【吳文遠十一遊行案法庭陳詞 — 中文譯本】
法官閣下:
從小我父母便教我要有同理心,要關顧社會上相對不幸的人。儘管在早年職業生涯上取得不俗成就,但我從來沒有意欲將追求個人財富視為人生目標。
當我在國外生活了多年後回到香港定居時,我為這個我自豪地稱之為家的城市,存在如此嚴重的社會不平等而感到困惑和擔憂。 令我震驚的是,社會如何漠視對窮人和少數族裔的歧視。既有的社會結構,有時甚至會鼓勵這種歧視繼續發生。同時,我們也無法一如其它地方,享有基本的民主權利和自由。
這些都是我參與社會運動以至參與政治的動機。我希望盡己所能,為被忽視的弱勢階層鼓與呼,替不能為自己發聲的人說話。
與許多人相比,我很幸運能夠接受良好教育,並擁有一定程度上的財務自由和社會地位。我們很幸運,能夠過上舒適生活,並有自由選擇我們的道路。我選擇為社會平等而奮鬥。其實這個法庭上許多人都差不多,我們都喜歡香港,這個稱為家的地方。或許我們在生活中選擇了不同的角色,但目標都是相同:為他人服務。
可悲的是,我擔心我們已經逐漸成為社會制度中的例外。當下許多香港人根本沒有那些機會,包括貧困長者,欠缺向上流動機會、被邊緣化的年輕人,還有犧牲所有時間但只能為家庭僅僅維持基本生活的工人。這些人再努力,生活中的選擇仍然局限於維持生計。對他們來說,「選擇」是負擔不起的奢侈品,更不用說如何決定自己的命運。
在生活壓力下,我們的視野通常很難超越自身的社交圈子,更難的是對陌生人展現同理心。兩極化的政治分歧產生越來越多裂痕,令我們有時候無法互相理解、和而不同,亦不願意試圖尋求某種程度的妥協。
我一直希望,一個較民主的制度能夠成為一道橋樑,彌合上述社會鴻溝,或者至少容讓我們選擇怎樣共同生活。
2019年的動盪,為整個社會帶來了沉重的打擊。無論政治立場如何,我敢肯定這個法庭上有許多人,都為此而傷心欲絕。整座城市都被不信任、仇恨和恐懼所淹沒。今天固然不是討論這個問題的合適地方,但我希望法庭能夠理解,僅靠司法機構並不能解決已經根深蒂固的社會政治鴻溝。
我們需要集體力量、勇氣、誠實和同理心來修補我們的家。看看幾位同案被告,他們在服務社會方面有著非凡的紀錄。比起囚禁在監獄,我相信他們能夠對社會作出更大貢獻。
為了追求全體香港人的權利,我的確違反了法律,並且已準備面對法院的判決。令人敬重的幾位同案被告,畢生捍衛法治,為民主而戰,為無聲者發聲,我十分榮幸能夠與他們並肩同行。
我相信終有一天,籠罩我們城市的烏雲將會消散,光明將會重臨,愛和同理心將會戰勝歸來。
吳文遠
2021年5月24日
Avery Ng Man Yuen’s Statement
Your Honour,
I was brought up by my parents to value the importance of empathy, to care and to feel for others in our community less fortunate. Although I enjoyed great success early in my career, I never had a desire to pursue personal wealth in the more traditional sense.
When I settled back in Hong Kong after years of living abroad, I was baffled and disturbed by how severe the social inequality existed in a city I am proud to call my home. I was struck at how discrimination against the poor and the minorities far too often goes ignored or can even at times is encouraged by the established social structure; and how we cannot have the basic democratic rights and freedoms that other places enjoy.
These were my motivations to join social activism and enter into politics. I chose to spend my energy to speak for the underprivileged, the disenchanted and often ignored segments of society. To offer a voice for those who could not speak for themselves.
Compared to many, I am privileged to have a great education and a certain level of financial freedom and social standing. We are fortunate enough to be able to lead comfortable lives and have the freedom to choose the path that we take. I chose to fight for social equality. Many of those in this court are not that much different. We all love Hong Kong, the place we call home. We chose our different roles in life but with the same aim: to serve others.
Sadly, I fear that many of us are increasingly the exception to the rule. Today far too many Hong Kong people do not have that chance, whether that is our elderly who live in poverty, marginalized youth with few opportunities for social mobility, or workers who give up all their time slaving away to provide the bare minimum for their families. These people all struggle to make ends meet with very limited options in life. “Choice” for them is a luxury that they cannot afford. Let alone having the gratification of being able to dictate their own destiny.
I recognise, with the pressures of life, it is often difficult for people to see beyond their own social bubble. It is harder still to acquire empathy for strangers. Polarized political division increasingly has driven a wedge between people, making it sometimes impossible for people to understand and empathise with one another, to disagree agreeably, and attempt to find some level of compromise.
It has always been my hope that a more democratic system could be the bridge that heals this social divide or at the very least allow us to choose how we can live together in our home.
I’m certain that none of us in this court wanted to see the turmoil in 2019, which has seen our whole society suffer regardless of political preference. Distrust, hatred, and fear has engulfed Hong Kong. Today is certainly not the right forum for this immense topic. However, I hope the court can understand that the Judiciary alone cannot resolve the deep-rooted socio-political divide which exist.
It will take our collective strength, courage, honesty, and empathy to mend our home. Looking at my fellow defendants with their extraordinary history in serving this society, I believe they can do far greater good among us in society than being locked in prison.
In pursuit of the rights of all Hong Kong people, I have broken the law. I am prepared to face the court’s judgement. I am proud to be in the company of my esteemed fellows who have spent their lives championing the rule of law, fighting for the democracy and voicing for the voiceless.
I believe the storm-clouds that currently reside over our home will one day lift, and make way for a bright and clear day. I believe love and empathy will eventually prevail.
————————————
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baffled中文 在 柳俊江 Lauyeah Facebook 的最佳貼文
Stand up. Respect ✊
(Update: 中文繹版連結:https://www.facebook.com/329728177143445/posts/1800273350088913/)
“An open letter to Eric Kwok, and for everyone re homophobia, discrimination and bullying”
Dear Eric,
Imagine this. You are one of the contestants on a TV talent show. You are sitting in a room with other hopefuls and one of the judges walks into the room and demanded this: “Raise your hand if you are not homophobic.”
I’m very sure you will raise your hand.
You don’t have to answer me whether or not you really are homophobic. But stay with the feeling inside your mind. How do you feel?
Your feelings are most likely the same as the feelings of your contestants when you walked into a room and asked them to raise their hands to declare their sexual orientation publicly. Because in this day and age, homophobia is just as “controversial” as homosexuality, if not more.
The reason why I’m writing this open letter to you is because after reading your apology, I want to take the opportunity to address to you, and everyone out there, the need for proper etiquette regarding LGBT issues, and to address the forms of micro-aggression, bullying and discrimination the LGBT community faces everyday especially in the workplace.
I’m taking this incident seriously because from my personal experience, this is not just a one-time slip-up for you.
I remember long time ago I was so looking forward to meeting and working with you because you are, after all, Eric Kwok the great songwriter.
You were very friendly when we talked privately. Then I started to notice how once there were audiences, media or other people around and when the cameras were turned on, you would start making insinuating and demeaning gay jokes about me and in front of me. Jokes and comments even my closest friends wouldn’t dare to make in public.
At first, I didn’t really pay too much attention. I just brushed it off as juvenile and trivial. In fact, I had been so used to these jokes since growing up that I learned not to react much.
However, as time progressed and we worked on more occasions, the same thing would happen repeatedly. The teasing and the stereotypical gay jokes continued and you would make sure that the spotlight would fall on me afterwards. The jokes no longer felt light. They felt hostile, even vindictive.
In fact, it felt like bullying.
One of these incidents was well documented in tabloids back then and you can still look it up yourself on the internet.
I came to the realization that it was not just a one-time thing. I don’t know if it’s intentional or unintentional but it’s definitely a habit and a pattern.
So many questions would be in my mind every time after working with you. Why does Eric do that every time? Is he picking on me? Does he hate me? Is he homophobic? Does he think homosexuality is something funny? Does he do this to other people too? Did I do something that pissed him off? I remember I was nothing but courteous. So why do I deserve this?
I had no answers for all of these questions. All I knew was I became fearful of working with you, dreading what words would fall out of your mouth to put me in an awkwardly embarassing position. But still I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt. You’re from California you shouldn’t be homophobic. I even defended you in my head by telling myself to loosen up.
But it’s not just you. Throughout my years in the entertainment industry, I have encountered and endured so many chauvinistic “tough guys” who like to use homosexuality as a laughing stock or source of bad comedy which were all discriminating and demeaning, yet not funny.
It’s not only me. I’m sure many people of the LGBT community face this everyday in their workplace. People around them would claim their intentions were harmless but we all knew deep down that these “jokes” have the power to put people someone in an embarrassing, inferior and even threatening positions.
We kept quiet and tolerated. Sometimes we even felt obligated to laugh along just so we couldn’t afford to look “petty” or “stiff”, especially in front of people of higher authority and stature.
So Eric I want to ask you.
Why have you been so obsessed with my sexuality all these years?
Why are you so fascinated by other people’s sexuality?
Why is being gay such a huge issue to you even to this day that you had to make it the first thing you asked your contestants?
Why you also had to specifically make a post on social media about that fact you questioned people about their sexuality?
Why do you take so much pride publicly in your ability to guess who are the gay contestants even when they weren’t ready to share that information?
And most of all why do you find all this to be so funny?
To begin with one’s sexual orientation is a very personal thing which others have no right to intrude, even in the entertainment industry where you are supposed to be fine with “controversy”.
This is for you and everyone out there: using your power and authority to demand someone to declare his or her sexual orientation, especially in a work environment, is ancient, barbaric and unacceptable.
Kicking someone out of the closet is just pure evil.
The fact you did what you did, especially with your stature and on broadcast TV, is not only wrong, but also you are telling the Hong Kong audience that it’s alright to continue this form of intrusion and micro aggression that the LGBT community wants to see gone.
You’re leading a very poor example by giving Hong Kong audience the impression that being gay is still a taboo.
How are your contestants, who are boys of young age, going to offer new perspectives to the Hong Kong audience under your guidance if you perpetuate stereotyping and demonstrate to them that being gay is still an issue?
I feel sorry for any contestants who are in fact gay sitting in that room that day too. They must have been traumatized seeing the way you forced your inquisition. The impression you left them with is that the entertainment industry is still a very unfriendly place for gays. Is that what you want them to think?
But most of all, it’s the attitude, tone and manner with which you shared about this incident on social media, giving people the impression that any matter regarding sexual orientation is still something shameful and laughable, which is on top of list the thing that the LGBT community fights hard everyday to change.
When you said in your apology you “have great respect for gay people, especially their hard fight for equality” I became baffled as what you did, in the past to me or in that room to the boys, is the exact thing that makes the LGBT community’s ongoing fight for equality so difficult.
Putting people down, perpetuate stereotypes, heckling and ridiculing yet making it look OK is anything but liberal and respectful, or Californian. I don’t see any “entertainment values” that are of good taste if they are made up at the expense of other people’s struggle.
If this incident happened in America, where you grew up, you would’ve gotten yourself in such hot waters that you probably can’t get out of.
I just want you and everyone out there to know that it’s not okay. And it never was. Never will be.
Being “as liberal as it gets” is great. Having gay friends is great too. Having dinner with your gay friends is absolutely fabulous! Playing all these cards to avoid being labelled as “homophobic” is very convenient. But having class, empathy, kindness and authentic respect is a completely different territory. These don’t come automatically with backgrounds.
At this point you don’t owe me an apology. I just hope that after this incident you can really start working and living with the essences of a truly liberal and creative individual. Inspire changes and end stereotypes. Start new trends and break old patterns. Embrace and not segregate. Do the work.
I had been away from Hong Kong and the industry for a few years now. It breaks me heart that I have to write this sort of open letter when it’s already 2018. I want to make this industry a safer, nicer and more accepting place to work in when I return. I want members of the LGBT community in Hong Kong, who have been so supportive of me and my music, to also have safer and nicer working environment in their respective lives.
I don’t mind coming off as an over-reacting petty bitch with no sense of humour if my message finally comes through and everyone, including you, “gets it”. I rather have no sense of humour than a bad one.
To all the contestants of the show. If anyone ever asks you if you are gay and you are not ready to discuss, it’s OK to stand up for yourself and say this: “It’s a rude question to begin with. You have no right to get an answer from me to begin with. And it doesn’t matter. It SHOULDN’T matter. It’s 2018. I hope one day I can use my craft to inspire the world and to make this become a non-issue.”
But if you are ready to be open, you have my complete support and love.
Let’s hope that through acceptance, learning and effort, one day there will no longer be any “controversial questions”. Wouldn’t we like that Eric?
Yours truly,
Pong
#LGBT
#homophobia
#safeworkplace
#中文版稍後會有
Eric Kwok 郭偉亮
baffled中文 在 人山人海 PMPS Music Facebook 的最佳解答
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
(Update: 中文繹版連結:https://www.facebook.com/329728177143445/posts/1800273350088913/)
“An open letter to Eric Kwok, and for everyone re homophobia, discrimination and bullying”
Dear Eric,
Imagine this. You are one of the contestants on a TV talent show. You are sitting in a room with other hopefuls and one of the judges walks into the room and demanded this: “Raise your hand if you are not homophobic.”
I’m very sure you will raise your hand.
You don’t have to answer me whether or not you really are homophobic. But stay with the feeling inside your mind. How do you feel?
Your feelings are most likely the same as the feelings of your contestants when you walked into a room and asked them to raise their hands to declare their sexual orientation publicly. Because in this day and age, homophobia is just as “controversial” as homosexuality, if not more.
The reason why I’m writing this open letter to you is because after reading your apology, I want to take the opportunity to address to you, and everyone out there, the need for proper etiquette regarding LGBT issues, and to address the forms of micro-aggression, bullying and discrimination the LGBT community faces everyday especially in the workplace.
I’m taking this incident seriously because from my personal experience, this is not just a one-time slip-up for you.
I remember long time ago I was so looking forward to meeting and working with you because you are, after all, Eric Kwok the great songwriter.
You were very friendly when we talked privately. Then I started to notice how once there were audiences, media or other people around and when the cameras were turned on, you would start making insinuating and demeaning gay jokes about me and in front of me. Jokes and comments even my closest friends wouldn’t dare to make in public.
At first, I didn’t really pay too much attention. I just brushed it off as juvenile and trivial. In fact, I had been so used to these jokes since growing up that I learned not to react much.
However, as time progressed and we worked on more occasions, the same thing would happen repeatedly. The teasing and the stereotypical gay jokes continued and you would make sure that the spotlight would fall on me afterwards. The jokes no longer felt light. They felt hostile, even vindictive.
In fact, it felt like bullying.
One of these incidents was well documented in tabloids back then and you can still look it up yourself on the internet.
I came to the realization that it was not just a one-time thing. I don’t know if it’s intentional or unintentional but it’s definitely a habit and a pattern.
So many questions would be in my mind every time after working with you. Why does Eric do that every time? Is he picking on me? Does he hate me? Is he homophobic? Does he think homosexuality is something funny? Does he do this to other people too? Did I do something that pissed him off? I remember I was nothing but courteous. So why do I deserve this?
I had no answers for all of these questions. All I knew was I became fearful of working with you, dreading what words would fall out of your mouth to put me in an awkwardly embarassing position. But still I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt. You’re from California you shouldn’t be homophobic. I even defended you in my head by telling myself to loosen up.
But it’s not just you. Throughout my years in the entertainment industry, I have encountered and endured so many chauvinistic “tough guys” who like to use homosexuality as a laughing stock or source of bad comedy which were all discriminating and demeaning, yet not funny.
It’s not only me. I’m sure many people of the LGBT community face this everyday in their workplace. People around them would claim their intentions were harmless but we all knew deep down that these “jokes” have the power to put people someone in an embarrassing, inferior and even threatening positions.
We kept quiet and tolerated. Sometimes we even felt obligated to laugh along just so we couldn’t afford to look “petty” or “stiff”, especially in front of people of higher authority and stature.
So Eric I want to ask you.
Why have you been so obsessed with my sexuality all these years?
Why are you so fascinated by other people’s sexuality?
Why is being gay such a huge issue to you even to this day that you had to make it the first thing you asked your contestants?
Why you also had to specifically make a post on social media about that fact you questioned people about their sexuality?
Why do you take so much pride publicly in your ability to guess who are the gay contestants even when they weren’t ready to share that information?
And most of all why do you find all this to be so funny?
To begin with one’s sexual orientation is a very personal thing which others have no right to intrude, even in the entertainment industry where you are supposed to be fine with “controversy”.
This is for you and everyone out there: using your power and authority to demand someone to declare his or her sexual orientation, especially in a work environment, is ancient, barbaric and unacceptable.
Kicking someone out of the closet is just pure evil.
The fact you did what you did, especially with your stature and on broadcast TV, is not only wrong, but also you are telling the Hong Kong audience that it’s alright to continue this form of intrusion and micro aggression that the LGBT community wants to see gone.
You’re leading a very poor example by giving Hong Kong audience the impression that being gay is still a taboo.
How are your contestants, who are boys of young age, going to offer new perspectives to the Hong Kong audience under your guidance if you perpetuate stereotyping and demonstrate to them that being gay is still an issue?
I feel sorry for any contestants who are in fact gay sitting in that room that day too. They must have been traumatized seeing the way you forced your inquisition. The impression you left them with is that the entertainment industry is still a very unfriendly place for gays. Is that what you want them to think?
But most of all, it’s the attitude, tone and manner with which you shared about this incident on social media, giving people the impression that any matter regarding sexual orientation is still something shameful and laughable, which is on top of list the thing that the LGBT community fights hard everyday to change.
When you said in your apology you “have great respect for gay people, especially their hard fight for equality” I became baffled as what you did, in the past to me or in that room to the boys, is the exact thing that makes the LGBT community’s ongoing fight for equality so difficult.
Putting people down, perpetuate stereotypes, heckling and ridiculing yet making it look OK is anything but liberal and respectful, or Californian. I don’t see any “entertainment values” that are of good taste if they are made up at the expense of other people’s struggle.
If this incident happened in America, where you grew up, you would’ve gotten yourself in such hot waters that you probably can’t get out of.
I just want you and everyone out there to know that it’s not okay. And it never was. Never will be.
Being “as liberal as it gets” is great. Having gay friends is great too. Having dinner with your gay friends is absolutely fabulous! Playing all these cards to avoid being labelled as “homophobic” is very convenient. But having class, empathy, kindness and authentic respect is a completely different territory. These don’t come automatically with backgrounds.
At this point you don’t owe me an apology. I just hope that after this incident you can really start working and living with the essences of a truly liberal and creative individual. Inspire changes and end stereotypes. Start new trends and break old patterns. Embrace and not segregate. Do the work.
I had been away from Hong Kong and the industry for a few years now. It breaks me heart that I have to write this sort of open letter when it’s already 2018. I want to make this industry a safer, nicer and more accepting place to work in when I return. I want members of the LGBT community in Hong Kong, who have been so supportive of me and my music, to also have safer and nicer working environment in their respective lives.
I don’t mind coming off as an over-reacting petty bitch with no sense of humour if my message finally comes through and everyone, including you, “gets it”. I rather have no sense of humour than a bad one.
To all the contestants of the show. If anyone ever asks you if you are gay and you are not ready to discuss, it’s OK to stand up for yourself and say this: “It’s a rude question to begin with. You have no right to get an answer from me to begin with. And it doesn’t matter. It SHOULDN’T matter. It’s 2018. I hope one day I can use my craft to inspire the world and to make this become a non-issue.”
But if you are ready to be open, you have my complete support and love.
Let’s hope that through acceptance, learning and effort, one day there will no longer be any “controversial questions”. Wouldn’t we like that Eric?
Yours truly,
Pong
#LGBT
#homophobia
#safeworkplace
#中文版稍後會有
Eric Kwok 郭偉亮
baffled中文 在 報章英文成語教室- 正確了解baffle (vt)的意思: 1難倒。 Sudan ... 的推薦與評價
Sudan illness baffles experts. ... He baffled the Lions' with a diet of curve balls and fast... ... 從中文的角度翻譯新聞英文用語 ... <看更多>