Exploring Identities (UPDATE)
Update
Alumnus Ryan Bishop Zlatanova ’17 is turning his OWU Connection experience in Taiwan into a six-part docu-series accessible via Facebook at www.facebook.com/island.queerness.
“I'm really proud and excited to announce that I have published the first episode of the docu-series based on the research I did in Taiwan on my Theory-to-Practice Grant last year,” says Bishop, who completed the two-week trip in May 2017 with Spencer Zhang ’19.
“We learned so much more than we could have hoped for,” Bishop says, “conducting 18 interviews and accumulating hours of video footage and bags full of materials like brochures and DVDs. ... It was unbelievable and life-changing, meeting the people we met, hearing their stories, and getting to do the type of research we did.
“This six-part docu-series is created to introduce people outside of Taiwan to the Taiwanese LGBT+ community, their lives and experiences, and the communities they live in,” he says. “The episodes will balance an academic analytical approach with allowing interviewees to share their views in their own words and showcasing gorgeous sights from around Taiwan.
“Episode 1 introduces viewers to our trip, some of our interviewees, the Taiwanese context, and seeks to answer the questions of ‘Are queer people accepted in Taiwanese society? Why or why not?’ through interviews with people from various parts of society, including a politician and civil rights lawyer, legislator Yu Mei Nu, and one of Taiwan's first gay rights activists, Chi Chia-wei,” Bishop says.
Future episodes will explore topics including transgender rights and same-sex marriage.
Original Story Published on June 12, 2017
Ohio Wesleyan Students Study LGBT+ Issues in Taiwan
Name: Ryan Bishop ’17
Major: Zoology
Minor: East Asian Studies
Hometown: Sofia, Bulgaria
Experience: Theory-to-Practice Grant, “Island Queerness: A Study on the Experiences of Taiwanese Queer People”
Bishop and Spencer Zhang ’19 of Leshan, China, traveled to Taiwan for two weeks in May to study LGBT+ issues. Their visit included touring the exhibit for the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, in front of the National Palace Museum in Taiwan, and interviewing legislator Yu Mei Nu, an advocate for same-sex marriage and LGBT+ rights in the East Asian state.
Lessons learned: “In Taiwan, we saw a society with different values within which the Taiwanese queer community fit in different ways than in the societies of other countries, but still experienced some of the same struggles. I learned that queer communities everywhere face internal division often, but also that queer folks everywhere are incredibly resilient and won't back down from fighting for their rights and safety.
“It was also interesting to learn about how different Taiwan has become from China in many ways, but how some values that seem common in East Asian societies linger there, too. The presence of multiple widespread religions – Buddhism, Daoism, Christianity, and Confucianism – painted a diverse picture of the way religion can interact with being part of the LGBT+ community.
“A most notable part of our trip was witnessing a historic landmark ruling by the Taiwanese supreme court, which declared that the current marriage law in Taiwan is unconstitutional and must be changed to allow same-sex marriage. Thus, Taiwan became the first country in Asia to take a leap toward legalizing same-sex marriage. Seeing the celebrations and the pride of the people who had fought for this for decades was breathtaking.”
Why I chose OWU: “I came to Ohio Wesleyan because of the amazing zoology program and because of the good financial aid I was offered. Going to OWU has allowed me to branch out in numerous other ways, too.”
My plans after graduation: “I hope to work in wildlife conservation and continue being a social justice activist.”