Openly gay author and pastor Rev. Oyoung Wen Feng, who legally married his partner Phineas Newborn III on Aug 31 – Malaysia's Independence Day – last year in New York, hosted a wedding banquet in downtown Kuala Lumpur last Saturday.
News of Malaysia-born Oyoung's marriage made the headlines in his home country and internationally last year as did the banquet on Aug 4 with a leading local Chinese-language newspaper Sinchew showing a 3-minute news video on its Internet channel on Youtube.
Last year, the New York-based pastor announced and affirmed his intention to hold a wedding banquet in Malaysia this year despite criticism by a Malaysian politician. "I believe, I deserve at least this very right to share my joy with my friends by dining together, even in Malaysia," said Oyoung who has mainly lived in the US since 1998 although he returns to regularly to Malaysia and other Asian countries to speak at churches and at secular events.
In an email to Fridae, Rev. Oyoung, whose real name is Ngeo Boon Lin, acknowledged that his mother’s attendance at the dinner "meant a lot" to him.
Held at a Chinese restaurant Berjaya Time Square, the dinner was attended by some 250 people including his aunts and cousins as well as friends from Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the US where the couple now lives.
The 42-year-old former newspaper columnist "came out" as gay publicly in 2006 and says it’s important to him that he didn’t marry in secret despite being subjected to criticism by the public and Malaysian politicians.
He says he hopes his wedding “inspires others to do the same.”
He told Fridae: “It stimulates their imaginations, it helps people to understand if we are not afraid, we can live our lives authentically, because of fear, we can be our worst enemies. More often than not, we defeat ourselves way before others attack us.
“It helps straight people realise our love is not a shame and we are not guilty of our love. If we keep it as a secret, like it or not, people would assume that we are ashamed of ourselves. I want to inspire others, not only on love matters, but on everything we do. If we are not afraid, we can dream the impossible dreams. We are in fact more powerful than we think we are!”
The pair is now in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on their honeymoon. "I am having my honeymoon in Vietnam because I believe Vietnam will be the first country in Southeast Asia to legalise gay marriage," he added.
When asked if he plans to continue living in the US or return to Malaysia, he said he is “planning to come back to Asia, and seeking opportunities to work in Asia, and (his) partner knows very well that (his) heart is in Asia.”
He says he has spent at least three months a year for the past three years travelling between Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and China on lecture tours. He is scheduled to appear/speak at a Popular book store in Kuching on Aug 9 (Thu) and 10 (Fri), Good Samaritan Metropolitan Community Church (GSMCC) on Aug 12 (Sun), Taipei (dates to be confirmed), BookFest at KLCC at 2pm on Aug 18, and Free Community Church Singapore and a book launch at Prologue Ion Orchard on Aug 19.