Lesbian love poem deemed racy for HK gay art exhibit

HONG KONG Jan 25 (Reuters Life!) - An evocative exhibition of gay art has brought out the prudes in fast-living Hong Kong.

Even before it opened this week, the In/Out Hong Kong Tongzhi, or gay, exhibition was already causing a stir because of a lesbian love poem that was controversially yanked after authorities deemed it obscene.

The short poem, written in rhyming colloquial Cantonese, details a flirtatious SMS phone exchange between two women.

But with lines like "I'd like to pinch your thighs" and "I've no choice but to touch myself," the poem was classified as a "Class II article" by Hong Kong's Obscene Articles Tribunal, making it unsuitable for anyone under the age of 18. The exhibition's organisers were also told to remove it.

"I think it's a ridiculous ruling," said Perspex Wai, one of around 30 gay artists with works displayed at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Lobby. "These rulings normally apply to photographs or very graphic scenes. Not a poem!

"Many (newspaper) editors decided to print the offending lyrics the next day anyway. It's laughable," she added.

Despite calling itself Asia's "global" city, cosmopolitan Hong Kong's gay artists say they often have to remain in the closet -- a reality reflected in the pseudonyms they use at the exhibition that include Vice, Bearity and Perspex.

A recent TV documentary on gay marriage was labelled "unfair, partial and biased towards homosexuality" by the Broadcasting Authority after complaints from the public and Christian groups.

Although the city's attitudes to homosexuality are far more tolerant than in some other Asian countries, many gays say their government could do a lot more to encourage debate on the rights of sexual minorities and to ease social stigmas.

"There seems to be a concerted effort within the government to clamp down on whatever developments gay and lesbian groups can get," said Roddy Shaw, a gay rights campaigner.

"It's very worrying and it has to be exposed," he added.

The exhibition's self-stated aim is to "encouraging Hong Kong's tongzhis to explore issues of identity, gender and sexuality" and -- with the exception of the poem -- it has largely managed to escape the censor's wrath.

Works on display include a collage of a dancing queen entitled "Pure Lesbian" with a caption declaring "I'm born to love women."

Other works suggest themes of concealment and struggle, including a black and white photograph of a Chinese man slicing off a mask with scissors, while another photo-montage depicted a slim lesbian superhero in dark wrap-around shades punching out at an unseen foe with bright yellow boxing gloves.

The exhibition runs until January 28.