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Dear tongzhis:
CRA's July social, a dinner at the Quanjude Restaurant,
was a success. The VIP room was private, the atmosphere was very friendly
and upbeat, the food was good, everyone was truly full. To keep our
promise of making our events accessible to ALL, the bill of the dinner was
most reasonable. After the dinner, some came to my house for a dessert
party. The guests enjoyed so much that they stayed until after midnight.
Some of us are already thinking about the next group dinner, perhaps in
October.
I am sorry for the tardiness of our July newsletter. We
had tried to find a suitable location in L.A. or the west side to host our
monthly social. We finally decided to have a beach party, since July and
August are the hottest time of the year. Besides, summer is not complete
without going to the beach.
If you wish to host our August social party, please let
me or our social director know ASAP.
I am in the process of organizing a gay Asian tour to
visit the most beautiful and hottest spots of Asia. Going with our
tongzhis as a group will be especially fun. We can be ourselves at all
time (yes, Mary, you don't need to butch up) and we can travel with our
trusted friends who speak our own language. Sharing info, insights, and
accommodation is efficient and cost-effective too. Give me suggestions
anytime so that we can have the best itinerary for all.
Enjoy your summer.
Andre
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Pride in Canada
Howard H. is a Chinese friend of ours, who lives in
Ottawa, Canada. Howard was from Beijing, China, originally. He competed in
and won Mr. Leather Ottawa title earlier this year. Here is his account of
the Pride Celebration in Canada.
On June 25th, 2000, it almost rained upon the parade in
Toronto! But the drops were held back until Monday! Therefore, the
Torontonians have been very proud and loud about a fact or a mystery that
“rain never drops on the Toronto parade”!
The Ottawanians, also very proud and loud about it, not until the July 9th,
2000! It poured in the morning. Then it stopped! Then the drops started to
tease the paraders drop by drop, when the parade started!
My first year of “watching” the gay parade dated back four years, 1997.
I was standing by the Human Rights Monument on Elgin Street, a first of its
kind in the world.
It was officially inaugurated by Dalai Lama and other activists in 1990.
Ever since, the monument has become a symbol of Canadian ideals of
diversity, tolerance, and freedom. It witnessed, year after year, the Ottawa
gay pride parades, the show down between the GLB&T celebration and the
homophobic protests. This year, the route was extended twice as long as it
was before, and stretched from the Lansdowne Park to the Parliament Hill,
right through the down town Ottawa!
I was treated into a red convertible with Thom Lockwood (Mr. Leather Ottawa
– Hull 1998) as my guarding angle. The first sign board greeted me was,
when we left the start point: “THE WICKED SHALL BE TURNED INTO HELL, AND
ALL THE
NATIONS THAT FORET GOD” Psalm 9:17
It was the same man who had “paraded” side by side with us EVERY YEAR
since I could remember (dated back to 1997)! He really had time, energy and
balls! He really “cared about” our pride! He was a really lone “fighter”,
protected by the same Charter of Rights which also protected me. In the
previous years, he also landed himself a spot in the newspapers as the “balanced”
portrayal of the pride parade in Ottawa as media coverage fairness.
I should NOT have, but cannot help get quite outraged! I waved the Maple
Leaf gay flag over his sign board, beaming him a big V sign and laughed out
loud… The horns of the Ottawa Knights trucks started, and he didn’t even
look straight, but continued to move forward, drowned by the defiant and
joyful stomps and storms of the floats…
Given the inclement weather, the turnout of the supports was very quite big.
It was the first time that Roger Cable Community Channel reported and
covered the parade live. It was the first time that four TV stations were
present, two English and two French. It was the first that the lone
homophobic man didn’t get his face shown in the next day newspaper. It was
the first time that many people agree that the Ottawa media had a fair
coverage of the Pride Ottawa 2000.
The following day, The Ottawa Citizen and The Ottawa Sun, the two mainstream
newspapers, all had noticeable and fair coverage of the pride! In the
meantime, it is also alarming to read the other news grabbing the headline:
Pope John Paul, condemning the homosexuality to the extremes while the
Romans welcoming and cheering for the gay paraders in Rome! The Canadian
Alliance Party has elected a new leader, Stockwell Day, who is very
pro-life, very pro-family value, but anti same sex love and passion!
As the media reported it, when we passed the Parliament Hill, the rain
really started to test our will of power – it was pouring heavily! … I
was already soaked wet and started shivering. The flag post was almost blown
out of my hand! But the float where the gay youth and supporters were
rejoicing, still drumming up and kept going and going!
The War Memorial monument was also standing in the rain, witnessing another
chapter of the Ottawa gay and lesbian celebration of its fighting spirits
for equality and justice!
If Toronto parade is a display of colors, joy and fun, the Ottawa one is
certainly a humble, modest, but defiant celebration. And the forthcoming
Montreal parade (on August 6th, 2000 this year) has always been a
celebration of freedom and liberty, of course, in Canadian Parisian style!
I look forward to seeing you at the IMsL in Toronto, and in or after the
Montreal Pride 2000!
With respects and love from,
Howard H.
Mr. Leather – Hull 2000
Ottawa Canada
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