CHINA: Finale of annual search for Mr. Gay Hong Kong amid growing concerns about the city's attitude towards homosexuality

Record ID: 277582

  • Title: CHINA: Finale of annual search for Mr. Gay Hong Kong amid growing concerns about the city's attitude towards homosexuality
  • Date: 17th October 2011
  • Summary: DANCERS INTRODUCING SWIMWEAR SECTION VARIOUS OF CONTESTANTS IN SWIMWEAR VARIOUS OF CROWD DANCING LAST YEAR'S WINNER, HEI HEI, ON STAGE
  • Embargoed: 1st November 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China, China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA45W3061CAYWOCX6DBF3K46QT3
  • Story Text: A 26-year-old dancer beat three finalists to become Mr. Gay Hong Kong on Saturday (October 15).
    Under the slogan "There's More Than One Way To Be A Man" the four contestants competed in a number of rounds, including swimwear, evening wear and a personality assessment.
    The winner of Mr Gay Hong Kong 2011 was chosen through combined online votes and scores from a panel of judges, including the current Mr Gay World, Francois Nel from South Africa who won the title in Manila, Philippines.
    The other contestants were Edmund Lee a 21-year-old fashion design student, Jonathan Bridge Hudson, a 28-year-old travel writer and Ricky Chau. a 23-year-old sales agent.
    Jimmy wins an all-expense paid participation in Mr Gay World 2012 in Johannesburg, South Africa, a cover and 6-page spread in Dim Sum Magazine, a model's portfolio, a year's free hairstyling.
    He also assumes ambassadorship of the local gay community for one year, including being the public face of the campaign against homophobic bullying in schools.
    "I think the fact that I am Mr. Gay Hong Kong representing pretty much the whole gay scene of Hong Kong, I think for my title I want to inspire people who are still in the closet. Especially teenagers, that it's OK to come out, it's OK to be different. And it's part of the journey that you may be judged but if you can embrace it then you'll be happy with yourself," Jimmy told Reuters after his win.
    The Mr Gay Hong Kong 2011 winner is expected to not only be a role model but to also help advocate equality and the upholding of rights for the members of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual) community.
    Last year's Mr Gay Hong Kong Heihei Yau Chun Hei was a crowd favourite at Mr Gay World 2011 held in Manila and won a weekend in a luxury New York suite as a special personality award.
    He said that since winning the title last year he had become a bit of a local celebrity and had managed to help young people who were being bullied for being gay at school.
    "So because sometimes I have some radio on youtube and people can find me on facebook. And I got maybe 50 emails from school kids that got school bullies. So I can help them and they really, really appreciate it and I really, really appreciate it that I help them too so I really like it," said Hei Hei.
    Established in 2009 by MAN Asia Productions, Mr. Gay Hong Kong is the annual search for the gay man who best epitomizes the cosmopolitan territory of Hong Kong.
    As a platform for gay rights and issues, Mr. Gay Hong Kong is committed to gay advocacy and to the advancement of the gay agenda in mainstream conversation.
    Though homosexuality is largely tolerated in the former British colony, it remains deeply conservative in sexual matters and activists say homosexuals are still discriminated against and harrassed.
    Hong Kong only voted to lift penal sanctions on homosexual relations between consenting adults in 1990.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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