THE COMMUNITY & C U LT U R E
A DVO C AT E I SS UE
CONTENT
THE ADVOCATE ISSUE
COMMUNITY & C U LT U R E
09
Get Up, Stand Up
11
Pink Season
13
The Advocates
21
Community Spotlight
26
Miles of Love
33
Where are all the bi boys at?
Advocate noun 1. a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy. 2. a person who puts a case on someone else's behalf.
C OV E R I MAGE
Kasper Forest ÂŤ IN S ID E A R T
Ha Yat Sing
We interrogate the director of Asia's largest LGBT+ festival An introduction to our featured advocates and charity ›groups We put a spotlight on one of HK's hardest working communities Read about the advocates working to disrupt gay travel
Asks Sean P. Smith, this issue's guest columnist
v e rb 1. publicly recommend or support.
Find out what rights we're standing up for at PLUG
34
The Unsung Heroes
37
Exhibitionists
42
Resources
About the power of finding your voice and singing your song Meet the artists selling their work to raise money for charity Find out how to get in touch and view our online content
www .
plugmagazine .
com C O N TA C T
info@plug-magazine.com editor@plug-magazine.com
PUBLISHING DIRECTOR
Timothy Loo timothy@plug-magazine.com ONLINE DIRECTOR
John Gil john@plug-magazine.com COMMUNITY DIRECTOR
Josie Mitchell
S T AY C O N N E C T E D . Find us online to stay in touch and up to date with content, events, and what we have in store for our faithful PLUG followers.
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INS TAGRAM
What are we fighting for? It’s ingrained in the LGBT+ community, because we've always been advocating- for visibility, for inclusion, for equal rights, for respect. We’ve come a long way, and still have a long road ahead. For this issue, and our brand new CultureFest event in October, we explored what happens when we turn that advocacy outward, beyond just our immediate community. We’ve earned our bottomless brunches and pride parades, but could we also leverage our privilege to help other communities in need? After all, we only stand to benefit from exercising empathy. The Advocate Issue is dedicated to people empowering others through cultural expression. This includes the young, local LGBT+ artists featured in full-page throughout the magazine, and the NGO’s and charity groups supporting underrepresented communities. These are the artists and groups that we selected to showcase at CultureFest. We hope you enjoy this issue and always remember to first advocate for yourself!
Timothy
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Get up, stand up, Stand up for your rights We started PLUG in 2013 as a magazine and alternative events organizer for the LGBT+ community. Naturally, we started embedding in as many corners of the community as possible, networking with existing groups, educating ourselves on causes, meeting advocates. You could say we plugged right in, and never stopped printing our magazine or running events. Since then, we’ve developed a clear mission for our advocacy- key issues that directly affect Hong Kong’s LGBT+ community and benefit the whole city, because we all rise by lifting others.
This is what PLUG advocates for in Hong Kong. Comprehensive Sexual Education in Schools “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world,” said Nelson Mandela. We need to equip our youth with age- and culturally appropriate sexual health information in a safe environment. Research proves effective sex ed reduces sexual risk-taking and better prepares individuals for navigating their own sexuality and identity. Government Funded LGBT+ Community Center There is no LGBT+ focused community center with stable funding from the government for sexual minorities at risk of neglect, discrimination, harassment or violence. This crucial work is left to groups and individuals desperately trying to fill the gap, which is no easy task in a city full of communities in need. 8
PLUG MAGZAZINE
Anti-Discrimination Legislation In 2018, the law still does not protect people from discrimination based on sexual orientation. This also means that there is no legal process to follow if someone has been the victim of this type of discrimination. In addition to obvious legal protection from discrimination, studies have shown introducing such legislation has a positive knock-on effect on other issues for sexual minorities, like curbing rising HIV rates.
What about you? If you've joined us for CultureFest, use the card at the back of the magazine to tell us what you are advocating for! Follow the instructions on the card and leave us your answer on the day of the event.
Marriage Equality Progress was made this year towards equal rights for same-sex couples with the provision of dependent visas. But same-sex couples are still not treated as equal- our marriages are invalidated, our adoptions are prohibited, our families are excluded, our love is questioned. Surveys prove that public sentiment towards same-sex marriage rights has shifted in recent years, and the majority of people support equality in this respect.
Most people think Great God will come from the skies Take away everything And make everybody feel high But if you know what life is worth You will look for yours on earth And now you see the light You stand up for your rights. Jah! - Bob Marley
9
Celebrating THE LGBT+ COMMUNITY
www•pinkseason•hk
PINK SEASON
We spoke with Philip HowellWilliams, the director of Pink Season for the third year in a row, about volunteering to run Asia’s largest LGBT+ festival. Planning 6 weeks of events and getting them funded is no simple task, It takes months of planning, lots of late nights, and more than a few therapy beers. We wanted to know, is he a sucker for punishment or another of Hong Kong’s many busy advocates?
PHILIP HOW E L L-WI L L I AM S Director of Pink Season 2018
What is Pink Season advocating for this year? The theme for 2018 is supporting and giving back to the community. Over the last few years, we’ve built upon a solid foundation of educational seminars. We have great relationships with other NGO’s. A lot of the education is there to help people in various situations, whether it be in their career or dealing with depression and how to find help. We are also reaching out to minority groups within the community this year through events like the CultureFest art weekend.
You're probably not allowed to pick a favourite event, but what are you really excited about this year? I’m really excited about the whole season. There are so many great events! I’m really looking forward to the drag workshops and the art weekend. I always love Out in the Open, not just because it means all of the hard work is out of the way, but because we have some amazing surprises in store and a new format for this headlining event.
What's new for Pink Season 2018? We brought back a lot of the old favourites, like the Variety Show, Sports Day and Out in the Open, but they are bigger and better this year! We added a lot of new events, like an amazing series of drag queen workshops where people can learn this wonderful art form for free. We have expanded the range of the educational seminars. We have revived the family day at Disneyland. The art Tuesday events from last year have been condensed into an incredible weekend of culture. We have even introduced an event about computer gaming for everyone to enjoy.
Congratulations on winning the Community Business Impact Award last year! Other than awards, what keeps you coming back for more, year after year? I’ve loved watching PS grow and develop over the years. Although it’s a massive amount of work that not everyone is cut out for, being able to guide that development has been really enjoyable. I have made great friends while working on all of the events and it’s been really fun, believe it or not!
11
LGBT+ ARTIST SHOWCASE
Kitty Wong "Freddie", 2017 IG @kittywong
COMMUNITY
Our Advocates
Photo: AIDS Concern
“I know you can't live on hope alone; but without hope, life is not worth living. So you, and you and you: you got to give them hope; you got to give them hope.” ― Harvey Milk Please allow us the pleasure to introduce you to our featured advocates and communities.
13
COMMUNITY
AIDS Concern
AIDS Concern was established in 1990 as the first non-government charity organisation committed to the service of AIDS care in Hong Kong. The founders were a group of volunteers from different backgrounds dedicated to improving living standards for people with HIV and to stop the spread of HIV. We strongly believe that the key to effectively stop the spread of HIV is establishing close communication with communities most vulnerable to transmission and exposure. CHALLENGES
According to our experience, one of the biggest challenges to our mission is the social stigma and discrimination that people living with HIV face, which directly affects their treatments and quality of life. That’s why we invest our resources into providing public health education and awareness programs to create a more supportive society by eliminating misconceptions about HIV/ AIDS. NEEDS
We need donations to finance HIV prevention services. MOTIVATION
Art Women Refugee Union
Art Women is a cooperative of female refugee artists who are learning to make arts and crafts together. Through creative arts, they are able to gain empowering vocational and life skills as well as a means of navigating trauma. Items purchased help the refugee and asylum seeker community in Hong Kong. CHALLENGES
Our biggest challenges are racial discrimination and stigma towards refugees, limited vocational and educational learning opportunities, limited opportunities to improve their lives in Hong Kong due to restrictive policies. NEEDS
We need greater visibility and a platform for refugees, particular refugee women, to engage with a wider audience and share their talents with the wider community. MOTIVATION
As refugees have very few opportunities at their disposal, and subject to a lot of xenophobia, it is meaningful to be able to give women a chance to steer their destiny and learn new skills while waiting in legal limbo in Hong Kong.
We can give a helping hand to people most in need if we have an open society which supports early testing and treatment.
Facebook: ArtWomenHK
aidsconcern.org.hk
Blobs and Brushes is a mobile painting studio which aims to bring the community together through art jamming. Since 2017, we have reached
14
Blobs and Brushes
A D V O C AT E S
A dress made by Art Women Refugee Union; a painting session in the park with Blobs and Brushes; members of AIDS Concern at their Pink Dot booth to support regular STI testing.
15
COMMUNITY
"Over 70 countries around the world criminalise same-sex love and 10 have the death penalty. That alone puts fire in my belly every day and night to do this work." - Bess H, Planet Ally
Making jewellery at Art Women Refugee Union; and a group of friends from Rainbow of Hong Kong.
15
A D V O C AT E S
out and served children and adults in various communities including the refugee community and children with learning difficulties. CHALLENGES
One of our challenges is sourcing eco-friendly art supply. NEEDS
We are self-funded so donations of art supply would be helpful. MOTIVATION
NEEDS
Finding and attracting amazing professional volunteers keen to be part of something a little more long term. MOTIVATION
Over 70 countries around the world criminalise same-sex love and 10 have the death penalty. That alone puts fire in my belly every day and night to do this work, I am humbled and privileged to support and champion so many global human rights defenders tirelessly showing up every day for their communities and country.
We love everything about the creating process, and watching parents and children bond through art jamming.
www.planetally.org
blobsandbrushes.com
Rainbow of Hong Kong operates the only LGBT Community Centre in Hong Kong. Our services provided to the community include domestic violence emergency support, legal support, blood testing, counseling, a hotline, education, outreach to marginalized LGBT+ communities and HIV intervention.
Planet Ally
Founded in 2016, our mission is to build a planet of allies. As a leading non-profit dedicated to empowering allyship, we give people the resources and tools to advance human rights and help build stronger, more resilient communities. Our flagship events are the APAC Rainbow Families Forum, Miles of Love, LGBT+ Travel Advocacy Forum and the Human Dignity Festival. Across APAC and MENA, we empower communities online, on the ground and when travelling. "We want to live on a planet of allies!" CHALLENGES
We are operationally only 1 person and a lot of fab volunteers! We are not funded so rely on some innovative HK hustle and possibly karma to pull things off!
Rainbow of Hong Kong
CHALLENGES
Our biggest challenge is acquiring funding to support services needed by the community, particularly in situations where individuals are encountering crisis. NEEDS
Currently, Rainbow of Hong Kong is in most need of funding to serve the LGBT+ community’s needs. MOTIVATION
There is no anti-discrimination legal protection in Hong Kong. Living in the 16
COMMUNITY
LGBT+ community, we believe solidarity and action make the difference for improving the lives of people in the community. rainbowhk.org An art exhibition by RainLily.
RainLily
Set up in 2000, RainLily is the first rape crisis centre in Hong Kong. RainLily offers female victims of sexual violence one-stop crisis intervention service, providing pregnancy prevention, sexually transmitted infections screening and treatment, forensic medical examination, psychological support and legal process accompaniment. Every year, RainLily provides intervention service to over 200 victims and handles over 2,000 hotline calls. Our Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Legal Clinic provides free legal consultation with pro-bono lawyer for ALL VICTIMS of GBV (LGBTQ+ Friendly).
SRACP - Mercury III Project
The Society of Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention provides AIDS and blood-borne diseases prevention education services. We also have a testing service for HIV, Syphilis, Hepatitis B & C, along with free condom and lubricant distribution. Our service users are predominately members of the LGBT+ community, sex workers and their clients, drug users and prisoners. Depending on finding, we are also able to do outreach and bring awareness programs right to our target communities. CHALLENGES
CHALLENGES
We’re constantly fighting discrimination and exclusion of our target groups.
We are constantly fighting the normalisation of sexual violence and rape culture.
NEEDS
NEEDS
We welcome volunteers and networks that enable us to provide more comprehensive services in different communities.
We have a great need for stable and continuous funding and a dedicated working space. MOTIVATION
Being able to witness survivors tell their stories and change the system, their resilience and bravery inspires us so much.
Health is a basic human need. We believe that everyone deserves to have good health, no matter what they do for work, their background, or ethnicity.
rainlily.org.hk
m3.sracp.org.hk
MOTIVATION
18
A D V O C AT E S
"Being able to witness survivors tell their stories and change the system, their resilience and bravery inspires us so much." - Vince, Rain Lily
Members of Tree of Life.
TREE OF LIFE 生命樹
The TREE OF in Sai Ying Pun provides three key elements: Room Rentals, Creative Centre & Community Centre. Our purpose is to provide positive energy through comfortable accommodations, creative explorations and having a community centre full of compassion for people in need. CHALLENGES
It can be a challenge to find people with the right heart to help. NEEDS
We need anyone who wants to support the homeless, lower-income individuals, drug addicts, immigrants & outcasts. MOTIVATION
An SRACP team on an outreach mission; and a Tree of Life art workshop with community members.
“We love because He loves us first.” treeoflifehk.com
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LGBT+ ARTIST SHOWCASE
Kat J Weiss "Pickles", 2018 katjweiss.com
A D V O C AT E S
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT When the Philippines faced economic hardships in the early 1970s due to a global oil crisis, their president, Ferdinand Marcos, began to export labour in the form of foreign domestic workers (FDWs). The money they sent home helped pad the national treasury and the economy became dependent on these remittances. This happened at the same time Hong Kong was enjoying relative financial growth- labour-intensive industries moved into China creating a labour shortage and more women started to join an increasingly skilled workforce. Both factors created a demand for domestic workers to help manage households. The policy of accepting foreign domestic workers was officially adopted by Hong Kong in 1973. Over the next thirty years, the population of foreign domestic workers grew rapidly. In 1982, there were 21,500 registered FDWs in Hong Kong. By 2017, this number had ballooned to 370,000, almost 5% of the territory’s total population. Initially, the domestic worker labour force was predominantly Filipino, reaching a peak of 84% of all FDWs in 1995. This has evened out because of participation from other South East Asian countries, predominantly, Indonesia. Now, the Philippines and Indonesia make up 98% of the total of FDWs in Hong Kong, 54% and 44% respectively. 99% of FDW are women. When our own community fights so hard for equal rights, it’s hard to ignore the inequality
that the foreign domestic worker community faces. Issues with this form of employment are systemic exploitation, a lower minimum allowable wage, extortionate placement fees, strict rule of returning to their home country within two weeks of contract termination, denial of residency status despite length of stay in Hong Kong, live-in requirement, and thousands of reported cases of abuse. It’s not difficult to see why human-rights groups have increased scrutiny on the treatment of FDWs, comparing it to modern-day slavery. Without being deprecating of our own community, it really puts into perspective how privileged we are. 1 in 8 households employ a FDW, and that number jumps to 1 in 3 for families- Hong Kong has one of the highest densities of foreign domestic workers in the world. It’s obvious that our city wouldn’t survive a day without them. In the next few pages, we put a spotlight on groups and NGOs that tirelessly advocate for this community that faces an almost unrivaled level of discriminatory policies. According to the Labour Department, Hong Kong will need an increase of 240,000 new foreign domestic workers over the next 30 years to meet the needs of a rapidly aging population, bringing the total to 600,000. The question is, will we have fair working conditions for foreign domestic workers helping to care for our families by then?
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COMMUNITY
The Bethune House - Migrant Women's Refuge
Bethune House is more than just a shelter. It is an agent for changing lives and transforming victims into survivors. Established in 1986, it enables migrant domestic women in crisis to seek justice and attain empowerment through responsive and inclusive emergency support, shelter, legal aid and education. It has become a venue for women of different nationalities to meet, interact, share and learn from each other’s experiences, culture and traditions. It is a place of comfort where migrant domestic workers can find hope and justice. CHALLENGES
Our biggest challenge at the moment is how to sustain our two shelters in 2018.
Enrich HK
Enrich is the leading Hong Kong charity promoting the economic empowerment of migrant domestic workers. We empower them to invest in themselves through financial and empowerment education. Our workshops equip migrant domestic workers with the tools to save, budget, and plan for greater financial security. CHALLENGES
Our challenges are finding long-term funding support, broad scope (there are 380,000 migrant domestic workers) but limited resources, hence limited reach; and venue spaces for workshops. NEEDS
NEEDS
We always welcome funding support, programme partnerships and venue spaces for workshops. We also welcome volunteers to help us in different aspects of our work.
We need regular monthly donors to stabilize the shelters.
MOTIVATION
MOTIVATION
The need for shelters for those in crisis motivates us to love our work with migrant domestic workers. Facebook: BethuneHouse
"Our biggest challenge at the moment is how to sustain our two shelters in 2018." - Bethune House 22
Personally, it's the sense of fulfillment, especially when we witness "aha!" moments among the participants after going through their first workshop. It's knowing that I am able to change a migrant domestic worker's life and her family because of financial and empowerment education. It's also worthy to mention that after seeing the the Impact Study Report of CUHK about Enrich's programmes, the more I see the value of this work -- it needs to be sustained and reach more MDWs. www.enrichhk.org
SPOTLIGHT
A handicraft sale and boarding dorm at Bethune House; and an Enrich workshop. 25
COMMUNITY
$221
billion
Total remittance in HKD from overseas workers from the Philippines in 2015, 10% of it's GDP.
$75
billion
Total remittance in HKD from overseas workers from Indonesia in 2015, 1% of it's GDP.
Women taking part in an Enrich workshop; participants of Migrant's Pride organized by Gabriela; and members of Guhit Kalay.
"We often meet during our rest days to paint in parks. Sometimes we can rent a space if we have spare money, especially if it’s raining or to too hot outside." - Gulit Kalay
14
A D V O C AT E S
"Together we can change the system of policies that leaves migrant workers vulnerable of social exclusion and discrimination." - Sheila, Gabriela
Gabriela Hong Kong
We are the Hong Kong chapter of GABRIELA, a progressive alliance of more than 200 women’s organizations that cut across sectors and regions, with chapters and support groups of Pinays and non-Pinays in many continents. CHALLENGES
Our biggest challenge is organizing our fellow migrants and educating them about our rights as a foreign workers. Together we can change the system of policies that leaves migrant workers vulnerable of social exclusion and discrimination. NEEDS
We would benefit from solidarity in campaigning for our rights and also funding for us to continue operating our welfare work for migrant workers.
Guhit Kulay
We are a group of Filipino domestic workers but we are also aspiring artists. We founded our group Guhit Kulay which means "draw colours" back in 2017. We do art jamming in parks and invite fellow domestic workers/art enthusiasts to join. We are also looking for workshops where we can earn more knowledge. CHALLENGES
Our biggest challenges are; as a domestic workers, we do not have much spare time to create artwork. We often meet during our rest days to paint in parks. Sometimes we can rent a space if we have spare money, especially if it’s raining or to too hot outside. So yes, space for and suitable space to paint are our biggest challenges. NEEDS
It's hard for us to find space to create artworks, exhibitions, workshops and storage of art materials. MOTIVATION
For a country like Philippines, 75-90% of the population is poor or middle-class but the 1% of rich clans, big compradors and landlords rule our country. As victims of labor exportation and no social protection, no one will stand up for us other than ourselves.
Our motivation comes from people who are appreciative of our work. Framing a painted imagination that somehow touches the soul of an audience motivates us to keep doing this work. Being self-taught artists, we also want to inspire fellow migrants through our participation in different art events. We know that there are people like us out there who are still struggling to find or share their passion because they’re self-conscious, we want to meet them.
Facebook: GabrielaHongKong
Facebook: GuhitKulay
MOTIVATION
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T R AV E L
Travel Agents of Change What comes to mind when you think of "gay travel"? The travel industry has worked hard to enable both staff and customers to be themselves. But the wonder of travel is still tainted by the fact that, in many popular travel destinations, love and being LGBT+ is still illegal. The Miles of Love Forum, a new event for Pink Season 2018 organized by Planet Ally, will be a unique opportunity to explore how the travel industry can work with LGBT+ communities, advocates and activists around the world to become real travel agents of change. High-profile leaders and speakers from across the globe will offer insights, connections and solutions on bridging the gap between human rights and travel. www.planetally.org
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'Miles of Love' LGBT+ Travel Advocacy Forum Nov 2 -3 Register on Eventbrite to get tickets.
LGBT+ ARTIST SHOWCASE
Felix Chan "Troye Sivan", 2018 IG @felixsdrawing
LGBT+ ARTIST SHOWCASE
Kasper Forest "Immediate Sexuality", 2018 IG @conflict_hongkong
LGBT+ ARTIST SHOWCASE
« left: Kaitlin Chan 'In the Mood for Love' kaitlinchan.com
right: Rachel Lau "Girl" racholau.com
Vincy Chan '#1 Trash' IG @chanwanvincyart
LGBT+ ARTIST SHOWCASE
Kaidusa (Tim Lootiens) 'Boy Gorgon', 2017 www.kaidusa.com
Where are all the bi boys at? by Sean P. Smith Many bisexuals don’t come out to themselves until much later—meaning, later than many other people in the LG-TQI community. See, when you’re attracted to the opposite gender as well, and society shoehorns you into heteronormativity, the easiest thing is to disregard any wayward feelings. It’s a privilege, in a way, because you don’t always have to fight for your sexual identity. You just respond to the half of it that doesn’t draw out the bigots. One of those bigots, of course, being yourself. And I do wonder about the male experience in particular here. No matter who you’re surrounded by, your politics or religious beliefs, there is something about even the most broad-minded masculinity that announces very definite boundaries: Be gay or be straight, either is fine, but goddammit be a man and choose! These things (we all know) are anything but a choice. But it’s notable that, even amongst my many queer friends in Hong Kong and around the world, I have not met a single avowedly bisexual man. I’ve met quite a few women, however, who either identify as bisexual or are open about having been with other women. By some further contingency of the male gaze, female same-sex relations can be eroticized into a kind of social permissibility—or dismissed under the
banner of ‘experimentation’—while samesex relations among men who don’t identify outright as gay threaten to upend the whole system. Fragile masculinities indeed. Maybe the men just aren’t talking about it. And I get that: I’m uncertain about embracing the ‘bi’ label publicly. For one, it does not seem necessary. I appear in society as a heteronormative man married to a woman; projecting queerness from my relative safety might steal the wind out of another person’s sails, someone who has endured far more struggle to unfurl them. As one gay man told me recently, ‘you can’t have your cake and fuck it too’. Maybe. But it may also be important to show that masculinity isn’t singularly defined—that some of us can proudly be attracted to both women and men, and act upon those attractions. Research shows that most people are somewhere on a sexual spectrum, that there aren’t so many all-gay or all-straight individuals. So what’s holding us back? It may be that, in decades or centuries to come, we won’t have to fool around with labels; there are happy indications that the generation coming of age now has much less baggage than, well, mine does. But right now we need bisexual visibility, if for no other reason than to trouble this most noxious of social constructs, masculinity. Boys, kiss the boys. It’s just fine, and feels great.
33
MUSIC
THE
UNSUNG HEROES
In 2014, Hong Kong music teacher and single parent, Jane Engelmann, composed a song to honor those who put other people’s children to bed every night, instead of their own. She performs it with a choir she conducts called the Unsung Heroes, comprised entirely of overseas foreign workers. The vision for the choir was to recognise and honour the sacrifices these women make daily and provide them a chance to "find their voice".
"I Wish I Could Kiss You Tonight" excerpt When I lay awake at night and look up at the moon I think of you so far away, I hope I’ll see you soon I’ll put my arms around you, I will see you smile I would lay my head beside you and stay a little while If I could be anywhere else but here today I would be beside you, I would find a way But I had one wish, it would simply be this I wish I could kiss you goodnight I wish I could kiss you goodnight
Here are some of those lyrics.
Find your voice, sing your song. 34
ALBUM ART
35
ART
The following three exhibiting artist will be featured at our event, CultureFest. Their work will be on sale to help raise money for the NGOs and charities we highlighted in this issue. A huge thanks to all of them for their willingness to participate and donate their time and art!
Yat Sing Ha Sing is an architect born and trained in Hong Kong, and the cofounder of life drawing group NuDD (Nude, Drink & Draw). His gestural paintings explore the flow of emotions with the use of dripping and splashing techniques using male figures as the major subject matter. www.hayatsing.com IG @hayatsingart
37
ART
Nancy Lokos Nancy was born in England and in 2016 moved to Hong Kong where she currently lives and works. She creates eye-catching acrylic paintings on canvas and recycled/discarded materials, such as skateboards. Nancy studied at Leeds College of Art and Design before completing a Creative Advertising Degree at Bournemouth University. Her distinctive ‘Twister” paintings developed organically from doodles created at a difficult time her life. The ‘Twister’ reflects the twists and turns that life presents us, which makes us who we are today. This work is both a celebration and a statement to never regret the past. But to use it as a guide to move forward. IG @by_nance Facebook: bynance
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PHOTOGRAPHY
Nic Gaunt Nic undertook his Photographic degree in England. He spent many years in the London music industry working for the likes of EMI, Virgin, Chrysalis records and Ministry of Sound. This is where he honed his hard hitting dynamic style. He believes all art should be for a reason. www.nicgaunt.com
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Vegan Silk Bedding
www.deeplake.net
RESOURCES
VISIT OUR WEBSITE w w w. p l u g - m a g a z i n e . c o m
C O N T RI B U T I N G ARTISTS Thanks to all the contributing artists, designers and writers that helped make this issue creative. VIDEOS
ONLINE DIRECTORY For a full list of contact information for the organizations we’ve featured in the current and previous issues of the magazine, visit the online directory on our website.
EVENTS CALENDAR See what's coming up on our curated calendar of relevant community and culture events. Contact us to get your event listed reach our readers.
FEATURED STORIES Go online to read more articles and featured stories about the LGBT+ community in Hong Kong. Visit PLUG Magazine on issuu. com to browse our back catalog.
44 - PLUG Magazine
1 Pink Season
Watch the teaser video for Pink Season 2018. C ONTACT US Please write our us if you have any events you’d like to plug, resources you’d like to share, or sponsorship opportunites. We love it when great minds come together. john@plug-magazine.com
2 Unsung Heroes
Listen to the Unsung Heroes sing 'I Wish Could Kiss You Goodnight'.
info@plug-magazine.com
H E L L O PA R T N E R . Want to host our magazine at your venue? Contact us at info@plug-magazine.com. We’d love to list you as a dedicated distribution par tner for Hong Kong's LGBT+ magazine.
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EVENT SPONSORS
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•
A R T
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M A R K E T
Culturefest 2018 October 6 -7, 2018 • The Hive Spring, Wong Chuk Hang, HK