Gender, sexuality, queerness, and other forms of difference largely impact how different people around the world perceive Asia and Asian bodies. There are many notions and misconceptions about the origin of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals in Asia. The rest of the world believe that LGBTQ is a strong part of the Asian culture because of the perception that Asian women are submissive, and their male partners have identical physical features and characters to the ladies; therefore, the collective discernment that all Asian women and men have some aspect of LGBTQ in their behaviors. However, in Asia, the LGBTQ people face consistent discrimination and persecution from the communities and governments, through prejudicial attitudes and discriminative legislation.
The Misconception on the similarity Between Male and Female Asian Bodies and Characters
Several plays and books on Asian cultures have scenes and chapters of homosexuality and queerness. Ironically, authors of such Asian stories are usually from western countries. The notion by other people around the globe is that the Asian culture is the origin of the LGBTQ lifestyle. Historically, it was impossible for a movie director, playwright, or author to compose a story about the Asian culture and fail to talk about the issue of sexuality and queerness (Long 13). It was always Asian men and women who were asked to take the roles of gay, lesbian, or transgender casts in the shows. The western communities were able to impact the Asian-LGBTQ strong relation to the rest of the world; therefore, it is so difficult for a person to talk to Asian citizens or their culture without linking them to different forms of sexuality, gender, and queerness.
The important question to determine is, why does sexuality, queerness, gender, and other forms of differences impact how we see Asia and Asian bodies? First, from the majority of the literature on Asian culture, people perceive women from this continent to be submissive and loyal to their men (Hwang 17). The belief goes on to narrate how the Asian women admire and lust for western gentlemen more than their own male partners. Therefore, the Asian men hate the westerners for being their women’s favorites. The attention which Asian ladies receive from foreigners is interestingly noticeable in every part of the world. This perception goes ahead to explain why most Asian men turn to be LGBTQ so that they can attract similar attention to their women and receive equal appreciation from westerners. In the play, for instance, the role of Song had to be played by a man because of the belief that Asian men can act women’s part better because of their urge for attention and affection (Hwang 86). The authors believe that most Asian people are transgender, lesbian, gay, or queer; therefore, it is so easy for an Asian man to take a lady’s role in a cast or vice versa, without the audience and readers noticing so easily (Hwang 89).
Second, people perceive that the male and female Asian bodies are so identical for any outsider to tell the difference. Asian people are known for their dark, long hairs and smooth skins. The gender does not matter, an Asian lady and man both have soft skins and tie their long hairs at the back. Therefore, the physical body features of Asians make people judge them on their sexuality, queerness, gender, and other forms of difference. There are many cases where an Asian lady is mistaken for a man, or a guy is wrongly identified as a woman. The misconceptions make the entire world to differently see Asians and their bodies. It is so common for an Asian movie or book to have at least a transgender, gay, lesbian, or queer cast. People no longer hide their expectations on the LGBTQ culture in the Asian continent.
Asian’s Perceptions on Their Gender, Sexuality, Queerness, and Other Forms of Difference
Many LGBTQ individuals in Asia face persecution and discrimination in their own communities and countries. The Asian nations have not recognized the rights of the LGBTQ for a very long time, since the colonial era. This is the primary reason that there is very many oppressive legislation in Asia which oppress gay, lesbian, transgender, and queer people in the society. The Asian cultural norms are against any form of LGBTQ behavior or association. However, pressure from the international community is helping the LGBTQ people in Asia to gradually earn their expression freedom.
The Asian communities and governments blame the western nations for the infiltration of their queer sexual behaviors to the Asian culture. Asia believes that modernization is to blame for the growing homosexual trend in the continent. Authors and movie directors always develop storylines which indicate that it is foreigners who come to Asia to engage in gay or lesbian relationships with the locals. Asian people who have homosexual intercourse with westerners receive public shame and discrimination (Said 15). However, foreigners do not get any stigmatization because of the notion that they are generally evil people with queer sexual behaviors. The recent global coverage on the Asia nations which discriminate against LGBTQ also justifies their argument that the western nations infiltrate their culture with the behaviors. However, the recent transgender law in India and the same-sex marriage court decision in Taiwan indicate legislative progressiveness in Asia towards embracing the LGBTQ community.
Modernization is Not Homogenizing World Queer Cultures
There are different gay, lesbian, and transgender cultures around the world. Globalization, therefore, does not create an international LGBTQ community. The transsexual and queer people in different countries have their unique culture and names. The mere similarities in symbols, styles, language, or activities, do not mean that these unique identities are the same. Every society in the world has its unique practices on sexuality. For example, the LGBTQ communities in different countries have distinctive names for their kind. Lesbians have different names in different contexts; for instance, Americans call them “studs”, Indonesians refer to them as “tomboys”, and in Hong-Kong they are known as “boy-heads”.
The different names show that globalization does not create an international lesbian/gay identity. Europe’s arguments for and against the LGBTQ society are only relevant in their continent. Similarly, Asia’s theory on the development of homosexuality and queerness in their culture cannot influence America’s stand on the origin of sexuality. Therefore, it is critical to note that modernization did not influence any development of a new gay or lesbian identity in a nation where it did not exist. All the forms of gender, sexuality, and queerness were present in Asia, Europe, America, or Africa even before globalization. The westerners’ theories about the development of the LGBTQ group in Asia are inaccurate. Likewise, Asia’s perception that the gay and lesbian culture was brought to their continent by foreigners is a misconception.
Authors and directors should not mislead their readers and viewers about the origin and development of Asia sexuality. The narrations by books, poems, plays, and movies have a lot of bias in the stories; the commentary on most texts and literature on Asian cultures talk about the gay, lesbian, transgender, or queer people in this culture. However, the misconception is wrong because modernization does not homogenize the LGBTQ societies around the world to have a common identity. Human rights groups might jointly fight for the freedom and recognition of the LGBTQ persons but it does not make them develop a single personality. Asian people have a unique culture, and so do Europeans and Americans. Globalization, therefore, does not interfere with the cultural beliefs and practices of any community.
Conclusion
People should look at Asians and their bodies differently because of their gender, sexuality, queerness and other forms of difference. Every community has its unique development of the LGBTQ culture in their norms. It is a wrong misconception by the world that just because Asian men and women have identical faces, skin textures, and hairstyles they are all gay, lesbian, transgender, or queer. The LGBTQ behavior is unique to every nation. People, therefore, should not use globalization as an excuse to explain how gay or lesbian identities develop. Modernization does not homogenize world queer cultures. The Asia LGBTQ identity is unique from other continents’ and neither Europe nor America has an influence on this norm.
Works Cited
Hwang, David H. M. Butterfly, Penguin Books Canada Limited, 1988.
Long, Luther J. Madame Butterfly, Century Magazine, 1898.
Rolling the rs
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18v91JI0K6nYIsu9GWtKjBm1wQghMkX9v/view?usp=sharing.
Said, Edward W. Orientalism, Vintage Books, 1979.
