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Asia-Pacific Rainbow Families Forum 2017<\/span><\/p>\n May 11-12, 2017, Hong Kong<\/span><\/p>\n Forum Introduction:<\/span><\/p>\n The inaugural A-P.R.F.F. will hold several events over 2 days to coincide with the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT) global 2017 theme focus issues being “families”. The forum will raise awareness of the existence of rainbow families in the Asia-Pacific region and highlight the importance of family support. Personal experiences from Australia, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, Japan, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam will be shared in support of research findings advocating for the urgent need for recognition, protection and equal treatment of rainbow families and LGBTI people.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Rainbow Families in the eyes of Faith, Society and the Media<\/span><\/p>\n Speaker: Pearl Wong, Director, Queer Theology Academy, Hong Kong<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0In Hong Kong, the general public is quite annoyed by a majority of Christian churches which impose their views on us of what a normal and wholesome family should be, and <\/span>that is, a family with legally married heterosexual couple, the husband of one wife <\/i>during their lifetime, and then their biological children, preferably grown up to be heterosexuals as well.\u00a0 First of all, <\/span>I need to declare that I am not here today to defend the churches’ narrow interpretation of “family”. \u00a0I also have a problem with their family values. Their values are patriarchal, heterosexist and exclusive, as a result, the churches become the oppressor and marginalize LGBTIQ people and the families they create together. <\/span><\/p>\n The churches use a lot of effort to defend a dualistic framework on ethical issues, therefore, everything has to be either right or wrong, black or white, there is no\u00a0 grey area, no third option, no Two-Spirit world.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0Let me give you some examples of\u00a0 what the Christian churches in Hong Kong have done to reiterate their exclusive view on family values. Some mega churches, evangelical churches and Baptist churches, etc. have run several ads in local newspapers, even organized huge concerts, to declare that only the traditional heterosexual marriage and family values endorsed by the Church are pleasing\u00a0 to God; and God detests homosexuality and same sex marriage. Furthermore, these churches claim that the non-heterosexual behaviors and lifestyles will bring serious harm to our society’s stability. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n By doing so, these churches stigmatize\u00a0 LGBTIQ people as “abnormal”, and also propagate homophobia, and shockingly, they still practice conversion therapy!<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0The sad thing is many LGBTIQ Christians really believe what their churches and pastors tell them, that they are great sinners because of their sexual orientations. Their pastors tell them that there is only one acceptable sexual orientation, one “natural” sex, and one type of family value, and that’s because the Bible says so. <\/span><\/p>\n Well, does the Bible really say this?!<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0 New Testament scholars have shown us <\/span>the diverse family values according to Jesus and also the different concepts of “families”\u00a0 in the New Testament.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n To give a few examples here:<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Matthew chapter 1 says that Jesus’ family is diverse – Mary is his biological mother, Joseph is his adopted father, because Mary is conceived from the Holy Spirit, therefore God should be Jesus’ biological father,\u00a0 and there are Jesus’ other siblings who we don’t know much about.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0 Mark chapter 3: 31-35, when Jesus’ mother and brothers wanted to see him, ” he replied, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking at those who sat around him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.'” Confusing? This shows that Jesus’ concept of family goes beyond blood ties!<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0 And in John 19: 26-27, when Jesus was nailed to the cross, he told his beloved disciple to take care of his mother, and he told his mother to treat the disciple as his own son. Again, Jesus\u00a0 reminds us to go beyond blood ties and to love one another as our own family.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0 The few examples I have quoted from the Bible affirm us that Jesus’ family is not what people would call wholesome and flawless, his family values are not conventional and exclusive, rather, they are diverse which goes beyond blood ties; transcends borders and race. <\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0\u00a0As <\/span>church, we should confess our sins of not welcoming LGBTIQ people and rainbow families to Jesus’ table, to drink wine and break bread with us. In fact, we should open our doors to welcome them in order to complete the picture of the diverse community of disciples that\u00a0 followed Jesus everywhere as what we read in the Bible.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0As community of faith, we have to address the realities in our society, empathize with people struggling with different situations among us, and recognize the multitude of different family types. <\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0 We also have to respect people who choose to be single, not to get married, not to have children; and people who are divorced, widowed, single parent, and same sex couples who raise up children together.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0 We should stop building wall that divides people into normal and abnormal, or create binary opposites such as conventional and subversive family values that pushes people to the margins.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0 Perhaps we need to be more conscious of the complexities\u00a0 of the world which we live in, and the injustice that it breeds. And perhaps, base on Jesus’ teachings on love and justice, we can embrace the traditional families as well as the rainbow families, and celebrate together.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0 Just a quick note on what my organization Queer Theology Academy and a campaign called Covenant of the Rainbow : Towards a Truly Inclusive Church are doing to challenge the conservative family values from most of the mainline churches in Hong Kong. Our campaign advocates equality for all Christians regardless of their sexual orientations and their rainbow families, and we remind the church that all living things including human beings are created as equals by God, and God calls all of us “Good”. Therefore, the churches should not promote discrimination against LGBTIQ , and should provide a safe space for them to attend and serve in their churches. Covenant of the Rainbow is also in partnership with other organizations, such as Big Love Alliance, in advocacy towards the equality for LGBTIQ\u00a0 and the elimination of discrimination against them in Hong Kong. <\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0 I can tell you, although we are a small voice in the Christian communities in Hong Kong, we trust that changes and transformation is in the making.<\/span><\/p>\n THANK YOU<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n