Transsexual's play tells true story of discrimination in Hong Kong
The plight of a transgender local who isn't allowed to marry her boyfriend inspired Mimi Wong to tell the story on stage in a musical
Discrimination, unemployment and endless scoffing did not deter Mimi Wong from pursuing her dream: making Hong Kong a fair city for transsexual people.
That is why, when she heard about a court case in which a transsexual woman was barred from marrying her boyfriend, she decided to make a musical telling the story with transsexual friends.
Dream of the Mermaid, which will be performed next month at the Yuen Long Theatre, tells the story of a girl who was transformed into a mermaid, but could not marry her animal lover because of the law of the "animal kingdom", along with a parallel story in which a gay author tries to write the mermaid's tale.
The musical could be the first drama production involving so many transsexual people. Wong, 58, who underwent a sex-change operation three years ago, is the producer. The songwriter, playwright and two performers have also gone through some sex change procedures.
Wong decided to start her Dark Angel Production Team and make the musical when she learned of the case of a 36-year-old woman, identified only as W, who lost a judicial review and an appeal last year, and is now taking the case to the city's top court.
W was born a male, underwent surgery to become female and had her identity card changed to reflect her gender. But the Registrar of Marriages insisted only a person's gender at birth counts for the purposes of marriage, and that a union between people of the same biological sex cannot be celebrated.
Wong, who has previously been involved in two films, said the case had worried many transsexuals. She forked out HK$400,000 from her savings to put on the show.