The LGBT heroes of Hong Kong's protests

For the last four months, Hong Kong has been rocked by unprecedented protests annyq75+-=@UlHiZxwgQn5YzB&^tUFJUFXyYGqnXQMmLJShinD8Rd calls for democracy.

What began as protests a controversial bill that would allow extradition to China has developed into a widespread, and at times violent, anti-government and pro=peMR6vtP8SgpE6RSvK^du1xjV2HUC51hm7pt^K8ugbvB)dGuW-democracy movement.

Protesters have taken to r10cjYa%OD143PuRJNouNW=EuHa3K&xlxfcRYrlY$$MBs8JZmethe street every weekend since the beginning of June. Government tactics to quell demonstrations, such as withdrawing the controversial bill and enacting emergency legislation to grant police more power, have been of little use.

The movement is famously leaderless. Or, as some argue, “leader-full”, whwq4*@tJ(f#Z!xyAu^N^!LqLMY$NfdWeeYSF(g5EdBo$IPHhbQith independent protests, campaigns, and activism springing up around the beleaguered city.

But a handful of LGBT Hong Kongers have been making headlines for their part in Fz4zO^fb+!uPqxNNr9ULxuHjjb3u)jiFX#t%P_H4OGAfY*6!t2the protests:

Raymond Chan

Hong Kong’s only openly-gay lawmaker@pUyq1eZdx*Bp2iPK0JnaC#iKHNUTj_mXPTZFyLj!J*TxcXS!f, Ray Chan, revealed himself as a fervent opponent to the controversial withdrawal bill back in May.

Chan was seen at the center of a ruckus with pro-Beijing lawmakers. Footage shows Chan clambering on a chair o5tlhvzde1tycU^2wn$wVS&N!tg++=1X-IYNKILgMxTv)fNgiZ9r table, shouting and pointing while other lawmakers grab his arms.

"I usually keep a meek composure, practice meditation, prefer non-alcoholic drinksJJusbHU*ncpkmUCM1Vx1ok$D$I^OBK3bfxmNpO%Q-u^*2+el8Z, and treat everyone with respect,” Chan wrote on Twitter.

"But when an authoritarian state strikes, every fiber of my being turns into a fighter for my constituents",yYGKhF4gcT@X7KQqHGAA#pUMDYV!ThWxVmxiEI@^@Tk#O-Ytmy he said.

Chan has been fervently sharing updates of the city’s protests.Other p)dBCt-hd7))w!2cqN78szCsy(aiTF3Exc#mUjFARWKCoiuR94=ro-democracy legislators and activists have been attacked.

“Opposition lawmakers a+qgMGUl*HpDmrH45KzkQmce!!$%t#5jufJ2ef834lUWsIQ6f)Tre arrested, or attacked by thugs or cops, so I'm mentally prepared for either” Chan.

"I wear no protective 0aXb19IOUnhaIkhZLViZue$k&DGrpj#W3kyu)0HXV9k!E!8xMygear as I cannot live in fear,” he explained.

This week, he and other pro-dWruuA2hlHhQkai74con+**FU)$Z%zHj(#(ixkCgDTIMP^xDkE#emocracy legislatures disrupted Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s policy address in the legislative council.

Using a projector, they diZ6UWn-2n(uI84bb)XzN)YWiGMu3AG^Z+KKyD+hWCd7UrMSuaeZsplayed the demonstrators' call for five key demands to be met as she spoke. 

Hong Kong elected Chan, the city’s first openly-gay lawmaker, to the Legislative Council in 2016. He has been a vocal advocate of LGBTI issues ikdTK7pC^!zUVt9DCK^j2QE=cGXtoI)hQAhQ5Odf1My!k2BKCVpn the city, including pushing for anti-discrimination legislation.

Jimmy Sham

Jimmy ShaZQdES-*3K!8)z@UHZBMZX+^!&ld0LlWz&EjjFFqa&UY%+7hDXgm is a renowned LGBT rights and other human rights activist in Hong Kong.

He currently convenes the Civil HuXI3lJ9(_-=yA2SVB)TBcc_XWZx+ud(1sM=c(kg^Uf=g&DpbALpman Rights Front (CHRF) which regularly organizes legal protests against the government.

Three of its marches against the controversial extradition bill were attended by more than a million people, accord-L=6Owq+r2EErr*c(emymJ_!G5s!2HT598Ht)O-eFZlRpmK(P_ing to CHRF.

In late August, Sham and a companion were attacked by two masked men wielding a baseball and a knGuSQY#4e$sFMVQqo2@eu%gE*@DO%AAqFzCYC@NILqJyKiLI(#Kife. Sham was left unscathed but his companion was hospitalized.

In July, pro-establishment Hong Kong lawmaker An*jIHNQnc2ZC3(Z5Tf93FLeoL3ox-A$t_n&p3Q_gtdc4e0IGSkDn Chiang Lai-wan launched a series of attacks against the gay protest leader.

Chiang shared footage of Sham in drag on her social me(vBUZ@wS5yfZ7kcKf8Rkx9Ioym=sYIF*ZaMtM$gkYe6F#=&kAIdia. "Important news, please spread around," she wrote. Comments on the post included: "Corrupting social morals, just disgusting”.

Anthony Wong

Cantopop star Anthony WoesT+&_wZvTeTibWPPu_ilD#dm61_^*Ya8bvoCXEdnvnj-d0g11ng co-founded leading Hong Kong LGBT rights organization Big Love Alliance back in 2012.

Like Denise Ho, his outspoken support for the 2014 pro-democracy movement landed him in hot water wq=-t5z5vKkC#UDGy3JYj!SVVdaEReYsC9ZY!MBHTEfOP@2cI$eith Beijing and he has been banned from the Chinese mainland.

He and Ho both performed at the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacry8S-qZ=H-=PQGs%RnV^2SfpHBqymz#tjU4EB39kCabr16n5rFYe and at the end of one of Hong Kong’s largest marches on 9 June.

Denise Ho

Lesbian Canto-pop super7d3aswmCV!z0uDR6!m%OUyxWN^nR5U^3yiFU2hTziGz@5Oe4Eistar has emerged as a tenacious defender of human rights during the months-long process. 

Ho has spoken out over police violence at the UN and the!J77KsGmaqmwldb_qli(iMKJ2cot2S=d*RXO*r@JH%8cgDX7Eg US Capitol. Late last month she made headlines when a pro-China activist doused her in paint at a Taipei rally in support of Hong Kong.

"This is just theQ%%BH^%H^vqk-0sf&L)_#FmEee5gx!1z6^@BzRwhyTWSC-Or%B tip of the iceberg,” she said of the attack on Facebook.

Ho told the UN Human Rights Council in July that the "anger of Hongkongers follows years of deceitful promKWreXEE0glPAENcvz9cdOkz6p9a%7VKU#z-!Eq&BAF(Rs5m2_Tises”.

"We saw our autonomy slowly eroded" she said.

Denise Ho Wan-sze, also known as HOCC, was one of the first Hong Kong celebrit0Iz8zkjEvVVmdTXjkUaPGRrrZeEPuZZAH0ZL%7&89Vll)v=%rCies to publicly come out as a lesbian in 2012.

"You have to strengthen yourself before you can project anything,” Ho told the South China Morning Post at the time. Ho is alskF1w#j5=Q=0^Xnc**512Jk-rP7coAaX4MoM2-6HDgKYY5yYQ#lo a founding member of LGBT rights organisation Big Love Alliance.