Inspect Gaysia: Adventures In The Queer East Generated By Benjamin Law Released As Ebook

interviews Benjamin Law about his new book Gaysia: Adventures in the Queer East, From the homosexualitycuring properties of special yoga to providing sex education in Burma or going behind the scenes at a Thai ladyboy beauty contest, this is a rollicking conversation.
Originally broadcast on . This was bloody depressing, but it was bloody good, Law takes us through five countries and hundreds of people to give us a snapshot of homosexuality in Asia, The book is packed chockfull of Laws own forays into worlds, such as Balis gay resorts, prostitution and Thailands fashion parades, that are as foreign to us as they are to him.


In some countries homosexuality is a taboo topic: in other countries such as Japan, despite discussion being more open, theres still a long way to go before true acceptance.
From Myanmars HIV epidemic to Chinas fake marriages to Japans camp celebrities, this is a vivid, colourful and painfully honest book about how far Gaysia has come and how far it still has to go.


Its clear this was the result of months of research, interviews and generally being there, Its as much an adventure book as a travel book, Law recounts specific conversations and interviews with everyone from trans prostitutes to activists to the antigay guru Ramdev,

The writing style is accessible and clear, Not quite chatty, given the subject matter, but always approachable, I got the sense that I was there with the author,

I dont have much more to say about this book, except that you should go read it, Wow. What an interesting read. I hooted with laughter when I read The Family Law and was really looking forward to reading this as a consequence, The Family Law is a memoir whereas this is a bit different, At first I found it still hootworthy and I confess at times, confronting but then it changes gear, Law is on a journey of "couldhave/mighthavebeen" selfdiscovery in Asia, With a Malaysian mother and Chinese father, you can hear the author wondering what his life might have been like if his family hadn't migrated to Australia.
What is life like for gay people in Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Japan and India Law acknowledges that this is a vast subject and region and that he can't hope to encompass all experience.
He does however hope to capture some of the essence by recording particular experiences, I highlighted no less thanpassages in the eversion I borrowed from our library, I was particularly fascinated by the language Law used, Often it is a witty play on words a kind of truncation and mashup e, g. celesbian and sexucational. There are some very thoughtprovoking quotes from those he interviews e, g. "Japanese people see gay people as shameful, but not sinful, As long as they're invisible, they'll be tolerated, " Law has a great ear for dialogue and makes you feel that you are right there beside him as he goes on his journey.
. . right down to when he unfortunately contracts delhibelly, He has an unflinching eye when it comes to describing what he sees and so the subject matter is often not for the faintof heart or coy.
It was a delight to meet him at our author talk at the library this week and further confirmed for me what a truly lovely soul he is full of humour and love for humanity in all its splendid difference.
I met Benjamin at the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival back in, but didn't really have a chance to read any of his books until recently.
There aren't many books written about homosexuality in Indonesia, so knowing this book tackles exactly that, I was curious,

After finishing the book, I felt that Ben didn't dig deeper into the LGBTQ community in Indonesia compared to what he did in another countries.
He didn't even mention Gaya Dewata, the oldest LGBTQ foundation in Bali while he went to NGOs and foundations in another country, He also only focused in Bali and the money boys which, to be honest, didn't really represent Indonesia/Bali in general, Since it was published in, many establishments he mentioned in the book were no longer exist, I didn't have problem with that, though, It just felt a bit dated compared to the condition and situation of the LGBTQ community in other Asian countries,

Maybe it's time to update the book with a better chapter about Indonesia I just finished "Gaysia," recommended to me by a friend, while on a business trip to Chicago.
It is promoted as a wild romp through all of gay Asia but ultimately, it is a far more fascinating and, indeed, moving book than that.
I might venture to say that this is an important book particularly for westerners who don't know much about life in Asia, Most of us, in fact,

Law, an ethnically Chinese Australian, begins his peregrinations in Bali at an all gay resort that seems to be setting up the book as a somewhat leering view of gay foreigners and Asian sex workers.
But that's the trick of this book, It does indeed deal a lot with sex workers, and gay folks and lesbians and transgendered folks but the leering tone rapidly turns to one of thoughtful observation.
In what I'm sure was a calculated move, Law gradually moves his readers from the fun side of being gay in Asia to the side of oppression and marginalization.
He explores aspects of gay truth in Asia that are as alien and disturbing to us as they are to him him being a happily outsomething Australian.
And yet, unfailingly, Law approaches everyone he meets on his travels with respect, from transgender beauty queens to antigay yoga gurus, Sure, there are plenty of snarky asides intended only for our eyes but I gained enormous respect for Law, as I followed his journey along sometimes harrowing and often unnerving paths, meeting people and going places that are hard for me to imagine.


For someone known as a comedian, and someone so young young enough to be my child, Law evinces a deep maturity and sensitivity in this book, and the one of the penultimate moments, when he attends his first gay pride march in Mumbai was as moving for me as it was for

him.
This book is not all fun and games but there is much here of great interest and value, Perhaps a decent introductory book but couldn't help but feel it could have been better, I've had this book on my wish list for a couple of years now, A young gay Asian man from Australia looks at LGBT people in various countries in East/Southeastern Asia, He meets people, listens to their stories, gives a little bit of history of these particular groups, Some stories are funny, most are informative, some are quite sad, It's a pretty formulaic book, Law visits a country, meets with a particular group or groups in that country and writes about aspects of their lives, How young people in China learn about homosexuality despite severe internet censorship, The lack of accessibility of AIDS medication in Myanmar, While I appreciated a look at these groups in these countries, it was a tough read, With my lack of knowledge, I couldn't help but wonder how accurate his information was, There's no list of resources at the end of the book and I wish he had included some references, Based on other reviews, there's a bit of a mixed bunch as to his accuracy, portrayal, where how much his views were influenced by his background, etc.
I also didn't think he was a very good writer, On occasion he was very funny and I know part of it was that my eyes was just going to glaze over at some of the descriptions of sexual encounters.
Law does not get that detailed, but you have an idea of what he's witnessing/overhearing/etc, Some of the history and societal commentary was quite interesting, but this could be quite uneven, So while I don't regret having read this, I wish I had been able to borrow this from the library vs, having to buy it. Love reading anything by Benjamin Law, and despite it being nearly a decade since being written I still found it super relevant, This regions queer life is not an area that I have too much experience with, and despite the heavy nature of many of the situations, Laws humour brings out a necessary optimism.
Especially found the China and Japan chapters to be really interesting, I started reading this thinking it would be good pastime while I waited to my Cafe Mexicano at a cafe in Lucknow, But the incredible hilarity, incisive observations, and brevity of a myriad of experiences made me literally go up and buy the book! And to my surprise, even the owner of the cafe sniggered at the title and seemed amused as to what 'queer' content this could be.
Benjamin doesn't mince his words, and at the expense of being exposed for his political incorrectness, he tries to show us a side of countries no one is comfortable discussing.
From selfproclaimed 'babas' in India, to the HIV pandemic raging across a country that has dismal access to ARTs and the most basic of primary healthcare, the book has its laughs, tearjerkers and borderline obscene moments.
I thoroughly enjoyed this peek into a parttravelogue, partdocumentary, partdrama, partlife slice of what it means to be 'queer' in Asia, As for what could be done better, 'Gaysia' seems to appropriate the entire LGBTQIA experience for gays, there's a certain prudishness about others' sexuality that seems ironical and an elevation of the idea of monogamy and a repetition of tropes of trans people crossing the line on what is 'appropriate' behaviour, much of which can be problematic and might need relooking in the next edition of Law's adventures! This is a sad sojourn through some countries of Asia and being LGBTI in them.
Law tries to lighten the mood with his observations of various people's outfits and mannerisms but when he writes of "full blown AIDS" his own ignorance of the serious matters he touches reveals itself.
When I saw the ARC sitting on the shelf at work I may have done a bit of an embarrassing dance, I'd heard about this a few months ago and had been dying to read it ever since,

And it didn't disappoint, Filled with fascinating interviews and shrewd observations about the many different gay communities throughout Asia, this book is not to be missed, It was fascinating reading about the people who are part of these fascinating cultures and what they think about what it means to be gay in their country.
Law interviews people from all walks of life from HIV positive ex sex workers in Myanmar to half crazy yogis determined to cure homosexuality through controlled breathing.
Fascinating stuff and I feel like I learned a lot while reading,

My big criticism is that the overwhelming majority of the interviewees were men or transgender/sexual females, There was a small mention of lesbians in China though mostly in one woman's capacity as the founder of an organisation supporting gay people but that was about it.
This may have been because of some cultural issues or may simply be because as a gay man Law found more interest and rapport with those people.
Regardless, it seemed like a strange oversight in a book so concerned with the gay experience in Asia,

Still, it was brilliant and full of the easy to read and highly entertaining writing characteristic of Law, Definitely recommended. Who better to talk about LGBTQIA life in Asia than Benjamin Law Openly gay and born in Australia to Chinese immigrant parents, he approaches Gaysia with concern and respect not to mention the perfect dose of comedy.


Gaysia is a journalistic adventure into the LGBTQIA nerve centre of Asia, from “clothing optional” gay resorts in Bali, to the homes of Chinese gays and lesbians who fake heternormative marriages to keep their identities secret.
Law opened my eyes to a diverse range of sociopolitical landscapes, all posing unique challenges to the LGBTQIA community,

I strongly recommend listening to the audiobook version of Gaysia, While the writing is clear and authoritative, Laws voice is loaded with charisma, He gets the balance exactly right hes a comedian, but he can nail the serious moments too, seamlessly flowing between different moods, You can tell hes a brilliant writer by the way he makes statistics compelling,

As Law travels across Asia, he shares interviews with a diverse cast of characters, from HIV positive sex workers in Myanmar, to trans beauty pageant contestants in Bangkok.
Hearing their stories in their own words is powerful, especially considering these voices are normally silenced, Listening to them express their personal battles, as well as their relationship with their culture, government, and families, is incredible, Sometimes the stories are uplifting, but usually the squalor and injustice is heartbreaking, It really puts the Australian way of life into perspective,

I appreciate how Gaysia covers both ends of the spectrum in its hunt for truth, from wealth to poverty, from people who celebrate their sexuality without fear, to people who are closeted due to threat.
Besides delving into the lives of people with diverse gender and sexual identities, Law even hears from “exgay” Christian fundamentalists who campaign to cure “broken sexuality”.
The result of such an inclusive and varied reporting method is that we can piece together a detailed picture of attitudes and beliefs surrounding LGBTQIA issues.


Regardless of your familiarity with the cultures and issues Law explores, this book is an amazing way to expand your awareness, Chances are, these issues dont impact your daytoday life, However, understanding the diversity of experiences in the world is so personally enriching, I hope this book will entertain, inspire, enrage, and educate you as much as it did me,

This review can also be found on my blog sitelinkPaige's Pages ,