Welcome to the second episode of “Exploring the LGBTQ+ Society at British Universities”. This time we go to the University of Sheffield, and interview Elmo.
“探秘英國高校LGBTQ+社團”之旅來到了第二期，這壹次我們前往謝菲爾德大學。但比較特別的是，我們這期的嘉賓 – 大毛，活躍在謝菲爾德大學LGBTQ+社團的同時，借助在曼城實習的契機TA還創立了壹個東亞LGBTQ+族群的組織。
嘉賓：大毛 Guest – Elmo
性別認同為non-binary（非二元性別），2018年秋季來到謝菲爾德大學攻讀 MSc international social change and policy, 曾長期參與同誌運動的壹名臺灣人。
Gender identity is non-binary, came to the University of Sheffield to study MSc International Social Change and Policy in the autumn of 2018. A Taiwanese who has long participated in LGBTQ+ rights movement.
😛Q1：大毛妳好，能給我們介紹下妳學校的LGBT+社團嗎？Hello Elmo, can you tell us about the LGBT+ society in your university?
✨大毛：The LGBT+ Committee是謝菲爾德大學學生會裏壹個為LGBT+學生提供福利支持、社交機會和活動的學生小組。他們不是壹個社團，因此不需要註冊或支付會員費用。
The LGBT+ Committee is a student-led group that provides welfare support, social opportunities, and campaigning platforms for all LGBT+ students. It is not a society, so you do not have to sign up or pay for membership.
I enrolled in September 2018. In fact, I have been looking for LGBT+ society since the start of the university. I found them in October. They gathered in a place that was not easy to find. This place was their society office which was quite small. Free tea and coffee provided.
過了大概半年，The LGBT+ Committee搬到了更大的辦公室，叫做LGBT Lounge，空間比原來的大三四倍，桌子書櫃沙發都是新的，有空的話妳可以去那休息喝tea或coffee，還有書籍和性別相關影片提供。
About half a year later, The LGBT+ Committee moved to a larger office called LGBT Lounge. The new space is three or four times larger than the original one. The tables, bookcases and sofas are all new. If you have time, you can go there to relax and drink tea or coffee. Books and gender-related videos are available.
😛Q2: 那妳有參加他們的活動嗎？體驗如何？Did you participate in their events?
✨大毛：The LGBT+ Committee每周有兩場社交活動，壹場在禮拜五中午12點，大家壹起喝咖啡、吃餅幹、聊天。而還有壹場在禮拜二晚上，地點在學生會裏壹間叫bar one的酒吧。如果妳不喜歡喝酒，可以選擇去周五那場。除此之外，每一到兩個月會辦壹次社團出遊，比如說租輛小巴士壹起去曼徹斯特的同誌村(gay village)。三月份原本組織了要去希布頓莊園(Shibden Hall, 坐落在西約克郡）, 但是因為疫情取消了。在希布頓莊園裏有展出被稱為“第壹個現代女同性戀”- 安妮·李斯特(Anne Lister)的相關物品，因此我本來還對這次旅行充滿期待的。
The LGBT+ Committee hosts two social events a week, one at 12 noon on Friday, where people drink coffee, eat cookies and chat. And there is another on Tuesday night in Bar One located at the building of Student Union. If you dislike alcohol, you can choose to go to the Friday event. In addition, there is a society outings every month or two, such as hiring a minibus to go to the gay village in Manchester. A trip to Shibden Hall in West Yorkshire was originally planned in March, but it was cancelled due to the epidemic. I had been looking forward to the trip, as there were some exhibits about Anne Lister, known as “the first modern lesbian”, at Shibden Hall.
When I first went to the event, I was the only Asian face (East Asian), which made me feel unhappy. So I took my friend (Winnie), and Winnie took her classmate, so there were three Asian people in total. We had a common feeling that it was quite difficult to fit into the European conversation. For example, when they were talking, the language barrier made it difficult for us to understand quickly. I tried my best to follow their conversation but it was still hard. The feeling they gave us was indifferent, but I could understand that they did not mean it. Maybe they just didn’t understand East Asian culture and were very strange to the Far East, so they didn’t know what to talk about.
😛Q3：是什麽促使妳想成立壹個東亞LGBTQ+組織？What inspired you to establish an East Asian LGBTQ+ group?
Then something happened. In Taiwan’s 2018 referendum, there were ten proposals, five of which were related to LGBTQ+ rights. In fact, I have been involved in LGBTQ+ rights movement for more than seven years. Therefore, after caming to the UK, I was also very concerned about the situation in Taiwan. I was very worried that the result of the referendum would violate equal rights.
Later, I initiated a joint signing campaign in the student union, set up a stall, and invited passersby sign and express their support for the same-sex marriage referendum. I found that no matter whether it were Asians from Taiwan, Macau, Hong Kong or the mainland, they hardly stopped. Instead, many Europeans, Americans and Latinos came to our stall and took pictures to support us. One supporter said that he/she/they was very grateful that we were here, otherwise he/she/they wouldn’t have known LGBTQ+ rights situation in East Asia. I wonder if Western Europeans have false illusions that human rights in the Far East are very backward?
But when I took the sign to the LGBT Lounge, things didn’t go so well. After lobbying, few people were willing to take pictures. My friend and I decided to persuade them one by one, but things didn’t get any better. They might think it was none of their businesses. If a foreigner came to me with a sign and said that their country would hold a referendum on gay marriage next week, and hoped that we could take a photo to show support, I would definitely agree. But then I wondered if they didn’t know anything about Taiwan. Anyway, I think the visibility of East Asian LGBT+ is very low in the student union.
It was because these similar things gradually accumulated, so later I felt the need to establish an East Asian LGBTQ+ community.
😛Q4：能給我們介紹下妳成立的組織嗎？Can you tell us about the group you established?
✨大毛：在建立東亞社群idea時，不是因為已經有了二十幾個亞洲同誌朋友才成立的。2019年初我在曼城的LGBT Foundation實習，這家非營利組織無償租借空間給我，於是我在臉書上創立了 East Asian LGBTQ+ Social Group，然後會組織壹些實體的(線下)活動，比如壹起來品嘗臺灣茶，同誌電影放映會，玩桌遊。征得主管同意後，我用LGBT Foundation的場所來舉辦East Asian LGBT Social Group的活動，因此活動地點都是在曼城。
When I had an idea of establishing the East Asian queer community, it was not because there were already dozens of Asian queer friends. In early 2019, I was an intern at the LGBT Foundation, a nonprofit organization in Manchester that was willing to rent the space to me for free, so I founded the East Asian LGBTQ+ Social Group on Facebook. Then I organized some offline events, such as Taiwanese tea tasting, queer film screenings and board games night. After obtaining the consent of the manager, I used LGBT Foundation venues to host the East Asian LGBT Social Group events, so our group members were based in Manchester.
😛Q5: 活動參與人數多嗎? How many participants usually?
Most of the participants were Taiwanese, the second most were mainlanders, and several Filipinos. What impressed me the most was an old gay man in his 70s who shared with us the LGBT stories in the Qing imperial court. We all felt surprised. Also, I rarely knew such an old gay, as Chinese.
There are not many participants in our events, so it is actually where I feel quite upset and frustrated. I have organized seven to eight events totally. There are only twelve people at most and many of them are my friends.
😛Q6: 妳覺得参与人数少是什麽原因？What do you think is the reason for the small number of participants?
We posted events only on Facebook, and we didn’t spend money on advertising, so it may not reach many people. Then I thought for a long time, is this community just my imagination? In other words, the LGBT population of the East Asia may not have social needs in the UK? I still can’t figure it out and feel confused. At the beginning, I assumed that there would be a demand for social contact among East Asian LGBTQ+ diaspora. However, I also understand that my internship is only three months. In such a short period, it is difficult to establish a mature community.
😛Q7: 妳在LGBT Foundation實習最深刻的感受是什麽？
✨大毛：印象最深的是他們辦公室很大，有三到四層，空間蠻多，辦公室放眼望去有四十多位員工，盡管很多都不是全職，但正職應該有二十位以上。這讓我大開眼界，因為就算臺灣最有名的同誌社團-同誌咨詢熱線，他們正職員工才七～八個人，其他都是志工。我真的沒看到過壹個同誌組織有三～四十位員工，規模如此巨大。而且同誌咨詢熱線的辦公室才只有壹層樓。這讓我覺得臺灣的同志運動在資源缺乏, 人力短缺的狀態下，還艱辛咬牙的走了這麼久這麼遠，覺得鼻酸。 不過，我也體會到台灣的同運團體還有好多業務發展的空間與彈性。畢竟曼城的LGBT Foundation 1975年創立，已有45年歷史。
✨Many Many Many thanks for Elmo!✨