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From: Felix of Southeast Asia
Sent: Mon, November 16, 2009 9:03:59 AM
Subject: Hong Kong Gay Flotilla 2009


Hong Kong
Gay Flotilla 2009
Reported by Felix of Southeast Asia
Hong Kong

If pride marches in Hong Kong seem like the wrong place for swim suits and an unreserved
parade of masculine physique in its entire splendor, then a gay pride on water would be just
the right place for that purpose.

The day before Hong Kong’s second annual pride parade, I joined Hong Kong’s 4th year
running gay Flotilla on October 31, 2009. The day coincided with Halloween, so the dress
code for this year’s Flotilla was Hawaiian and Halloween. Hong Kong has many beautiful
beaches and islands, and there is no better way to celebrate gay pride than a day out on
the sea with hundreds of beautiful boys flaunting their gorgeous physiques. And so in 2006,
Greg Crandall, an American expat living with his now husband Allen Lam in Hong Kong (they
wedded in California in 2008), came up with the idea of organizing a flotilla of queer people
sailing to some of the most beautiful beaches in Hong Kong. Today the Flotilla has
developed into a fleet of boats, junks, cabin cruisers and barges each hired by a different
group of LGBT revelers partying the day away together off some gay-friendly beaches
around Hong Kong. The first year 2006 saw 550 revelers on 15 boats anchored at Turtle
Cove. The following year saw 1073 people on 28 vessels also off Turtle Cove, and the third
down to 850 off Cheung Sha Wan beach, Lantau Island.

This year’s Flotilla brought together 558 participants sailing on 11 vessels of various sizes.
Besides local Chinese and foreign expats residing in Hong Kong, visitors from around Asia
such as Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines and Taiwan also participated. Each participant
paid HK$350 which included boat charter, docking fee, free flowing food and drinks on
board. This year’s Flotilla generated HK$4500, a part of which went to charity. The
beneficiary for this year’s charity was Horizons, Hong Kong’s oldest gay counseling
volunteer group.   

I arrived at the Central Pier 9 at about 9:30 am. I went alone so I did not know anyone there.
At 10:30 am, I was directed to a large cruiser named Rainbow Star, which was painted in
bright rainbow colors. It was most fitting for the occasion. A rainbow flag was tied to the bow
railing while the flotilla banner hung on the side. I was to join the Volume (a gay bar in
Central) boys on the Rainbow Star, which was the mother boat of the fleet. Evan, the official
DJ of the Flotilla, greeted me with a warm hug. He was dressed in a green Hawaiian shirt with
a green straw skirt, and a pair of green horns on his head. Everyone received a colorful
artificial flower garland Hawaiian style.

The double decker has an air-conditioned cabin where there was a cocktail bar, couches
and tables and two toilets. On top of it was an open air covered deck behind the coxswain’s
cabin. Sound systems were set up here and Evan spinned an incessant stream of popular
songs and music while the sailors danced to the beat on the rainbow painted dance floor.
The bow of the cruiser has a low level sun deck for those who loved sunbathing. The stern
was the entry point into the water for the swimmers and visitors from other vessels. The
Rainbow Star carried 60 to 70 people, mostly male of all colors. Several interracial gay male
couples were present. One such couple brought along their pet dog that was as curious and
excited as a toddler on board.

It took a while for all the guys and gals to arrive. It was past 11 am when the cruiser finally
set sail for Middle Bay, a renowned gay-friendly beach that is situated between the more
popular Repulse Bay and South Bay on the southern coast of Hong Kong island. The ride
took close to an hour, in which I took in the skyscrapers on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon
peninsula, passing vessels of assorted sizes plying the Victoria Harbor and between the
waters of Hong Kong, Lantau and Macau. As the boat left the heavily populated urban
areas, we cruised past the forested areas of the west coast, the cable cars and roller
coaster of Ocean Park, and arrived at Repulse Bay.

When the boat finally anchored off Middle Bay at high noon, the guys stripped down to their
bathers and swim suits. One man dressed up as a fairy in a green mini skirt dress. Other
vessels in the fleet arrived shortly, and the guys started going down to the waters to swim,
float and frolic on blown up tubes and air mattresses. I went topless but refrained from going
down to the deep water. It was fabulous but how I wished I had more familiar friends with me
for such a good time out at sea!

Catered lunch came in the form of a full meal served in the cabin on board. Beer and wine
flowed freely, as sailors socialized, danced to the beat of heavy metal music, or simply lazed
on the sun deck taking in the tranquility of the bay. Gorgeous guys from the other vessels
would swim over to the mother ship to mingle, and vice versa. The day was bright and clear.
Starting at 4 pm, a Flotilla after-party was to be held at the Bauhinia Beach Club on Middle
Beach for those who wanted to party the night away on the beach. A sampan ferried beach
party goers from the boats to the beach over several trips. Not being a party animal, I
remained on the mother boat, however, which took the rest of the sailors back to Central
pier shortly after 5 pm.

The waters turned choppy on the way back as the sun was setting. I was lost in my thoughts
as I stood at the bow drinking in the chilly sea breeze and bouncing on the choppy waters.
All good times must come to an end. Back at the pier where we began, I bade farewell to my
fellow sailors wondering if I would ever see them again, and headed for the Star Ferry which
would take me across the harbor to Tsim Sha Tsui, home to me for the next two months. It
had been a most fabulous day! I was glad to have been a part of Hong Kong’s fourth Flotilla!
And it’s so great to be gay!
Hong Kong Gay Flotilla 2009
Reported by Felix of Southeast Asia
This webpage was built the week of January 3, 2010, in
the Bronx, NY, and was published January 8, 2010.

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