In Cambodia, a safe haven for LGBTQ + people
The 10-minute documentary focuses on the bar Blue Chilli in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, and MRI says it shows the crucial role of entrepreneurs in LGBTQI activism in Cambodia
Through the centuries, spaces for LGBTQ+ people have been restricted and relegated to the margins until they eventually vanished. In recent years, LGBTQ+ people have been reclaiming those spaces, their places, and they also have been creating safe spaces, where they can be themselves and free from discrimination, abuse and violence. The ongoing Southeast Asia Queer Cultural Festival (SEAQCF), organized by the ASEAN SOGIE Caucus, is showing how LGBTQ+ communities are carving their own niches in societies and creating safe spaces in different parts of Southeast Asia. One of works featured in the first-ever festival is the short documentary film, “Strengthening LGBTIQ Communities’ Collective Memory to Promote Inclusive ASEAN Values,” produced by Micro Rainbow International Foundation (MRI) Cambodia, an organization which supports the LGBTQ+ sector in Cambodia.
The 10-minute documentary focuses on the bar Blue Chilli in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, and MRI says it shows “the crucial role of entrepreneurs in LGBTQI activism in Cambodia.”
Blue Chilli is my home. It is a place that brings me warmth. It is where I have the chance to show my talent. It is where other LGBTQ+ people come to join us. However, Blue Chlli is not only for LGBTQ+ people but also for everyone.
In the film, Blue Chilli owner Khem Sokha shares “Starting a gay bar 14 years ago was difficult. First, to be honest, Cambodian people do not value LGBTQ+ people. Second, even my friends call me gay when they knew I started a gay bar. I did an opening party after I launched this for six months. A Cambodian daily newspaper called it a gay bar. They asked me, ‘Aren’t you afraid that it is called a gay bar?’ And my answer was ‘It is fine.’ Our government though did not ban us from opening this gay bar. In the last 14 years, most gays in Cambodia who come my bar did not dare sit outside. Even indoors, we had our lights dimmed. Since they were afraid their parents or relatives might see them.
“When it started, many local Cambodians were sort of afraid of going there because they thought it was a place for ‘bad boys and girls,’ but now it’s great to see that so many people go there actually, the locals. So, Blue Chilli has been really very supportive of events around Pride, organizing special shows, putting in a lot of energy, time and effort. It’s a win-win situation for the owners of Blue Chilli as well as for the audiences and customers that are there. I have organized special parties at Blue Chilli in the past, and they also employ LGBT staff or allies. And of course, it’s a training ground for many of the performers and the drag queens who are now really the best in the country in terms of doing drag shows,” Dr. Vicente Salas, independent consultant on HIV and sexual health and LGBTQ+ rights, explains.
“I offer a lot of opportunities, where they can enjoy performing,” Sokha affirms. “Performing in a show is not their profession. It is a part-time job because they are happy with it. They have other jobs as well. I am also happy as I can offer them these opportunities.”
One of the bar’s drag performers, Mega, was also interviewed for the documentary.
“Blue Chilli is the first place where I honed my talent. Blue Chilli is my home. It is a place that brings me warmth. It is where I have the chance to show my talent,” she says. “It is where other LGBTQ+ people come to join us. However, Blue Chlli is not only for LGBTQ+ people but also for everyone. Blue Chilli is a gay-friendly bar. So, everyone can join us.”
Chhoeurng Rachana, MRIF Cambodia project coordinator, underscores how Blue Chilli contributes to the community and also to the nation. “Because the LGBTQ+ community is being discriminated by their families, they are most likely to drop out of school, and they have difficulties finding jobs. So, we provide them the opportunity to start their business, to help them out of poverty with their effort,” she relates. “Blue Chilli is a place of job opportunities for LGBTQ+ people, especially for trans women who serve as performers of Blue Chilli.”
“And it is also a safe place for LGBTQ+ people, and everyone can relax and have fun there,” she adds. “It is also a business model for others to see the abilities of LGBTQ+ people to work and give them the chance to earn income… It also helps the national economy if businesses focus on the LGBTQ+ people’s abilities rather than their behaviors and orientation.”
“One more thing that we want to see in Cambodia is a working policy that prohibits workplace discrimination against them. If our government can draft this policy, we LGBTQ+ people will feel safe, warm and brave to come out to show our talent, knowledge, and profession to work for the community, and the uplift ourselves financially,’ Rachana emphasizes.
While they are working towards that goal, Blue Chilli serves as a haven for the LGBTQ+ people and a business model showing how nondiscrimination and acceptance lead to social and economic progress.
“For customers who are afraid of being exposed to the public, here is a safe place for them,” Sokha enthuses.
“Strengthening LGBTIQ Communities’ Collective Memory to Promote Inclusive ASEAN Values” may be viewed at the website seaqcf.net and on ASEAN SOGIE Caucus’ YouTube channel. SEAQCF kicked off on 13 February and runs till 13 March, all happening online because of the restrictions caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
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