Good afternoon!  My name is Patrick Cheng.  I am an ordained minister with the Metropolitan Community Church, and I’m also an openly gay Chinese American man.  For nearly ten years, I have ministered to LGBT Asian Americans in New York City and across the country.

It means a lot to me to be here today, speaking about the Lunar New Year for All parade.  One of my happiest childhood memories was attending the Lunar New Year Parade in San Francisco with my family.  I can still see the lion and dragon dancers coming down Grant Avenue, hear the drums and music, smell the firecrackers, and taste the yummy dried coconut snacks!  For one night each year, we all came together as one big family and showed our ethnic and cultural pride to the city and to the world.

Recently, a number of misguided Asian American Christians have used homophobia, fear tactics, and outright lies as a way of dividing our families and communities.  Not only is this morally repulsive, but it also inflicts great suffering upon our own sisters and brothers.

*  I think about the Korean American lesbian who was threatened with physical violence by her parents and siblings after she came out.

*  I think about the spiritually gifted Chinese American man who was rejected by his church community just because he was gay.

*  And I think about the many LGBT young people of faith who are terrified of coming out to their families and communities because of their fears of discrimination and rejection.

But there is hope.  I have been blessed with a wonderfully supportive family during the nearly twenty years that I’ve been out to them.  In fact, my late grandmother, Wai-Puo, always treated my partner as if he were my spouse.  She would cook delicious food for him, and she would give him a red envelope every year for the Lunar New Year.  She really set the example for my entire extended family!  My mom carries on Wai-Puo’s legacy today by coming all the way from Virginia just to be here with us this morning.

Homophobia is not a family value, a religious value, or an Asian American value.  LOVE is!  And that’s why I’m so excited that the Lunar New Year parade this year will truly be a celebration for ALL!  Thank you.

About the Rev. Patrick Cheng

The Rev. Patrick S. Cheng is an ordained minister with the Metropolitan Community Church and has ministered to the LGBTQ Asian American community for the past decade. Patrick recently completed his Ph.D. degree in systematic theology from Union Theological Seminary, an affiliate of Columbia University. Patrick is also a graduate of Yale College and Harvard Law School. He lives in New York City with Michael, his partner of 18 years, and their six-month old puppy. For more information about Patrick, see http://www.patrickcheng.net

女士們,先生們 各位好:

我的名字是鄭舒甸娜,今年年底我將是七十老婦.我是一位平凡的婦女,在前夫(他剛去世二年)愛護之下婚後從來未做過事一生的職業就是家庭主婦,性情內向,平靜的在家做一位稱職的好妻子及好母親. 有二位兒子,大兒子就是這位牧師:鄭書祥Patrick Cheng二兒子住在美西,與太太有二位非常可愛的男孩 – 我的孫子

書祥自小非常聰明,聴話及討人喜愛. 從幼稚園到法學院總是名列前茅. 在漸漸 成長中我們知道他的性向是同性戀,十分驚訝! 我們自己都要接受這沒有想到的事實,慢慢學習,認識這方面的常識. 但也開始隱藏許多與朋友談話時的資料,做人很痛苦與無耐當然經過大約二十多年來的經歷我已勇敢的接受及可以為Patrick站起與朋友討論. Patrick 平時糊口的職業是律師,他必須以最誠實的態度對待社會及客戶,所以他不能做一位隱瞞事實的雙面人. 他決定當openly gay. 在那時代是很困難的應付社會評擊他們這種人. 他又年青,沒有前例可依,孤單無助,我做毋親的儘量聽他的委屈,他學問比我們高深,只有以愛護關心來安慰他.

同性戀的人大多數人都很天性善良,友愛. 文學上很優秀,在藝術方面更是有天份. 我有位朋友就是在N.Y.華人藝術界中很有發揚中國藝術的功臣. 我每次來訪紐約去教堂聚會, 書祥的朋友們對我好親熱,也羨慕他的父毋如此開明 – 理解他,支持他.有些孩子們被父母趕出,支身在外,非常苦腦. 我曾在Gay Pride Day遊行,在Patrick and Michael’s Union 中當過主婚人. 臨聼NYC Gay Men’s Chorus出色表演後大家都親熱的與我打招呼及稱讚我兒子好. 我覺得我很幸運認識這些 “好人”.

Patrick and Michael 同伴已有十八年久. 倆人很恩愛,體貼. 我去訪時,旁觀,他們總有説不完的話. Michael 稱呼我 “媽媽”. 在先夫臨終時牽著他的手說:”爸爸,我們一定會替你好好照顧媽媽!”.

我在二年前送走了我心愛丈夫上天,我自己已進入黄昏的年齡,餘時不多. 我為了愛我的兒子義不容辭的站起來見証: (否則誰會幫他?….也許我小兒子!) 呯籲中國同胞改變觀念:同性戀是天生的. 不是選擇的. 我們都是上天的子女,不管貧富,人種及性向請尊重他們,人生短促,為何要逼人過甚的讓別人沒有一個無憂無慮的人生?

我很感謝本年主辦中國城新年遊行的主管部門,首次歡迎LGBTQ group 參新年遊行. 中國傳統過年是全家快樂團聚的個大節日,正如父母迎接遠行的兒女回家團圓,這是多麼好的舉動,讓LGBTQ 終於有歸屬感.  謝謝.  恭喜各位新年如意.

About Mrs. Deanna Cheng

Mrs. Deanna Cheng is the proud mother of two sons and has two beautiful grandsons. She grew up in Taiwan and Hong Kong and moved to the United States in 1970 with her late husband Richard, to whom she was married for 40 years. Deanna worked as a secretary to Sir Run Run Shaw at Shaw Studios in Hong Kong and later at an accounting firm. She has also done volunteer work in hospitals. Deanna loves classical music and needlework, and she is fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese, and Shanghainese. She even has a Facebook page!

http://ny.stgloballink.com/community/201001/t20100131_1263335.html Click to View the Article Online

Click picture for larger image of print copy.

Read the Article Online: http://chinese.usqiaobao.com/2010-02/01/content_350824.htm

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World Journal Story

Excerpt from World Journal (article on the website) from the press conference:

曼哈坦華埠農曆新春大遊行今年將首次迎來一支代表亞太裔LGBT（男同志、女同志、雙性戀者、變性者）社群的遊行隊伍。隊伍發言人佟憶平30日表示，中國新年是親人團聚，也是社區團聚的時刻，希望藉參加這次新春大遊行的機會，提高亞裔家庭對同性戀者的了解和反歧視意識，能讓各式各樣的家庭都能和睦團圓。

佟憶平說，他們組成的LGBT社群遊行不僅得到婦女組織Asian Women Giving’s Circle的資助，更得到市主計長劉醇逸、市議長柯魁英以及多位文化界和法律界人士的背書。新春遊行組委、繁榮華埠總會會長田士銳則表示，華埠社區會以包容的精神歡迎他們的參與。

LGBT遊行隊伍將約有50人，也有不少華裔支持者從外州趕來參加，他們將以「接納同性戀，用愛關懷」為主題，代表喜慶的中國紅為主色，配以彩旗、鯉魚旗和長達40呎的鳳凰模型參加遊行。這批遊行者大多來自數個為亞裔LGBT爭取權益的機構，包括亞裔女同志組織Q-Wave、Project Reach、亞太男同志會。此外多個華裔社區組織，如紐約美華協會、華策會，以及紐約日、韓裔社區代表也會加入這支隊伍，共慶農曆新年。

For Immediate Release

Contact: Irene Tung, 718-755-6750 (cell), itirenetung@gmail.com

In the Wake of Asian Christian Attacks on Gays During the Proposition 8 Trial, Groups To Announce First-Ever Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Contingent In Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade

Gay Chinese American Ordained Minister, His Mother, Chinese American Transgender Youth and Others To Speak About Why They Are Marching

What: Press conference to announce the participation of a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Contingent in New York’s Lunar New Year Parade for the first time in the parade’s 11-year history. Organizers herald the inclusion of an LGBTQ contingent in the parade as a major breakthrough for the visibility of LGBTQ people in the Asian American community. Organizers hope to draw attention to the ways that homophobia and discrimination continue to divide Asian American families and communities. Given that Lunar New Year is a time when families come together to strengthen communities, LGBTQ people are joining the Lunar New Year parade this year to challenge homophobia and honor all the different kinds of families within their communities.

In past years, LGBTQ people have been excluded from marching in other ethnic celebrations in New York City such as the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade and the India Day Parade. The first day of the Lunar New Year is February 14th, 2010. The Lunar New Year Chinatown parade will take place the following Sunday on February 21st and is estimated will attract up to 400,000 spectators. Lunar New Year is traditionally celebrated in Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Tibetan and Mongolian cultures.

Who:

Patrick Cheng, gay Minister

Deanna Cheng, mother of Patrick Cheng

Jamie Tam, Chinese American transgender 21 year-old

Q-Wave

Gay Asian Pacific Islander Men of New York, (GAPIMNY)

Project Reach

When: Press conference – 12 Noon, Saturday January 30, 2010

Where: Chatham Square, the intersection of East Broadway, Bowery, and Mott Street

Take F to East Broadway, N R or 6 to Canal Street

*Photo Opportunity: Giant Rainbow Fish Puppets, a symbol of good fortune in the Lunar New Year* *Interviews in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, Vietnamese and Japanese available upon request.*