What do fitness trainer Hero Tai (戴祖雄), TV host Liang Che (亮哲), actors Yu Gao (高廷宇) and Sky Li (利晴天) and model Paul Hsu (許騰方) have in common? They are all good-looking men with hot bodies, of course. But they are also “dream dates” (夢中情人) for gay men, according to a survey conducted by Kangxi’s Coming (康熙來了), a variety show co-hosted by openly gay Kevin Tsai (蔡康永).
“I am so happy about the outcome,” Tai chirped after taking top honors.
“Keeping in good shape is not easy,” he added after some respondents praised his firm abs. “It is good to know that people admire my body. I feel that all the hard work has paid off.”
Photo courtesy of Kadokawa
Gao, who came third behind Tai and Liang, said that it was a pity he missed the top spot.
“I should work a little harder this year to boost my popularity in the gay market,” the actor said.
DREAM DATE SURVEYS
Photo courtesy of B’in Music
The purpose of the survey was to determine which male celebrities are the most popular within the gay community. The results, which were released in front of the contestants during an episode that was aired in December last year, also help raise awareness about gay issues.
Meanwhile, a report in the Apple Daily (蘋果日報) released a top-10 list of "tiancai" (天菜) — "heavenly dishes" or ideal types — for gay men in November last year. The list included some big names in show business, including actors Takeshi Kaneshiro (金城武), Joseph Chang (張孝全), Chris Wang (宥勝), Godfrey Gao (高以翔) and singer Wang Leehom (王力宏).
For lesbians, surveys show that singer Rene Liu (劉若英) is their top fantasy lover because of her neat appearance and elegant demeanor — though her popularity has taken a hit since getting married and giving birth.
Other lesbian dream dates include Hong Kong singer Denise Ho (何韻詩), pop diva A-mei (張惠妹), singer Hebe Tien (田馥甄), entertainer Rainie Yang (楊丞琳) and even Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), who earned praise for her professional image and work ethic.
Such surveys, and the discussions they provoke, reflect changing attitudes toward lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBTs).
Homosexuality, once a taboo subject, hit the mainstream when director Ang Lee (李安) made it a prominent theme in his 1993 movie The Wedding Banquet (囍宴). Lee has since made two other movies, Brokeback Mountain and Taking Woodstock, that also tackle gay themes.
In 1996, the Tongzhi Space Action Network (同志空間行動陣線) organized the Gay Rainbow Lovers’ Week (同志彩虹情人週) in Taipei, which included a carnival and a poll for “top 10 dream dates,” effectively boosting the visibility of the LGBT community and pushing the government, media and public to acknowledge their existence.
“It was probably the first time that Taiwan’s LGBTs managed to achieve the goal of ‘out in culture’ [or cultural acceptance] on a large scale, as gay culture successfully borrowed the polling practice from mainstream culture,” said Eric Luo (羅敬堯), a researcher at National Chiao Tung University.
As society has become more open and tolerant, the media are more willing to tackle gay issues. Tsai, the charismatic and witty writer-turned-TV host who came out publicly in 2001, has helped to create a positive image for homosexuals.
In recent years, LGBT roles have appeared on screen, mostly portrayed in a positive way. Celebrities are generally happy to be named dream dates because the public impression is that gays and lesbians have good taste.
CAREER BOOST
This situation benefits everyone. As the LGBT community receives greater support from celebrities, many of whom are influential opinion makers, celebrities benefit from broad media exposure and increased popularity in the growing gay market.
Take Tai for example. The Malaysian fitness coach’s career has soared since he was named the top dream date last year. Greater media exposure has ensured that his just-published picture book keeps selling out. Currently in its sixth printing, it is a must-have object in the gay community.
Tai also recently signed a NT$1 million contract with a cosmetics company to endorse its skincare products. It’s difficult to imagine that he could have achieved this level of popularity in Malaysia, where Human Rights Watch reports discrimination against the LGBT community is pervasive.
Since becoming a gay icon, Tai says that he wants to do more to promote gay rights.
When asked if he supported same-sex marriage, Tai said: “A persons’ sexual orientation should not bar them from forming a family.”
Taiwan’s LGBT community has made considerable strides over the past few decades, and it is encouraging to see that for most people, homosexuality is no longer a taboo subject. Today, celebrities openly court the LGBT community, and it is common for them to show public support for gay rights, despite the opposition of some homophobic Christian celebrities and entertainers. Hopefully, society will be able to face the existence of homosexuals rationally and take a healthy attitude toward their sexual desire.
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