Hongkong – “I’m not a tongzhi, I’m homosexual, I’m G-A-Y gay,” were the closing words by Anthony Wong at the end of Tat Ming’s 25th anniversary concert in Hong Kong.
The word tongzhi, (comrade), is a euphemism in Mandarin and Cantonese for gay.
“We’re living in the 21st Century now. There’s no need for us to live in a fantasy world. There’s no need for us to seek the approval of anyone else just to love somebody,” said Wong. “So there’s no need for anybody to guess ‘Are you gay?’, ‘Am I gay?’”.
“To all our media friends: I will sing for another 20 years, but please do not ask me such questions any more. As for why I didn’t disclose my sexual orientation earlier, I was just afraid that you wouldn’t have any gossip to spread. Now that everything is done, thanks everyone.”
At the concert’s opening night on April 20, a video of Wong kissing, necking and embracing male models was played on the big screen along with the words “Is Anthony Wong a tongzhi?”
On the afternoon of April 23, just before the final concert, Wong tweeted, “Are our media friends finally clear now? We’ve been playing guessing games for more than 20 years. Once everything is made clear, you won’t have any fun then.”
Tat Ming was a popular band in Hong Kong in 1980s and 1990s. The group split in 2006 after which Anthony Wong continued his stage career while his co-singer Tats Lau went backstage.
The tour, staged by the reunited group and filled with political and economic symbols, has drawn wide praise and attracted many of the biggest names in Hong Kong’s entertainment industry.
