Hong Kong: Videos Against Homophobic Bullying in Schools

 Written by  Oiwan Lam

“I am who I am” is a video advocacy project against homophobic bullying in schools in Hong Kong. It is convened by a lesbian rights organization, Nui-Tong-Xue-She (女同學社) in Hong Kong. Below are some statistics about homophobic bullying in Hong Kong collected by the organization in its campaign website ^[1] [zh]:

•   2005年，民政事務局委託顧問公司進行民意調查，發現性傾向歧視在校園頻生，接近六成的受訪者認為同性戀學生在學校受到一般至非常嚴重的歧視。
•   香港女同盟會於去年進行的「香港女性因性傾向受歧視狀況」調查亦再次確認校園是性傾向歧視的重災區，高達31%的歧視行為在校園內發生，居於5項範疇的性傾向歧視狀況的首位。而同學、教職員以及學生更是第二位最常作出歧視行為的人。
•   香港小童群益會「性向無限計劃」於2009年展開網上調查，了解現正就讀中學或離校少於三年的同志青少年在學時的經歷。調查發現高達81.7%的同志青少年曾向同儕或師長隱藏自己的性傾向，並為此感到孤單(57.4%)、不安(39.8%)，甚至萌生自殺的念頭(18%)，而針對性傾向的欺凌行為仍然猖獗，受訪學生曾遭遇社交排斥、杯葛(39.8%)、言語暴力(42.3%)以至肢體傷害或性騷擾(13.5%)。

 A survey conducted by a research consultant appointed by the Home Affair Bureau in 2005 showed that homophobic bullying in schools was very common. About 60% of the interviewees agreed that homosexual students are suffered from discrimination in schools.

– Women Coalition of Hong Kong ^[3] [zh] conducted another survey last year (in 2010) that reaffirmed previous finding concerning homophobic bullying in schools. The survey shows that about 31% of the discriminatory bullying happened at school campus and sexual orientation discrimination is most common among other forms of discrimination (such as racial). The bullies are usually students and sometimes involved teachers.

– An online survey among young homosexual communities conducted by The Boys & Girls Clubs Association of Hong Kong under its “Touch Project” ^[4] [zh] in 2009 found that 81.7% homosexual youths hid their sexual orientations from friends and teachers in schools and as a result, 57.4% felt lonely, 39.8% felt anxious and 18% were suicidal. Among different forms of homophobic bullying, verbal violence was most common (42.3%), followed by social exclusion and boycotts (39.8%) and 13.5% of the interviewees said that they were suffered from physical attack and sexual harassment.

The video project began back in November 2011. The organization will release seven interviews via sexual minority and LGBT friendly media workers and politicians. Below is the project’s promotion video:

http://youtu.be/lL_l_0knjkM

So far three interviews have been released ^[5]. The interviewees are:

• Brian Leung – Host of “We are Family”, an LGBT-friendly radio programme , RTHK
• Funny Wong – Female-to-male trans-man
• Eva Tam – Lesbian (released ^[6] in January 2012)
• Heihei – Mr. Gay Hong Kong 2010
• Joanne Leung – Male-to-female trans-woman (released ^[7]in February 2012)
• Cyd Ho – LGBT-friendly Legislative Councilor
• Lam Woon-kwong – Chairperson of the Equal Opportunities Commission (released ^[8] in December 2011)

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Article printed from Global Voices: http://globalvoicesonline.org

URL to article: http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/02/20/hong-kong-videos-against-homophobic-bullying-in-schools/