Ending Hong Kong's homophobia.Government statistics show that about half a million of Hong Kong's nearly 6.9 million people are gay or lesbian, but most "live in the shadow of homophobia homophobia Psychology An irrationally negative attitude toward those with homosexual orientation, or toward becoming homosexual. See Closet, Gay-bashing, Heterosexism. Cf Gay, Homosexual, Phobia. ," said organizers of the city's first-ever gay rights parade on May 16. To symbolize that, they encouraged protesters to wear masks. "I think homophobia is a very scary thing because it views a minority as unorthodox or abnormal," said Kelvin Lau, a 26-year-old teacher wearing a mask made of multicolored feathers. About 350 protesters from 16 gay and gay-friendly organizations held rainbow-colored flags and placards with pro-gay messages as they marched through central Hong Kong Hong Kong (hŏng kŏng), Mandarin Xianggang, special administrative region of China, formerly a British crown colony (2005 est. pop. 6,899,000), land area 422 sq mi (1,092 sq km), adjacent to Guangdong prov. to mark the first International Day Against Homophobia International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO) is celebrated May 17. The international day against homophobia aims to coordinate international events to call respect for lesbians and gays world-wide. . The marchers called for government protections against what they said is widespread discrimination against gay people, including violence, sexual harassment sexual harassment, in law, verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature, aimed at a particular person or group of people, especially in the workplace or in academic or other institutional settings, that is actionable, as in tort or under equal-opportunity statutes. , and improper firings. |
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