I REFER to Mr David Chan's letter headlined, 'Why this cowering tone?' (South China Morning Post, August 19).
I support Mr Chan's argument that homosexuality is not evil and that gay men should not be subject to discrimination in any way.
Homosexuals should be treated with dignity in Hong Kong.
However, where I take issue with Mr Chan is his assertion that social confrontation should be adopted in the fight to get rid of homophobia. I do not think this is the right approach. The more unstable our society is, the more widespread anti-homosexual sentiments will be.
We cannot change the perceptions of a Chinese-dominant and 'relatively traditional' community overnight. While I disapprove of radical social confrontation, however, I am not suggesting that we should give up the battle against homophobia. On the contrary, we must take a firm stand and stick to the belief that discrimination concerning sexual orientation must be eradicated. The question is how do we do that? We ought to progress in a moderate and gradual way. It is only with this long-term strategy that we can change people's views on sexual orientation.
KENNETH CHAN Kowloon
