Lan Yu by Stanley Kwan - Essay Example

Question one
I agree with the opinion that gay couples go through similar challenges as those faced by the opposite gender couples. Gay couples face the same issues. They are in it for the fun and not the relationship. Lan Yu falls in love with Handong but he finds out that the man is cheating which is the case for opposite-gender couples. All forms of couples can cheat and this is no different for gay couples (Kwan, Lan Yu).

Make-ups and break-ups are prevalent in opposite-gender couples. People break up and later in life, their paths cross and they decide to try it again. This is no different for gay couples as seen in this movie. Handong is worried that Lan Yu has been caught up in the violence in Tiananmen Square and looks for him. This was after their first break-up and he takes him back. When anyone wants to settle they may have doubts about their current partner and this may spill over to refusing to settle down or changing the partner. This is an experience that is faced by both opposite-gender couples and gay couples. Handong has an affair with Jinping because he is not sure if he wants to settle down with Lan Yu (Kwan, Lan Yu).

Question two.
The movie Lan Yu has depicted homosexuality as a socially accepted norm where Lan Yu and Handong’s sister hold a welcome-home party for Handong. Hangdong’s family shows great support for the couple’s relationship. The real situation in China is different. Families due to the following reasons do not support LTGB groups in this country. According to tradition, a man must marry the opposite gender in order to have children, which is considered a very important aspect of life. The wife is also supposed to care for the husband and thus many families do not allow this kind of marriage or relationship to exist. Socially this is not acceptable and most families do not support the idea of one marrying someone of the same sex. Gays have opted to marry people of the opposite sex while continuing with activities of their sexual orientation just to please their families.

Though the government does not discriminate against homosexuality, the legal framework is not all around. A private employer may choose to terminate the services of a person because he is gay and they will not get a reprieve under the law. Events organized by homosexuality are canceled because they are deemed inappropriate even days or hours to those events. The government silently suppresses homosexuality and forces these people to conform to the social norms of society. Many homosexuals will not come out if they feel unprotected. The public perception and the law need to change to accommodate them.