It's a march for everyone, whatever their sexual orientation, says lesbian activist Yeo Wai-wai about the 2nd International Day Against Homophobia Hong Kong Parade, which takes place on Sunday. Ms Yeo, 29, is keen to see as many as possible marching on a circular route in Causeway Bay next week. 'This is not a gay pride march,' she says, emphasising it is for anyone who believes in equal opportunities for all people, whatever their sexual orientation. Legislator Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung will be guest of honour at the opening ceremony, but the office of Deputy Secretary of Home Affairs Stephen Fisher, who was also invited, will not attend. Ms Yeo and other organisers - comprising 16 sexual-minority-friendly groups - also wanted the government's Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Unit to man a booth, but they wrote back saying they lacked the manpower but would send some pamphlets and souvenirs. Ms Yeo grew up in Sha Tin and had her first girlfriend while studying journalism and communications at Chinese University. 'During my first year, I had five boyfriends, but each relationship was not very long and not very intimate. I started thinking about sexuality issues and took courses in them. After I had my first girlfriend, a fellow student a year younger than me, I felt I needed to tell my parents. It is difficult to lie to people you are very close to.' While her mother was open-minded to Ms Yeo's lesbian friends, when it came to her own daughter, the news was a shock. Ms Yeo moved out to allow her parents to come to terms with the new reality, and their relationship improved. In 2003, she founded the Proud of Lesbos group, which is affiliated to Rainbow of Hong Kong. She was photographed in the South China Morning Post dressed as a bridegroom to demonstrate against the lack of equal opportunities legislation for gay couples. 'My daytime job is at a design company accounts servicing department. 'My boss knows my sexual orientation and is fine with it. When I was younger I would get angry about whether people accepted me or not. Now I don't care as much. If I can communicate with people [about the issue], that's great, but if they're still not comfortable with it, I let it go.' Ms Yeo estimates that lesbians comprise between 1 and 5 per cent of the Hong Kong population. There have been improvements in the past five years, she says, with better understanding and more pubs and cafes where lesbians can meet openly. But she still feels that most gay and lesbian Hongkongers do not feel free about coming out. 'Most Hong Kong people don't see it as related to them and they are lukewarm about the issue. They don't see it as any of their business. Most of them wouldn't say they discriminate. They are fine, for example, if that person is a colleague. But they still see gay, lesbian and bisexual people as different and pick on their non-conforming behaviour.' That mindset, she says, cannot be changed only with legislation. 'Hong Kong schools have moral and civic education. There are guidelines for teachers on educating about sexual orientation but they are not compulsory, so many schools choose to back off from these sensitive issues because they are afraid of parents' reactions.' Ms Yeo feels that if government schools took the lead in teaching children about sexual orientation, other schools would follow. She and others have spent weeks organising Sunday's anti-homophobia march. Last year they organised the march two weeks after the Society for Truth and Light produced a petition with nearly 10,000 signatures against equal opportunities for gays and lesbians. Marchers will start to assemble at 2pm on Sunday, at the pedestrian area on East Point Road, behind Sogo, in Causeway Bay. The blessing ceremony will start at 2.30pm and will include Taiwan's first openly gay priest. The march itself will start at 3.15pm. League of Social Democrats spokesman Yuk-man Wong will be a guest at the opening ceremony.
