The Young Reporter Vol. 51 Issue 5

April 2019 / Issue 5

ALL ABOUT EQUALITY

Is Hong Kong a safe place to crossdress?

Sports for youths with disabilities • Gender equality in Quidditch

In This Issue

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30

16

04

Beyond the flair of HK’s streetwear

08

An old inventor of bamboo steamers

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Animal cafes in HK: Welfare experts call for licensing

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Taiwan’s LGBT community recovered from the pain brought by referendum

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Is HK a safe place to crossdress?

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Real-life Quidditch: More than just a Harry Potter by-product

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Expanding sports opportunities for youths with disabilities

Letter from the Editor “The society that puts freedom before equality will end up with a great measure of both,” Milton Freidman — a renowned American social scientist — once said.

Under the theme of this issue, our reporters have explored different ways the liberty of equal opportunities can improve the society.

Editor-in-Chief

Reporters and Editors

Katherine Li

Alexandria Lin Amy Ho Anna Kam Brison Li Cara Li Fang-Yi Chen Fifi Tsui Hailey Man Jo Ng Katherine Li Karen Kwok King Woo Maisy Mok Nadia Lam Oasis Li Phoebe Lai Rachel Yeo Sammi Chan Samuel Lim Stephanie Ma Tomiris Urstembayeva Vanessa Yung Vimvam Tong Wallis Wang William Tsui Yetta Lam Zoya Zhao

Deputy Editors

Anna Kam Phoebe Lai Rachel Yeo Wallis Wang Art Directors

On our cover story, we discussed the common stigma against crossdressers in Hong Kong and the impediments placed upon their self expression. Meanwhile, we followed Taiwan’s LGBT community’s journey to recovery from the pain brought by the referendum on homosexual marriage and how the Taiwanese government’s new laws have brought them hope.

Since sports can be a reflection of societal values, we have looked into how sports can provide more equal opportunities for youths’ with a wide range of disabilities, and how new types of sports like Quidditch reform old traditions in sports to promote gender equality.

Our reporters also delved into the the lack of proper licensing for animal cafés in Hong Kong, and looked at the local youths attitude towards expensive but popular streetwear brands. In addition, there is a stunning collection of photos on an old local bamboo steamer maker, who decides to stay in an industry that is predicted to fade out.

We hope you enjoy reading!

Sincerely, Katherine Li Editor-in-chief

Elaine Soh Hailey Man Maisy Mok Nadia Lam Oasis Li Stephanie Ma Tomiris Urstembayeva Zoya Zhao Social Media Editors

Fifi Tsui Hailey Man Multimedia Editors

Alexandria Lin Amy Ho Nadia Lam Tomiris Urstembayeva Vanessa Yung Advisers

Jenny Lam Robin Ewing

The Young Reporter Volume 51 No. 5 2019

Printer

Department of Journalism School of Communication Hong Kong Baptist University

04 CULTURE

Beyond the flair of Hong Kong streetwear Reported by Samuel Lim and Rachel Yeo Edited by Oasis Li

05

Shoppers outside popular Japanese streetwear store, A Bathing Ape. Long queues are common during release of brand collaboration products.

For 20-year-old student Nie Yu-heng, his obsession with the world of streetwear all started with a simple scroll through Instagram, a popular social media platform.

Famous celebrities like rapper Kanye West and fashion icon Virgil Abloh often appeared on his Instagram feed.

Baffled by how simple combinations of sneakers, sweatpants and logo tees could look so good on them, he decided to find out more.

Today, Mr. Nie frequently queues up as early as 7am

when brands like A Bathing Ape release designs that he prefers and has an extensive collection of his own.

Streetwear, which originates from the United States, is embraced by the locals, given the great number of stores here ranging from big labels like Off-White to entire shopping complexes dedicated to selling streetwear, such as Trendy Zone in Mong Kok. Fashion conglomerate I.T which distributes European and Japanese street labels across Asia, is also based in Hong Kong.

Many youths feel a connection

with these brands and regard them as an extension of their personality.

“When I look at myself in the mirror every morning, I will always look lively in clothes that I like,” said Mr. Nie. “It’s not about how expensive or how rare my clothing is.”

Samantha Setokusumo, an 18-year-old freshman student at the Savannah College of Art and Design Hong Kong, said that her streetwear collection allows her to showcase herself, regardless of how unique her style may be.

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American skateboard brand, Supreme, is a popular expensive brand. It sells limited edition products over a short period of time to build up the hype.

“Because my friends and I always like to joke about being ‘hobo’ or ‘failing in life’, we made that into a fashion statement,” said Ms. Setokusumo. “It’s just the freedom to express ourselves through streetwear.”

However, buying clothes and accessories from renowned streetwear brands is not cheap.

Prices are inflated as soon as they hit the resale market, due to the extreme difficulty of getting a product during

its original launch. A simple box logo sweatshirt from established streetwear brand Supreme costs a minimum of US$1,000 ($7,851) on the resale market, in comparison to its US$148 ($1,162) retail price.

With the surge in popularity of streetwear, especially in this digital age, local youths may look for other ways to balance themselves financially.

“If I happen to have savings while some nice pieces drop, sure I’ll buy it,” said Mr. Nie.

“But if I’m running low on cash, it’s not a problem to just stop buying for that period, even though I really want it.”

But for Ms. Setokusumo, she is willing to spend less on daily necessities to meet her clothing needs.

“I always have to sacrifice something, so I sacrifice food,” she said.

“I can be eating real good food, or just okay food. I guess I prioritise having these outfits

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over other things,” she said, adding that each piece of her clothing costs at least $500 on average.

Saving alone is still not enough for Ms. Setokusumo to sustain her love for streetwear.

With help from her parents, she uses her monthly $6,000 allowance to shop at least once a month.

Her parents tend to feel “neutral” with her shopping habits.

“

From young, my mom has always taught me: If you are buying something because of the brand, then you might as well don’t buy it. But if you’re buying something because you like it, then get it.

retailer Extensive Publicity, said that customers do not mind spending exorbitant amounts if it means that they can show off what they have.

The 31-year-old manager spends a significant amount of his income on streetwear every month but feels that the cost is worth it at the end of the day.

“I will say flexing is obviously one of the biggest reasons why people are willing to spend on streetwear brands or high-end fashion brands,” she explained.

“Those clothing provide them the feeling of superiority and make them feel good about themselves.”

“I agree it’s expensive, but it’s a burden worth bearing,” he said.

“The clothes that these brands put out are always high-quality and everyone agrees that they look good.”

With such high prices, however, some working individuals are also feeling the pinch, despite earning income for themselves.

Usually being one of the first customers in queues, Mr. Alan Ng, 31, frequently looks out for exclusive collaborations between big brands like Carhartt and North Face.

”

Samantha Setokusumo

Freshman student

Other than their love for particular designs or brands, there are also many that purchase rare pieces of clothing for the sole purpose of showing off to others.

At the end of it all, the demand for exclusive clothing is what drives the resale market.

Ms. Lazy Chan, 26, store manager of local streetwear

Streetwear is characterised by its simplicity and its ability to look stylish at the same time. Ms. Samantha Setokusumo, 18, is wearing a classic streetwear essential, an oversized pullover from A Bathing Ape.

08 CULTURE

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An old inventor of bamboo steamers Have you ever wondered how a bamboo steam basket filled with dim sum is made? Rounding three bamboo strips, interlocking each of them with a tool, placing a round-shaped bamboo plate in the middle as a base and attaching each part firmly under a “big stapler� machine, an old man has been repeating this process since he was a little boy.

Reported by Vanessa Yung Edited by Amy Ho

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Lui Ming, owner of Ming Shan Steel Bamboo Receptacle, learned bamboo steamer craftsmanship in Guangzhou in the 60s and founded a company in Hong Kong in the 70s. “I know that the industry of bamboo steamers in Hong Kong is similar to that of in Guangzhou. All Chinese restaurants need bamboo steamers so I have been producing them since I came to Hong Kong,” said Mr. Lui.

Right now, Mr. Lui goes to Yum Cha every morning, then heads backs to his steamer factory located in his home in Tuen Mun. “I make steamers just for killing time instead of earning a living nowadays because it is not cost-effective,” he said.

Steamers are originally made with bamboo only, but Mr. Lui believes that bamboo is undurable so he invented the stainless steel bamboo steamer.

“By adding a steel ring, steamers are more useful and durable,” he explained. “I recently improved the steamers by replacing bamboo wires with steel wires to link the bamboo strips at the base. All these steel bamboo steamers are invented by myself, so you can’t buy from other places.”

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Mr. Lui has helped the Wong Tai Sin Temple produce Kau Cim sticks. “This production requires a lot of effort to peel tens of thousands of sticks.” He is proud of his achievement and shares an unknown interesting thing about the sticks. “Microchips are inserted into Kau Cim sticks, so people can put the sticks in a machine and get the result instead of waiting for the staff to explain the meaning,” he said.

Though Mr. Lui has been producing steamers for a long time, he still gets injuries during the production process.

Mr. Lui never gives up on innovating new products even when facing difficulties. “All my products take time to design,” he said confidently. “I sometimes pause my creations when I face obstacles, but I would continue the process after I come up with a solution, so the products eventually become complete.”

12 POLITICS

Animal cafes in Hong Kong: Welfare experts call for licensing Reported by Maisy Mok Edited by Tomiris Urstembayeva

as a licensed club. If the cafe only serves drinks, then they do not have to follow any rules at all. Owners have used these loopholes to introduce all kinds of animals to cafes.

The Cats Tea Room is only licensed by the Business Registration Office. There is no kitchen in the cafe and only beverages are prepared. Food that is served is not made by staff but instead ordered from nearby restaurants.

At The Cats Tea Room in Tsuen Wan, cats jump from table to table, sometimes lying beside a cup of tea while being petted by customers.

The owner of the shop, Albert Lee, said he was inspired by a trip to Japan and Korea. Mr. Lee observed a lack of animal cafes in Hong Kong and seized the opportunity to open one.

“Now there are around 10 or more cat cafes and a wide variety of animal cafes.”

Animal cafes have sprung up in Hong Kong in recent years.

Although it may seem like a dream come true for animal lovers, for one animal welfare expert, it is a nightmare.

Most of the cats were once strays. Wanting to create a safe haven for cats, Mr. Lee took them under his wing to provide healthcare, food and shelter.

In Hong Kong, the government does not require a licence to run animal cafes. In fact, the Labour and Welfare Bureau released a statement that they have no plans to regulate pet restaurants.

“Before my business partners and I opened up this place four and a half years ago, there was only one cat cafe in Hong Kong,” said Mr. Lee.

So instead, an animal cafe that serves food either follows the health guidelines for restaurants, which only prohibit dogs, or they are regulated

“If they (animal cafes) are allowed to exist, then they should be regulated and licensed,” Fiona Woodhouse, the Deputy Director of Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Hong Kong, said.

The SPCA is concerned that the economic needs of the animal cafes might be put above animal welfare.

People might not recognize the subtle stress signals expressed when there’s a conflict between animals; and conflicts with people.

She said that most animal cafes in Hong Kong are cat cafes, but there is a new cafe that displays exotic animals. She said this could be problematic as

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exotic animals are not human companion animals like cats and dogs are.

The Kuri Cafe is the first hedgehog cafe in Hong Kong and home to 10 hedgehogs.

The cafe is divided to two distinct areas: one for the hedgehog “tour”, and another for food and beverages only.

Hedgehogs in the cafe take turns to interact with customers.

Customers can only see the animals upon booking a tour, which lasts around 45 minutes, with only one hedgehog interacting with a maximum of 10 participants.

Kuri Cafe is separated into two areas, customers can feast on their meals at the open space. The inner area behind the curtains is where the hedgehogs stay.

Under the current Food Business regulations in Hong Kong, no animals should be in the presence of any rooms where food is prepared and dogs are not permitted to enter any food premises. However, it does not state if other animals are allowed to enter.

“It would be a lot better if it is quite clear of what was and wasn’t allowed,” said Dr. Woodhouse. She agrees that having animals in food preparation areas, such as kitchens and storages, has to be regulated.

But in the Cat Island Cafe at the Catstore, cats have full access to the open kitchen and storage room.

Tiger Or, the spokesperson for the Cat Island Cafe in

A Kuri Cafe visitor checking out the hedgehog tour. All participants must first take off their shoes and clean their hands with sanitizer. Hedgehogs are displayed in wooden and glass boxes.

Causeway Bay, said cats are trained to behave in their kitchen and that some of them enjoy taking a break in the storage room.

Cats are allowed to roam freely here because the cafe is

licensed as a club rather than a restaurant. Customers have to be registered as a member of the cafe in order to be served.

The Clubs Ordinance regulated by the Home Affairs Department has no specific

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rules for animals or foods.

The club, with six cats, has implemented its own set of rules for club members to follow, such as not disturbing eating cats and not feeding them with outside food. When staff leave the restaurant, they have to make sure all kitchen appliances are turned off and all sharp objects are stored.

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department also does not impose licensing requirements on pet cafes. A written email response from the Assistant Information Officer of AFCD stated that “cafe owners must pay attention to the welfare of the animals.”

According to the Prevention to Animal Cruelty Ordinance, anyone who fails to provide sufficient space, food and

water or permits unnecessary suffering to animals can face prosecution.

Dr. Woodhouse said currently the most basic regulations for animal cruelty is not enough to protect pets in animal cafes.

“When you have a licence, there is a right to let people inspect you, but at the moment there’s no license. There’s no right to check if things are okay, unless there is a strong suspicion that animal cruelty took place,” said Dr. Woodhouse.

The Cat Island Cafe has operated as a club for 19 years. Each year, government departments, including the Fire Service Department, Office of the Licensing Authority and Food and Health Bureau,

conduct annual inspections.

Because it is a restaurant, Kuri Cafe was inspected by teams from AFCD and Food and Health Bureau after the restaurant opened in December 2018. Mr. Lau, who has received complaints over having hedgehogs, said some online critics have never been to the shop.

Kuri Cafe has faced much criticism on Facebook. Some commenters have expressed their worries about the nocturnal hedgehogs being overly exposed to broad daylight. Others are concerned they might be at risk of exploitation.

The SPCA gets calls of concerns about the treatment of animals in cafes from time to time, they said. They then conduct their own inspections.

Since SPCA is not a licensing authority with no legal power, they can only advise and ask questions, such as the animals’ medical records.

Mr. Lee said his cat cafe has rules, such as not using a flashlight when taking photos and children must be accompanied by parents when visiting the shop. Also, he said his customers take care of the cats.

In each hedgehog tour, only one hedgehog is released under the care of a staff to let participants take pictures of it.

Dr. Woodhouse worries visitors might think their pleasure overrides the cats’ wants and needs.

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“

If animal cafes are allowed to exist, then they should be regulated and licensed.

Fiona Woodhouse

”

Deputy Director of SPCA Hong Kong

She suggested introducing legislations similar to the public health ordinance, which is concerned with disease prevention for any businesses related to animals and birds.

“Because these people are using animals for trade, they should really have a licence related to the use of animals, even if they are not charging admission,” said Dr. Woodhouse.

She hopes licensing animal cafes can provide minimum standards and suggestions on

best practices for cafe owners to uphold animal welfare.

“Sometimes we might be stuck in a grey area, where Office of the Licensing Authority permitted us to do so, yet the Food and Health Bureau declined. This is very troublesome for us and has caused a lot of confusion,” said Mr. Or. Mr. Or suggested the regulation should include a sanitary provision to maintain the restaurant’s cleanliness.

Animals should also be

registered to prevent illegal breeding of animals and to assure their health condition.

Being obliged to the existing regulations from the Food and Health Bureau restricts animal cafe’s owners’ creative expression, Mr. Lau said.

“There should be an open discussion on a more flexible rule for animal cafes, which both owners can open up a cafe and government can ensure the welfare and safety of animals.”

Customers of Kuri Cafe are leaving feedback on the hedgehog tour and their interactions with these exotic pets.

Customers are allowed to take photos with hedgehogs with the only requirement of not using a flashlight.

16 POLITICS

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Taiwan’s LGBT community recovered from the pain brought by referendum Reported by Fang-Yi Chen Edited by Vimvam Tong Liu Chia-Fan, 22, a Taiwanese lesbian who has been in a relationship with her partner for more than four years, still struggles to come out to her parents.

“My father used very terrible words to describe LGBT groups. I was very sad after hearing what he said, but I know he wouldn’t say so if he knew his daughter is a lesbian,” said Ms. Liu. “My dream is to marry my girlfriend when I’m 25, and I want to adopt a kid.”

Like many homosexuals in Taiwan, what Ms. Lui wants is support and blessings from her family. But since a November referendum that rejected the legalization of same-sex marriage, local NGOs say they are dealing with more and more mental health issues in the LGBT community than ever before.

In 2017, the constitutional court announced that same-sex couples have the right to marry under civil law. The court proposed legalization for 2019. But last year,

anti-LGBT groups called for a referendum.

Of the 10 million votes, only three million were for samesex marriage legalisation.

“After the referendum, I often felt awkward when I was walking on the street with my girlfriend. I couldn’t stop imagining that everyone I met on the street voted for rejection of same-sex marriage,” said Tsai Wen-Chieh, a lesbian who wants a same-sex marriage.

Ms. Tsai said she didn’t expect the opposition votes would be two times higher than the support.

referendum: the LGBT community; people disappointed by the democratic system; and teenagers who have uncertainty about gender identity.

“Even though teenagers cannot vote, they are specially mentioned because they might struggle with self-identification and could feel anxious when the whole society is talking about homosexuality,” Mr. Chan said.

The page receives more than 30 suicidal messages every day after the referendum, Mr. Chan added.

As a psychologist, Mr. Chan said people might have post-traumatic stress syndrome.

Live Through Flowers Bloom is a Facebook page opened three days before the referendum, managed by volunteers from psychological counseling backgrounds. They provide consulting services for people through Facebook private messages and started working 24-hour shifts after the vote.

“After the referendum, people may have post-traumatic stress syndrome which could last for a long time, so we would like to run the fans page until May 24 in this year, when the same-sex marriage law is definite,” said Mr. Chan.

Chan Hsian-Fu, the founder of LTFB, said three groups were negatively affected by the

Shiu Chia-Wei has worked at the Taiwan Tongzhi (LGBT) Hotline Association for five

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years, providing counseling services for the LGBT community. He mentioned the association had received many phone calls about the public referendums in 2018.

“There are many reasons why people felt hurt after the voting. Except for the criticism and attack from the public, both coming out and stating opinions on referendums are very stressful,” said Mr. Shiu.

The referendums in Taiwan last year not only advocated for marriage rights, but also asked to include LGBT topics into gender equality education.

Mr. Shiu added that the referendums not only attracted people’s attention to LGBT issues, but they also made some people start to consider coming out of the closet.

However, people still feel anxious because they worry whether their family and friends can accept them, he said.

Even if the parents can accept their children’s homosexual orientation, they may still worry about the difficulties of being a gay or lesbian, Mr. Shiu said.

The referendum attracted the attention of other Asian countries as many predict Taiwan will be the first in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage.

BigLove Alliance works to promote sexual equality in Hong Kong, and its co-founder, Cyd Ho Sau-Lan, said she closely followed the

(Photo credit: An Hsu)

homosexual marriage development in Taiwan.

“This referendum is not very reasonable. Discrimination usually happens when the majority cannot acknowledge the minority,” said Ms. Ho. “Minority rights shouldn’t be voted by everyone. The samesex marriage right should be directly protected by the judicial system.”

Since the result of the referendum showed that there’s a conflict between the constitutional interpretation and the public opinion, the executive authorities of the Taiwanese government presented the first draft legislation, which would guarantee the homosexual partnerships have almost the same rights as heterosexual ones, but without the title of marriage.

Mr. Shiu responds to the draft legislation that he is satisfied with this balanced results, and acknowledges it as huge progress of LGBT rights.

“Rainbow comes after rain, so we will never give up fighting for LGBT rights until the Taiwanese society becomes truly equal and friendly,” said Mr. Shiu.

“ Discrimination usually happens when the majority cannot acknowledge the minority.

Cyd Ho Sau-Lan Former Legislative Councillor

”

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Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association, founded in 1998, devotes to providing the LGBT community with resources and consulting services. (Photo credit: Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association)

Chi Chia Wei, leader of the LGBT community fighting for marriage rights for more than 30 years, wears a rainbow headband and shirt waving the rainbow flag as the spiritual leader of Taiwan’s LGBT rights movement in 2017. (Photo credit: Sheng Wen Cheng)

Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association, founded in 1998, devotes to providing the LGBT community with resources and consulting services. (Photo credit: Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association)

20 SOCIETY

IS HONG KONG A SAFE PL ACE

FOR MEN TO CROSSDRESS?

Reported by Stephanie Ma Edited by Rachel Yeo Photography by Elaine Soh, Stephanie Ma and Rachel Yeo The frilly, dark lace trimmings embroidered around Tsang Ching’s knee-length, eccentric red dress stood in stark contrast to the modernity of the bustling streets of Mong Kok.

organisation and dresses as a woman every day. Her colleagues are largely accepting of her identity, she said, and added that the major objection comes from her wife.

With immaculate makeup and long, soft curls fanned over her shoulders, Tsang Ching strutted past the sardine-packed markets in a pair of black suede kneehigh boots. Biologically male, Ms. Tsang identifies and dresses as female.

“Some think crossdressers are gay, and that’s the reason why they do crossdressing. Or they would straight up think that I am a pervert because I was dressing so femininely”, said Ms.Tsang. “I want to be treated as a female even though I don’t hate being male.”

She first started crossdressing when she tried on her first pair of stockings at the age of six.

During secondary school, she would crossdress at home borrowing clothing from her family members, only to put them back when she felt satisfied.

She did not have the money to buy shoes and wigs until she turned 23. Now, Ms. Tsang, 33, works as an organising secretary for a labour non-profit

With increased LGBT exposure in recent years, whether or not Hong Kong has progressed into a safe place for men to publicly crossdress remains a question.

“Each time crossdressing is used in Hong Kong and Chinese media, it is sometimes laughable. It is used as comedy,” said Brenda Rodriguez Alegre, a transgender lecturer of Gender Studies at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Hong Kong.

“Safe is a complex term to use.

Maybe you will be safe in the sense that you can do it, and you will not be killed for it.”

The general public tend to view crossdressers from a medical point of view – treating them as transvestites or perverts attaining sexual pleasure by dressing up as female, said Day Wong, an Associate Professor of Gender and Sexuality Studies at the Department of Sociology of the Hong Kong Baptist University.

“Crossdressers can be still exploring whether they belong into the category of another gender or they are uncomfortable with the gender assigned at birth. Through crossdressing, they express their gender recognition,” said Professor Wong.

For a male crossdresser, whether he is safe in public depends largely on how he passes as a female – with bone structures and physical characteristics

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“I don’t need acceptance

from the society, I just don’t want the resentment directed towards our community.

Tsang Ching Crossdresser

”

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Tsang Ching, 33, was born biologically male but chooses to dress and identify as female. She started dressing in full female attire in public six years ago.

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being the most important deciding factors, according to Prof. Wong. Yet, if they are exposed, the resulting consequences are often verbal and physical abuse.

“I think a lot of the obstacles came from myself, because I do have male characteristics like facial hair, so sometimes when I put on makeup, I feel that something is missing,” she said.

Legislation to protect trans rights are pretty much non-existent.

But there is definitely more conversation around trans people, and more visible trans activists,” she said.

The most common form of abuse transgender people have experienced is physical, and verbal abuse – accounting for 62.9% and 58.1% respectively from 135 survey respondents, according to a study on Violence against Transgender people in Hong Kong conducted by the Transgender Resource Centre in 2018.

“Some people may be able to tell that I am not female.

Although they will look at me with a questioning look, the problem goes away once I start talking to them.”

To safeguard and protect the rights of transgender people in Hong Kong, she maintained that the governmental requirements for one to complete full sexual reassignment surgery in order to change their gender marker should be abolished, and that the option of a third gender category of X should be available on legal documents.

Half of the victims also reported on domestic violence, including 27.4% from their sexual partners.

“I am aware that physical assault sometimes happen to crossdressers. But personally, I have not experienced it. I have been verbally assaulted a lot, mostly online as people leave mean comments labelling me as a pervert or questioning the reasons as to why I would want to be a woman when I am a man,” said Ms. Tsang.

Vincy Chan, a coordinator for the LGBTI group at Amnesty International, also expressed doubt on the public’s tolerance towards sexual minorities.

“I can’t say for sure that Hong Kong has become more openminded and trans-friendly.

Highlighting the difficulties in the process of reconstructing a penis, the risks and repercussions of gender reassignment

Also born biologically male but identifies as female, Kit, who does not wish to give her full name because she is afraid of societal backlash, is a 42-yearold laundry shop employee who started dressing femininely since the age of 20.

Although she doesn’t agree that Hong Kong is a safe place for crossdressers, she believes she is relatively lucky compared to other crossdressers because of her feminine appearance and voice.

Ms. Tsang enjoys wearing wigs, makeup, accessories and occasionally high-heels on her days off from work.

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While Ms. Tsang has never experienced any physical assault because of her sexual identity, she had been previously verbally attacked by netizens online who accused her of being a pervert.

surgeries, Prof. Wong also renders such requirements unnecessary, since a lot of transgender people already have a strong sense of their own identity.

In addition, they experience difficulties in finding jobs because of their inability to modify gender in official records.

Prof. Wong added that the public needs to be better informed about the gender recognition and identities of crossdressers.

“For crossdressers, some wear clothing traditionally worn by the opposite sex as a means of expressing gender identity, but some do not, such as those who crossdress to attain sexual pleasure in their private space, I think this does not really need law protection, but requires

public education,” Prof.

Wong said.

“We have to break down the social stigma beginning with education, then we have to have laws against discrimination.” added Dr. Alegre.

Ms.Tsang has been accepting more media interviews as part of her plan to engage in the public LGBT publication and to raise awareness of her community.

Ultimately, she wants change.

“I don’t need acceptance from the society,” she said. “I just don’t want the resentment directed towards our community.”

“Although the general public and society are generally not accepting of the crossdressing community, I hope crossdressers

can also try to take others’ feelings into consideration while staying true to themselves,” added Ms. Kit.

“We have to break down the social stigma beginning with education, then we have to have laws against discrimination.

”

Brenda R. Alegre Gender studies lecturer

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26 SPORTS

Real-life Quidditch: More than just a Harry Potter by-product Reported by King Woo Edited by Stephanie Ma

The much-anticipated match commenced with “Brooms Up!” Players darted towards the balls in the centre of the field, makeshift broomsticks held between their legs. On both sides of the pitch stood three ring-shaped, silver goalposts of different heights.

Quidditch is a familiar sport for Harry Potter fans, but now, the fictional game has been brought to life.

Full-contact and physically intense, the magical sport leaped off the pages in 2005 when freshmen Xander Manshel and Alex Benepe of Middlebury College in Vermont, US, co-created the rules of land-based Quidditch and dubbed it “Muggle Quidditch”.

A myriad of university teams are playing the sport from UC Berkeley in the US and McGill University and Carleton University in Canada to recently in Asia, the University of Hong Kong.

J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world of Harry Potter continues to strike a chord with aficionados across the world, though

the last installment of the fantasy series was in 2011.

Fusing together a variety of elements from rugby, dodgeball, volleyball and tag, a Quidditch team has seven players per team on the field, who must keep a makeshift broomstick — usually a plastic bar or light metal stick — between their legs at all times during the game.

In order to score, chasers of each team throw the quaffle (a volleyball) through the hoops as the keepers race to ward off their attacks.

Beaters can attack players’ of the opposing team using bludgers (two dodgeballs).

The job of the seeker, the position that Harry Potter himself held, is to catch the “golden snitch” — a neutral player who has a yellow tennis ball attached to the back of his or her pants.

The International Quidditch Association says the sport is gender inclusive, with no more than than four players of the same sex allowed on the pitch at the same time.

Athletes also have the right to choose their gender.

Chris Lau Kwun-shing, chairperson of the Hong Kong University Quidditch Club, brought the game to Hong Kong after trying it out while he was studying abroad in London. Upon his return, he initiated the student project “Fly for Equality” last year at HKU to promote Quidditch in the city and to raise awareness of gender equality and identity.

“I think when you play Quidditch and when you play with people of different gender identification or sexual orientation, you can really understand them and know that people can all integrate and play with each other in a harmonious way,” said Mr. Lau. “I think this is a good way to promote the concept of gender equality, because the sport itself represents a value that has been treasured in our society.”

Last January, the HKU Quidditch team cooperated with the university’s Equal Opportunities Unit to promote the sport and to break traditional gender

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Players keep a “broomstick”between their legs as they “fly” around the court. The Equal Opportunities Unit at the University of Hong Kong started the “Fly for Equality” project with the aim of cultivating gender equality.

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“ The sport itself represents a value that has been treasured in our society.

”

Mr. Chris Lau Kwun-Shing

Chairperson of Hong Kong University Quiddictch Club

A fictional game invented by British author J.K. Rowling in her world-renowned Harry Potter series, which was subsequently brought to life by avid fans Xander Manshel and Alex Benepe of Middlebury College in 2005, the gender inclusive Quidditch game strives to raise awareness of gender equality and identity within different communities.

norms by competing in a friendly match with the Seoul Puffskeins from the Seoul National University of South Korea.

Equal Opportunities Unit at HKU, said that players of different physiques “can play Quidditch and have a bunch of fun.”

In June, the team made its first international championship appearance representing Hong Kong at the 2018 IQA World Cup held in Florence, Italy, winning a total of two games out of the six played.

“There’s just a role on the team for everyone,” she said.

“If you’re a more defensive player or more into the strategy of the game, then you can be a beater. If you’re more of a person who likes just running around and cause chaos, then you can be a chaser.”

Citing the equality aspect of Quidditch as her favourite part about the sport, Rebecca Wang, a team player for the HKU Quidditch team and a student ambassador for the

“There’s no one on the team who’s like been there forever and who easily dominates the competition. Everytime it’s

just a new game and a lot of fun,” she added.

However, part of the problem in promoting the game is that the name of the sport is strongly associated with Harry Potter. But Ms. Wang said you don’t have to be a Harry Potter fan to play the game.

“People might think that it is not a serious sport. They might just think that it is just a cosplay activity. But actually it’s a quite serious sport, especially in Europe or the United States,” said Mr. Lau, referring to professional

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championships and leagues such as the European Quidditch Club and The Quidditch Premier League.

“People play Quidditch not really because they are fans of Harry Potter. Because they either like the meaning of the sport, which is gender equality or they want to challenge themselves to a professional and exciting sport,” he said.

Keith Jones, another team member of the HKU Quidditch team and the vice-president of the Hong Kong Quidditch Association, said people can poke fun of the broomstick held between players’ legs.

The rules enacted by the International Quidditch Association requires all players to keep a makeshift ‘broomstick’ — usually a light metal bar — between their legs at all times during the game.

Yet, he said that the broom is what makes the sport more unique than other sports, such as rugby.

Players of the HKU Quidditch Club are positive about the future of Quidditch in the city.

“The thing about [Quidditch] is that every single time we have practice, we have new people coming in. And a lot of times people will hear about Quidditch not through HKU, but through other means like Facebook, joinups, forums,” said Ms. Wang.

“So I really hope it’s going to grow and I really do hope that in the future, there will be more university teams and more teams in general.”

Players of two opposing teams race towards the centre of the pitch for the volleyball and three volleyballs placed at the center of the court, after the referee announces the commencement of the match.

30 SPORTS

Expanding sports opportunities for youths with disabilities Reported by Rachel Yeo, Wallis Wang, Anna Kam, Phoebe Lai and Katherine Li Edited by Dorothy Ma, Vanessa Yung, Nadia Lam and Sammi Chan

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The Hong Kong Rugby Union Community Foundation has been running a deaf rugby programme since 2013, with more than 40 deaf athletes who attend weekly training sessions.

During a rugby tournament held in Happy Valley, 24-yearold coach Winnie Cheung Wing-yin gathered her team to discuss a variety of strategies to win the match.

Crowding together at the side of the field, the members watch intently as Ms. Cheung demonstrates strategies verbally, while also flailing her arms and mimicking ball throwing movements. Standing next to her was an interpreter helping to translate her spoken points through sign language.

Ms. Cheung is partially deaf and she is one of the Hong Kong Rugby Union’s oldest members and now coaches for the deaf rugby team, which

has 20 members. She was one of the first deaf participants to join the deaf rugby programme back in 2009.

Back then, she was still a pupil at Chun Tok School, one of the local deaf schools that cooperated with HKRU. Ms. Cheung currently receives funding from Laureus, a sports organisation that honours individuals and teams along with sporting achievements.

Her efforts throughout the years have landed her a career to work as a coach and develop the next generation of players for the deaf rugby team.

“Deaf rugby has changed me in many ways because I was able

to meet more people,” said Ms. Cheung.

According to the United Nations, engaging in sports has the potential to reduce such barriers as it can showcase an individual’s skill sets, which draws attention away from their disabilities.

However, people with disabilities are more likely to face discrimination and negative perceptions in society.

Through these stigmas, they may be excluded from opportunities which is vital for their social and physical development, including participating in sports.

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These barriers are universal.

In a study conducted by the Faculty of Education and Social Studies in Lillehammer University College, the most common form of barriers for people with disabilities include limited information, lack of opportunities or programmes to participate in trainings competition, as well as having a lack of accessible facilities.

Opportunities to take part in sports are also varied among different organisations and the type of disabilities of the youth.

Students with hearing impairments are also the most excluded to engage in sports through school or government programmes, compared to those with intellectual disabilities, motor disabilities or visual impairment, according to research by Dr. Stephen Hui Research Centre for Physical Recreation and Wellness in Hong Kong Baptist University.

In March 2013, the HKRU

established a community foundation to use rugby to promote positive influence for the local community.

The union currently runs a rugby programme with students from two local deaf schools.

The programme provides kits and money for coaches, while making sure there are facilities and other opportunities for students.

Funding for these programmes is achieved with sponsorships from major organisations.

Other than Laureus, the Deaf Rugby team also receives sponsorships from Standard Chartered, a British multinational bank.

Every player also receives a portion of the funding, and athletes can have opportunities to invest in equipment or travel to different countries to compete.

Stuart Martin Gunn, managing coach for the Deaf Rugby team, said that coaching deaf players mean that there are certain adaptations that are needed to be made.

“It is important to keep instructions as simple as possible and not try to give too much information at once,” Mr. Gunn shared.

“The players learn very quickly but they learn through seeing, so we have to focus on visual aids and make sure they see what’s going on.”

Despite these adaptations, there are still challenges for these athletes.

“I require to use my eyes more when I am playing rugby because I cannot hear well,” said Cheung Pui-man Mary, a hearing-impaired rugby player who plays in Ms. Cheung’s team.

Michael Tang Hoo-hin, another rugby player who is partially hearing-impaired, plays for both the deaf rugby and local rugby team.

Although his abilities are on par with his local rugby teammates, his hearing problems can pose a challenge during tournaments.

“When the referee blows the whistle (during local rugby games), I cannot hear why the referee is blowing it. I require my teammates to help me understand why the referee blew the whistle, which is especially important in full contact rugby,” said Mr. Tang.

Challenges aside, many of these players have found playing rugby boosted their well-being and confidence.

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with disabilities will stand to gain better support.

Non-government backed organisations are also in the midst of aiming to help people with disabilities.

Deaf rugby coach Winnie Cheung strategizes how her team members can win a rugby tournament in Happy Valley.

“Instead of hanging around purely with the deaf community, the players found confidence to meet other rugby players and get to meet new people and communicate with them through sport,” said Mr. Gunn.

Some organisations have recognised the stigma of developing disabled sports and are looking to change.

Friends of Asia is one of the sponsors for HKRU, and helped supported HKRU’s new funding partnership called “Tries for Friends”.

events for their sportsoriented beneficiaries.

“We will always choose a programme that will give the kids an opportunity to learn the sports programme,” said co-founder Helen Chan, who prefers to support non-profit programmes that aim to train people in sports, or not already sponsored by major organisations.

According to Ms. Chan, their efforts for raising money have been “successful”, thanks to the public’s support.

Established in 2014, Friends of Asia is a non-profit charity that raises funds for the trainings and opportunities for different athletes, especially kids.

Despite public support, there is still a need for better government support to allocate more resources for these youths.

Their vision is to promote sports through organising donations and fundraising

By providing more sports facilities and sports programmes, youth athletes

The Hong Kong Impaired Golf Association are among those private organisations that aid those who have disabilities to learn golf, with the aim to help them attain self-confidence, and parents of the golfers to physically see the children’s confidence improve with the help of HKIGA. “Sometimes they have trouble with concentration, we require more patience with the kids.” said founder Mr. Liu Kai Ming Gordan.

Mr. Liu is disappointed that the government does not provide support to these children in need.

“They can allocate us with more space so we are able to help the children with their golf development,” he said.

HKIGA is also one of the organisations that have funding from Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust program, where Hong Kong Jockey Club mainly provides the organisation with funding to aid them to be able to subsidise for the children’s golf courses. In 2017/2018 HKJC approved a total of $4.2 billion in donations of 222

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normally prefers to play single tennis but will occasionally play doubles with his family. “[Mr. Purdie] will encounter some issues when playing tennis as it takes him some more time than the average tennis player to understand some parts of tennis,” said Ms. Grace Cardagena, Mr. Purdie’s interpreter.

Sibling duo Caleb and Helen Chan from Friends of Asia believes that giving back to the community is important. With their passion for sports, they give opportunities for people of all backgrounds to pursue their desired sports.

projects, where HKIGA is one of the beneficiaries.

such as horse riding, swimming and bowling.

When it comes to children’s development, Jockey Club Sarah Roe School is a key school for English speaking children with special needs.

Participating in these sports generally makes them feel “happy”. Eva Veilleux, a 14-year-old student who has moderate learning difficulties, is one of the students who developed a passion in horse riding and dives occasionally with her family members.

Founded in 1986, the school specialises in aiding students develop in multiple aspects through sports.

Jenny Lingham, Vice Principal of Sarah Roe, expressed that “sports is a very well funded activity compared to other activities for children with special education needs.”

Speaking to a panel of six special needs students aged between 14 to 16 years old, these students have expressed their interests in various sports

Her favourite memory of diving was going to Maldives with her family.

Eva added that she trains at horse riding at Pok Fu Lam Riding School, where they cater to the public equestrianism interests.

Cole Purdie, an 18-year-old tennis player who has severe learning difficulties, said that he

“However, Mr. Purdie is very enthusiastic when it comes to playing tennis, as he is able to hear the sound of the tennis racket hit the ball which appeals to him,” she added.

While Ms. Lingham believes that sports is well provided financially wise, she believes more can always be done in other ways, such as providing more vocational work placements for students.

“That’s an ongoing area of work for us, we have arranged vocational work placements, which means students can access their vocational skills when they are with us, but there are (still) limited opportunities for when students leave school,” she said.

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