Chinatown Youth Initiatives
Dennis Chin
Ask me anything!
The goal of this exercise I did with CYI is to create a safe space in which participants are able anonymously to ask questions. The exercise usually surfaces provocative questions. CYI youth were given 5 minutes to write questions on post-its. They would then crumple their post-its and toss it in a bag. They could ask anything re: my presentation about justice work and how identity, particularly race, gender and sexuality, intersect with that work.
I want to use the space here to answer some of the questions I didn’t get to. I wish I could answer them all but I ran out of time. Find me on Facebook if you want to start a conversation:
At what age did you know you were gay?
I don’t remember how old I was. All I remember is that Uncle Jesse from Full House really did it for me (10? 11?). At that age, I knew I was attracted to men. I didn’t know what “gay” meant though and didn’t identify as gay/queer * until much later.
* I use the word gay, but I tend to use queer more often. I primarily identify as queer since to me, it connotes social and political solidarity with other non-normative sexualities (lesbian, bisexual, transgender, two-spirit, etc.)
How do you know if you are gay or a lesbian?
I know it’s cliché, but you really need to be honest with yourself. There’s no need to fit yourself into a category. Sexuality is much more fluid than that. You can be attracted to one gender or multiple genders and gender expressions. And these attractions may evolve. At whichever point in this process you may be, you can choose to identify yourself as part of the LGBT community for social or political reasons.
Is it biological or a choice to be gay?
This is a question that a lot of gay/queer people get. I’ll just say two things in response: #1 - The question assumes that being gay/queer is a problem. #2 - IMO, It’s overly simplistic to frame the issue of queerness as either a solely biological phenomenon or a solely social phenomenon.
For example, many folks believe that being gay/queer is purely biological. There are scientific studies that suggest that a person’s sexuality and gender identity is genetic. My issue is that within this field of research, non-normative sexualities are framed as “deficiencies in hormones” and the like. See what I mean about gayness/queerness being framed as something wrong? Already, there have been suggestions and in-roads towards “curing” gay/queer people when there’s nothing to cure at all. This is not to say that there isn’t a biological basis for our sexualities. I just think that biology isn’t the sole formative factor of our sexualities.
I think in a lot of ways what we’re attracted to is dictated by social norms. We value masculinity with male bodies and femininity with female bodies. But as members of the LGBT community have shown, these norms are just social constructions. We can construct our gender identity however we see ourselves, regardless of our assigned sex.
This is not as controversial as it may sound, but I think all people choose to identify as gay/queer. Because I’m predominantly attracted to male bodies and I live openly with that fact, I’ve chosen to identify myself as part of the gay/queer community for social (I want to meet other gay/queer people) and political reasons (I want to be in solidarity with other gay/queer people to protect myself and others). See the distinction?
That was a lot. I guess what I’m trying to say is #1 - that’s a complicated question. And #2 - at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if my gayness/queerness is biological or a choice. I’m still a human being. I’m still someone deserving of respect, justice, rights and opportunity.
How have your friends reacted to your coming out, particularly your straight male friends?
It was a mixed reaction, but mostly, no one was surprised. For most of my existing friendships at the time, my newly public sexuality was not an issue. My straight male friends, the few that I had, were mostly with me. As they got more secure in their own sexuality and got less threatened by mine, the closer we became.
Have there been any awkward experiences around your guy friends?
Oh, there are many. I think that the idea of gayness/queerness pushes straight folks to think about exploring their own sexualities. It’s ok to think about it. It’s ok to explore. I think some straight guys are set in constructing and maintaining this image of heteronormative masculinity that they don’t allow themselves to even think about it. I notice that the straight guys who are most comfortable around me have a healthy confidence of who they are and their sexualities.
Is being Asian and gay more difficult than if you were another race?
Hmmm. Don’t want to place identities on a hierarchy. But there are clear power differentials based not only on race, but also class, gender expression, (dis)ability and much more. There are specific issues that I face as a gay/queer Asian Pacific Islander that often get marginalized for other “more important” issues. At the same time, I have a degree of privilege that grants me unseen access and opportunity (Calling on men, remember the last time you walked alone at night? How many times did you do it? You think women can do the same as often without thinking of their safety? Yep, that’s privilege. This example - male privilege).
But anyway, It’s less about placing myself on a hierarchy of oppression (ex. I’m more oppressed than white people!) but rather identifying with other folks who may have similar or other oppressions based on any combination of race, class, gender, sexuality, ability, citizenship, etc.
How do you suggest helping people who are adamantly intolerant of other sexual orientations to change their views or at least see the other side?
I’ll be real here. There are just some people out there b/c of many different reasons that will never tolerate alternative sexualities. I think we need to start having courageous conversations with folks that can be moved from tolerance (I don’t hate you, but your gayness/queerness is still a bad thing) to understanding (Being gay/queer isn’t a bad thing at all). In political terms, we call this population, the “movable middle”. This is where we should concentrating our most energy. For some of you, this may be your family or your close friends. These conversations may start after watching a news program about Prop 8 or a commercial for that movie about that gay family. Or maybe if your family starts gossiping about some other families’ queer sons or daughters, engage them in a deeper discussion.
I like your laugh. Did you always laugh like that?
I think so? I do it a lot to break the ice.
Do you only do LGBT activism?
No. My activism started from a personal place – a place of powerlessness based on my race and sexuality. Thanks to a close circle of fierce Asian woman, I learned how our identities point to real social and economic differences in the way we live our lives - how race, class, gender, sexuality, ability, citizenship, etc. affect one’s lot in life (education, job, neighborhood, etc.). I realized how my experiences with powerlessness connected with other folks at a deep level. There are differences in our struggles, no doubt, but there’s a link that connects all of us. That’s why I try to do work across a spectrum of identities not just LGBT.
How did you decide that you wanted to become an activist?
I think I always was an activist. If you define activist as someone who takes action to change something for the better. In college, I started to do a lot of political reading and this is where I developed an acute sense of justice (I would get so mad hearing about Japanese internment during World War II or the Matthew Shepherd murder). This feeling has carried me through ever since and I’ve been fortunate to make a living out of it for now.
How can youth get involved and begin the journey to activism?
At the heart of activism is the desire to help other people, to challenge the roots of suffering. For me, this is my life’s work. It’s very personal for me and I had to go through a lot of soul-searching to get to this point in my life. Y’all are with CYI for a reason. Ask yourself what your reason for doing CYI is. It may point you to help other folks through activism.
If it isn’t your life’s work, then ask yourself, in what ways can I make change in my communities through the choices I make everyday? Have I learned about my history? Do I vote? Do I talk to my friends and family about social issues? Do I volunteer with that community organization in my neighborhood? Maybe you pursue your real passion, which may be in the arts, sciences, medical field or starting your own business, and you donate money to groups like CYI. Activism can happen at all levels regardless of whether or not you do it for a living.
If you weren’t an activist, what would you be?
I’m convinced that I’d be an artist of some kind. Growing up, I was bound for music school, but I decided to pursue a broader education. Then for the longest time, I did theatre. Now I’m dancing a lot. Street dance mostly. Right now, dance is allowing me to nurture my creative side and it’s keeping me in shape.
Do you want to be a community organizer? Someone who makes change?
Volunteer with:
CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities
Chinese Staff Workers’ Association (CSWA)
Make the Road New York
Get trained:
Generation Change, Center for Community Change
Center for Third World Organizing (CTWO)
DMI Scholars (Drum Major Institute)
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA)
Or, get involved with a local political campaign. That’ll give you direct hands-on experience. Check out APAs for Progress for info about politics and political campaigns and how you can get involved.
Dennis Chin
Ask me anything!
The goal of this exercise I did with CYI is to create a safe space in which participants are able anonymously to ask questions. The exercise usually surfaces provocative questions. CYI youth were given 5 minutes to write questions on post-its. They would then crumple their post-its and toss it in a bag. They could ask anything re: my presentation about justice work and how identity, particularly race, gender and sexuality, intersect with that work.
I want to use the space here to answer some of the questions I didn’t get to. I wish I could answer them all but I ran out of time. Find me on Facebook if you want to start a conversation:
At what age did you know you were gay?
I don’t remember how old I was. All I remember is that Uncle Jesse from Full House really did it for me (10? 11?). At that age, I knew I was attracted to men. I didn’t know what “gay” meant though and didn’t identify as gay/queer * until much later.
* I use the word gay, but I tend to use queer more often. I primarily identify as queer since to me, it connotes social and political solidarity with other non-normative sexualities (lesbian, bisexual, transgender, two-spirit, etc.)
How do you know if you are gay or a lesbian?
I know it’s cliché, but you really need to be honest with yourself. There’s no need to fit yourself into a category. Sexuality is much more fluid than that. You can be attracted to one gender or multiple genders and gender expressions. And these attractions may evolve. At whichever point in this process you may be, you can choose to identify yourself as part of the LGBT community for social or political reasons.
Is it biological or a choice to be gay?
This is a question that a lot of gay/queer people get. I’ll just say two things in response: #1 - The question assumes that being gay/queer is a problem. #2 - IMO, It’s overly simplistic to frame the issue of queerness as either a solely biological phenomenon or a solely social phenomenon.
For example, many folks believe that being gay/queer is purely biological. There are scientific studies that suggest that a person’s sexuality and gender identity is genetic. My issue is that within this field of research, non-normative sexualities are framed as “deficiencies in hormones” and the like. See what I mean about gayness/queerness being framed as something wrong? Already, there have been suggestions and in-roads towards “curing” gay/queer people when there’s nothing to cure at all. This is not to say that there isn’t a biological basis for our sexualities. I just think that biology isn’t the sole formative factor of our sexualities.
I think in a lot of ways what we’re attracted to is dictated by social norms. We value masculinity with male bodies and femininity with female bodies. But as members of the LGBT community have shown, these norms are just social constructions. We can construct our gender identity however we see ourselves, regardless of our assigned sex.
This is not as controversial as it may sound, but I think all people choose to identify as gay/queer. Because I’m predominantly attracted to male bodies and I live openly with that fact, I’ve chosen to identify myself as part of the gay/queer community for social (I want to meet other gay/queer people) and political reasons (I want to be in solidarity with other gay/queer people to protect myself and others). See the distinction?
That was a lot. I guess what I’m trying to say is #1 - that’s a complicated question. And #2 - at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if my gayness/queerness is biological or a choice. I’m still a human being. I’m still someone deserving of respect, justice, rights and opportunity.
How have your friends reacted to your coming out, particularly your straight male friends?
It was a mixed reaction, but mostly, no one was surprised. For most of my existing friendships at the time, my newly public sexuality was not an issue. My straight male friends, the few that I had, were mostly with me. As they got more secure in their own sexuality and got less threatened by mine, the closer we became.
Have there been any awkward experiences around your guy friends?
Oh, there are many. I think that the idea of gayness/queerness pushes straight folks to think about exploring their own sexualities. It’s ok to think about it. It’s ok to explore. I think some straight guys are set in constructing and maintaining this image of heteronormative masculinity that they don’t allow themselves to even think about it. I notice that the straight guys who are most comfortable around me have a healthy confidence of who they are and their sexualities.
Is being Asian and gay more difficult than if you were another race?
Hmmm. Don’t want to place identities on a hierarchy. But there are clear power differentials based not only on race, but also class, gender expression, (dis)ability and much more. There are specific issues that I face as a gay/queer Asian Pacific Islander that often get marginalized for other “more important” issues. At the same time, I have a degree of privilege that grants me unseen access and opportunity (Calling on men, remember the last time you walked alone at night? How many times did you do it? You think women can do the same as often without thinking of their safety? Yep, that’s privilege. This example - male privilege).
But anyway, It’s less about placing myself on a hierarchy of oppression (ex. I’m more oppressed than white people!) but rather identifying with other folks who may have similar or other oppressions based on any combination of race, class, gender, sexuality, ability, citizenship, etc.
How do you suggest helping people who are adamantly intolerant of other sexual orientations to change their views or at least see the other side?
I’ll be real here. There are just some people out there b/c of many different reasons that will never tolerate alternative sexualities. I think we need to start having courageous conversations with folks that can be moved from tolerance (I don’t hate you, but your gayness/queerness is still a bad thing) to understanding (Being gay/queer isn’t a bad thing at all). In political terms, we call this population, the “movable middle”. This is where we should concentrating our most energy. For some of you, this may be your family or your close friends. These conversations may start after watching a news program about Prop 8 or a commercial for that movie about that gay family. Or maybe if your family starts gossiping about some other families’ queer sons or daughters, engage them in a deeper discussion.
I like your laugh. Did you always laugh like that?
I think so? I do it a lot to break the ice.
Do you only do LGBT activism?
No. My activism started from a personal place – a place of powerlessness based on my race and sexuality. Thanks to a close circle of fierce Asian woman, I learned how our identities point to real social and economic differences in the way we live our lives - how race, class, gender, sexuality, ability, citizenship, etc. affect one’s lot in life (education, job, neighborhood, etc.). I realized how my experiences with powerlessness connected with other folks at a deep level. There are differences in our struggles, no doubt, but there’s a link that connects all of us. That’s why I try to do work across a spectrum of identities not just LGBT.
How did you decide that you wanted to become an activist?
I think I always was an activist. If you define activist as someone who takes action to change something for the better. In college, I started to do a lot of political reading and this is where I developed an acute sense of justice (I would get so mad hearing about Japanese internment during World War II or the Matthew Shepherd murder). This feeling has carried me through ever since and I’ve been fortunate to make a living out of it for now.
How can youth get involved and begin the journey to activism?
At the heart of activism is the desire to help other people, to challenge the roots of suffering. For me, this is my life’s work. It’s very personal for me and I had to go through a lot of soul-searching to get to this point in my life. Y’all are with CYI for a reason. Ask yourself what your reason for doing CYI is. It may point you to help other folks through activism.
If it isn’t your life’s work, then ask yourself, in what ways can I make change in my communities through the choices I make everyday? Have I learned about my history? Do I vote? Do I talk to my friends and family about social issues? Do I volunteer with that community organization in my neighborhood? Maybe you pursue your real passion, which may be in the arts, sciences, medical field or starting your own business, and you donate money to groups like CYI. Activism can happen at all levels regardless of whether or not you do it for a living.
If you weren’t an activist, what would you be?
I’m convinced that I’d be an artist of some kind. Growing up, I was bound for music school, but I decided to pursue a broader education. Then for the longest time, I did theatre. Now I’m dancing a lot. Street dance mostly. Right now, dance is allowing me to nurture my creative side and it’s keeping me in shape.
Do you want to be a community organizer? Someone who makes change?
Volunteer with:
CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities
Chinese Staff Workers’ Association (CSWA)
Make the Road New York
Get trained:
Generation Change, Center for Community Change
Center for Third World Organizing (CTWO)
DMI Scholars (Drum Major Institute)
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA)
Or, get involved with a local political campaign. That’ll give you direct hands-on experience. Check out APAs for Progress for info about politics and political campaigns and how you can get involved.
