Hong Kong pop-up Queer Room offers ‘alternative individuals’ a place to connect

In a cosy corner of Hong Kong’s Sheung Wan neighbourhood is a new gathering space that is warm and welcoming. Giant cushions invite guests to kick back with a book or chill and chat over a can of kombucha. Hearts and minds are fully open at Queer Room, a new pop-up by Lisa Lam and Patricia Lam, the sisters behind Hong Kong kombucha label Taboocha, and Li Mei-ting, a cultural studies lecturer at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. For Li, Queer Room offers a change of pace. “I’m lecturing most of the time, but this concept allows me to really connect with the queer community,” she says. Much like the fermentation process involved in making kombucha – it can take up to two weeks – the pace at Queer Room is slow, the space offering an escape from the hustle and bustle that Hong Kong is known for, Patricia Lam says. For Li, fermentation carries a deeper metaphorical meaning: the process of transformation, much like the city’s queer community, which must embrace the unknown and celebrate change. What is most impressive about Queer Room is its selection of literary works, photography books, picture books and magazines – particularly its novels centred on queer narratives, which Li says have become increasingly silenced. In Hong Kong, some books with LGBTQ themes are housed in “closed stacks” in public libraries, which means visitors must ask a librarian to retrieve them. The restrictions came after a move in 2018 that placed restrictions on 10 children’s book titles. Among the books available at Queer Room is Li Kotomi’s Solo Dance, a powerful, painful, coming-of-age story about a young LGBTQ Taiwanese woman working in Tokyo. The novel, the Taiwanese writer’s debut, which won the 60th Gunzo New Writers’ Prize for Excellence in 2017, explores themes of sexuality, trauma and identity. Other titles include Queer, a novella by American author William S. Burroughs, Before We Were Trans by British historian, writer and LGBTQ educator and activist Kit Heyam, and This Will Not End Well, a comprehensive overview of US photographer and filmmaker Nan Goldin’s work. And while the term “queer” – historically a derogatory one – has been reclaimed by many in the LGBTQ community as a positive and empowering self-identifier, at Queer Room it has been expanded. “At Queer Room, we embrace the term ‘queer’ to include eccentric, non-mainstream, alternative individuals, including all lifestyles that differ from social norms,” Lisa Lam says. The pop-up continues until mid-December and includes workshops, book readings, small group meet-ups and in-depth forums. Taboocha’s new kombucha flavours – including the limited-edition Silent Rebel – can also be savoured there in new, more eco-friendly aluminium cans. Visitors also have the chance to buy limited-edition Queer Room perfume made in collaboration with Hong Kong fragrance store Scentory. Upcoming events at Queer Room Night Chat: Pleasure that Money Can’t Buy, November 29, 8pm-10pm Vera Lui, a sexuality educator and co-founder of the intimate lifestyle shop Sally Coco and the Women’s Festival HK, will talk about encounters she has had with clients at her store while navigating through a set of “intimacy therapeutic cards” (designed by local illustrator Gigi Fong) created to bring out stories of pleasure and desire. Migrants’ Pride, November 30, 11.30am-1.30pm (HK$180, includes one drink) Southeast Asian migrant workers have long been an integral part of Hong Kong’s workforce, but their rights and concerns are often overlooked. Queer Room will host the organisers behind rights group Migrants’ Pride as they revisit their journey of activism, which has been marked by both joy and anger. Miso workshop, November 30, 3pm-5pm (HK$400) Miso is a traditional Japanese paste made from fermented soybeans, salt and koji (a type of fungus) that adds an umami flavour to soups, salad dressings and more. Leading the workshop is Wren, a home fermenting master from New York. Night Chat: Literature as Insurrectionary Speech, December 5, 8pm-10pm Harmony Yuen, an assistant curator at the M+ museum; Nathan Lee, a writer and curator of independent bookstores Mosses and Book B; and Li will lead a conversation on the unbearable feeling of sorrow. For those who write and read queer literature, sorrow can also be deeply productive and transformative. Open Forum: Manhood is a Spectrum, December 13, 2.30pm-5pm Manhood exists on a spectrum, with each man navigating the world in their own unique way, both physically and mentally. To explore this further, Kaspar Wan from Hong Kong transgender rights group Gender Empowerment, “P” from book shop Fu Court, and Linus Kwong from Onebookhalf Gender Space will share their views and knowledge. Workshop: Body and Soul Reconnection through Movement, December 13, 5pm-6pm (HK$180, includes one kombucha) Professional dancer, choreographer and movement artist Peggy Ho will lead this class that aims to help participants find release and recognise themselves through improvised movement. No experience in dance is required. Night Chat: Cult! Cult! Cult! December 13, 8pm-10pm Curator and artist Wong Ka-ying will lead a discussion about queer cultural narratives in film, art and literature. Queer Room Pop-Up, 54 Sai Street, Sheung Wan. Tuesday to Friday, 11am-7pm; Saturday, 11am-10pm, Sunday, 11am-6pm. Ends December 14.

Hong Kong pop-up Queer Room offers ‘alternative individuals’ a place to connect

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Until December 14, the inclusive Sheung Wan space welcomes guests with LGBTQ literature and group talks. Here are some of its coming events

Until December 14, the inclusive Sheung Wan space welcomes guests with LGBTQ literature and group talks. Here are some of its coming events