Mobile Cultures & Kelley Loves Tony

The excerpt talks about Queer South Asians taking advantage of the advent of the internet to form a community in a safe space. It gives the perspective of queer people in an Asian country, which is not given much of a voice in the US. Being a Asian, gay, and an immigrant, I have the perspectives of both sides. Although I have not spent my life as a realized gay person in Thailand, I can see the differences in how queerness is viewed and defined in Thailand and the US. Queer activism in the US is very US-centric, and as stated in the article, the narrative of queer people outside the West is not given much of a voice in the US, so activists in the US who campaign internationally can unintentionally impose their own view of queerness on other cultures that have different definitions. I think that non western perspective and definition of queerness should be given more of a voice, as it is important for queer immigrant/people of color to see themselves in the community.

Gay Bombay also brings out the issue of class, as mostly middle and upper class queer people have access to these spaces. Queer people who are poor and/or rural do not have access to the internet, so that cannot access these spaces. I think that queer activism in all countries should be more accessible for people who are economically disadvantaged. Even in the US, the gay community and media appears primarily attractive white males, and everyone else is pushed to the side. In its early days, the gay rights movement were spearheaded by poor black trans women, who are not recognized and pushed aside now. Gay culture in the US is being changed for mass consumption, particularly by the heterosexual masses, which pushes people who are "deviants" of the gender and sexual binary aside. I hope that it will not be the case for emerging queer activism and community in Asia.

Kelley loves Tony shows an Asian immigrant family the deviates from the "model minority" stereotype. Neither Kelley nor Tony are rich. They are not 4.0 students who attend elite colleges. Kelley is a teenage mother, and Tony was previously involved in gang activity. Although, the film does not show Kelley's teenage motherhood being a negative thing, as she even sends a message to young mothers to continue with the lives and that their lives will not end with their baby. Kelley is Mien, and she participates in her culture. She negotiates her identity in her life, as she goes along with Mien tradition of marriage arranged by their parents, but she also refuses to drink traditional ginger tea that Mien women drink after childbirth. It does not seem to be a big deal to her, as it is not central to the plot of the film. Her utmost worries are obtaining college education, taking care of her son, and hoping that Tony will not be deported. It shows Asian American lives in a different light, that is not necessarily in a negative way.