“Are you local Chinese?” – Sexual racism and racial preferences within the LGBTQ Community

“Some might argue that raising this problem within the gay community could “hurt” the movement. But this begs the question as to who this movement is for? Is it only the Chinese majority? When s377A is eventually repealed, who will enjoy the “freedom to love” and who cannot?” – Daryl Yang

What is this damn obsession about?

This is a common question faced by LGBTQ minorities on dating apps in Singapore. On 19 March 2022, a Twitter user compiled these responses and asked “What is this damn obsession about?” In case you’re lost, “chin” refers to the Chinese race, and not what separates your lips and your neck. Although, it is sometimes a little fun to throw in a little jibe when confronted with the million-dollar-question, like this Twitter user did.

His post received more than 50 retweens and quote tweets. Many Twitter users shared that they have been on the receiving end of such questions too.

Fred revealed that as a result of receiving such messages when he was 18 and “figuring things out“, he had to put in a lot of work to resolve the race-based trauma.

Adit called out “progressive” Singaporean guys who still base their standards on conventional standards of attraction. He called their attitude towards racial minorities “deplorable”

One Twitter user, Beezlebub, wondered if repealing 377A would change anything in respect of sexual racism. He also told “pick me” minorities that having a partner from the majority race does not make them better. Nor does it give them the right to look down on others.

Academic Research on Sexual Racism in the LGBT Community

Daryl Yang, a graduate student at UC Berkeley, drew attention to a recently-published academic paper on Sexual Racism in Grinder. It as published by 3 NTU students – Ming Wei Ang, Justin Ching Keng Tan and Chen Lou. The paper noted that sexual racism has caused racial minorities to internalize their subordination and attempt to pass as Chinese. Daryl observed that this was “deeply ironic” as “gay equality is supposed to be about the freedom to be our authentic selves”. Daryl then made reference to another paper, which made reference to how some within the community “subjugate” others on the basis of “racial preferences”.

Does having racial preferences make you a racist?

This is a question that has surfaced again and again. It is not a question limited to the LGBT community.

Minister Shanmugam, for example, takes the view that racial preferences cross the line into racism if such preferences are overt and/or imposed on others. We think it is also important to interrogate the reasons underlying such “preferences”.

For those who argue that having dating or sexual preferences based on race isn't racist. I ask you to interrogate the reasons for your "preference".

Where does this "preference" for one race over another stem from? What are the underlying reasons for this "preference". — Wake Up Singapore (@wakeupsg) August 1, 2021 In Daryl’s view, racial preferences are invariably racist.

“These “racial preferences” are also invariably racist even if one claims that they are not, because they’re often based on (a) a racial hierarchy that classifies some races as superior/ inferior to others and (b) racial stereotypes that circulate in SG society generally.”

This “hierarchy” was also observed in the study of sexual racism in Grindr, which showed that local Chinese are the most desirable, followed by whites, Malays, and Indians. The paper also featured an anecdote on sexual racism by an Indian bartender in a Singaporean queer bar.

A difficult, but necessary, conversation

Does the freedom to love include the freedom for gays to racially discriminate so blatantly? While repealing s 377A is impt, sexual racism is an equally, if not more, impt issue for the LGBTQ movement to grapple with how queer racial minorities are doubly subjugated. A : 1/5 https://t.co/cTEH8pApcd

— Daryl Yang (@DarylWJYang) March 20, 2022 Daryl Yang ended his 6-tweet Twitter thread by noting that some may argue that this conversation would “hurt” the LGTBQ movement. “When 377A is finally repealed, who will enjoy the “freedom to love” and who cannot?” he asked. Racism must be addressed, even within marginalised communities. Pink Dot SG, Singapore’s largest and most mainstream LGBTQ group, has repeatedly called out racial discrimination, both within and outside of the community. We end with a quote from Daryl:

“While repealing s 377A is important, sexual racism is an equally, if not more, important issue for the LGBTQ movement to grapple with how queer racial minorities are doubly subjugated”

---

This article was first published in Wake Up Singapore!