiting for the rest of
Hong Kong to catch up.
September 2016
49
