Fridae

You know how most gay saunas have a sorry excuse of a gym, good only for the occasional bolstering of confidence before the plunge into the dark room? If you ever find yourself in Paris, you have to visit Gym Louvre on 7 Rue de Louvre, on the Louvre-Rivoli Metro stop. Like its name says, this place is first and foremost a gay bodybuilding gym, and then a gay sauna. That means you workout here in gym attire, not towels. It might not have a swimming pool or restaurant, but the weights and machines here are better than those in Bangkok's Babylon. And the place is packed with loads of hot muscular French men.

I first stepped in there on a Tuesday morning 10:30am - hardly the busiest time of the day or week. The man at the counter said today was even more quiet than usual because there was a public transport strike in support of the demonstration against Dominique de Villepin, the French Prime Minister. If I pay and enter now, he said, as a concession I could ask for a ticket that entitles me to return again later in the evening. I didn't mind going into an empty sauna since I just wanted to get my workout done, so I paid the 7 euros entrance fee (this was a bargain too as the usual entry price is 13 euros). It was thus a very pleasant surprise to see a hot French Arab bodybuilder pumping away in there. I decided this shall be my workout gym for my entire stay in Paris. Look, after each morning workout, I can stroll through the Louvre museum nearby. Exercise for the body and mind in the same location. How convenient can it get?

And it gets even more convenient. Gym Louvre has two Internet terminals that patrons can use for free. After a great workout, I spent a good hour clearing emails and doing some work on the net; no need to hunt for an Internet caf� later (and yes, all of you who got a return heart from me in the last week of March got it sent from Gym Louvre). What a great start to the day. No, I don't get any commission from them for saying all this. My feeling is, gay people gets the short end of the stick all the time, so when a business gives us good value, I will gladly pass the word along. If enough of us actively support gay and gay-friendly businesses at home, how long do you think it will take for businesses to start becoming more gay-friendly?

This year's spring in Paris started in late March. And spring time in Paris is just warm enough to dress gay. After the workout out, I put on my tight lavender sleeveless T and headed towards the Metro station to go to Place D'Italie, the starting point of the March against Villepin. When Singaporeans travel abroad, there is one thing that they should never miss if they have the good fortune to be near one. You guessed it; I'm talking anti-government demonstrations. It ranks higher than fresh snow and naughty live shows on the must see list because it is twice as rare and three times more fun. Happiness is a Singaporean gay man advertising his homosexuality while going to watch an anti-government demonstration�

The Metro stations on the line to Place D'Italie were all jam-packed with people going to the big event. There was so much life in their eyes and so much energy in their movement, that being packed against them like sardines in the Metro feels� (don't shoot me when I'm being honest!) strangely erotic. The sense of purpose and solidarity was wonderful to behold, and recalls the spirit of the French Revolution: Equality, Fraternity and Enfranchisement! Putting aside the complexity of French politics for the time being, I felt honoured bearing witness to so much aliveness and empowerment. These French men and women, debating animatedly, even included me to their conversation without hesitation. And when I told them I could only speak English, they swapped into English without missing a beat.

Can you imagine how it felt like to be so matter-of-factly included as "one of us" by middle-age and young French men and women? There I was, a Chinese man dressed unmistakably like a gay guy out to cruise the street, and a middle-age woman just turns and talked to me like I was an old friend. "Revolutionary solidarity" my French friend quipped when I told her about this. Well, even if such solidarity doesn't happen everyday, I'm glad it happened on my first day here. It made me felt more accepted and at home in Paris than I had ever felt in Singapore. Will I ever see a day when Singaporeans are alive and empowered; truly embracing our diversity like these French people embraced me? Will I?

Despite its people's empowerment, France is unfortunately facing a stark choice between the devil and the deep blue sea: retain their traditional socialist economy that tries to provide social security for all, and risk becoming uncompetitive in the new globalised world; or join the US-led globalisation drive in a bid to reclaim global influence, and lose the bedrock of their social contract. The demonstration against the French PM Villepin in Paris is an illustration of the clash of these two choices. A wiser and more adroit politician would have tried to retain as much of the social contract as possible while moving the country towards globalisation. Unfortunately, Villepin thought he could globalise France in a high-handed Father-knows-best way, vowing to push through a harsh and flawed labour reform law that will marginalise working youths. And he announced this law without bothering to consult with the unions or those who would be affected. What got set into motion then, was the check and balance mechanisms of French society. Not only did the youth protested, even unaffected older working adults mobilised to support them. Unfortunately, Villepin took an even more hard-line stance and announced that he will never back down. As the stand-off escalated, both sides became more and more strident, and now we have casualties on both sides: Villepin's political career in tatters and violence in the streets of Paris.

I feel proud for the French. They are a noble people who refused to let their government bully them. This must be properly acknowledged because when there is backbone, there is hope. To the great Chinese writer Lu Xun, China's tragedy is the docility of her people. He made this observation after seeing a film of Chinese peasants allowing themselves to be lined up and slaughtered by the invading Japanese soldiers without putting up any fight. But if a people have backbone, then no matter the circumstances, they will be able to unite, persevere, and find a way through adversity. What I see in their embracing of diversity, their animated debate and their resolute action is the gumption and resilience of the French people. And their resilience will see them through the challenges that the world throws at them now.

I am also worried for the French. I don't know what their choice will be. Will they eventually embrace globalisation? If not, how are they going to compete with the rest of the world? Will the French economy shrink? Will there be even higher unemployment? Will France degenerate into a third world country? Personally, I would like a new globalisation to replace the current American-led one. A new globalisation that is more humane, that values fairness and justice above profit. And given her strong belief in social justice, France could well be the nation that can lead such a new globalisation if and when its government and its people can work together. Even though France is now in turmoil, I have no doubt that they will eventually find their way. I have confidence in them because I saw what they are made of.

Many Singaporeans would wonder why French students can't just concentrate on their study and obey their elected government officials. It is true that violent demonstrations are terrible and France would be much better off if both sides had chosen to be more conciliatory. But I too wonder: is the temporary loss in French competitiveness a reasonable price to pay for democracy? Let me put it in a more personal way, would I rather drive a Mercedes and be marginalised in my own country, or would I want a real say in national policy and be content with driving a Honda or even just taking the bus?

What is more important: material prosperity or human dignity? If we really think about this choice, the answer becomes obvious. There is no dignity in abject poverty just as there is no prosperity in abject debasement. One without the other is meaningless. The question is really: how much of each do we want? Indeed, as a gay Singaporean traveling in Paris, what the Parisians have forced me to ask of myself is: how much of each do I want? After coming up with my own answer, I pass this question on to you, my fellow gay and lesbian Singaporeans: how much of it do you want? And how can you get it with a little more wisdom and adroitness than Villepin?

Dr Tan Chong Kee holds a Ph.D. in Chinese Literature from Stanford University in the United States and is one of Singapore's best-known figures in civil society activism.