關於 the room where it happened中文 ，我們在網路上蒐集到這些相關的討論、資訊與評價

朱敬一將波頓的回憶錄感想，寫得很好，要簡單了解川普，這個摘要不錯。要了解過去三年台美中關係，、11月大選後川普、拜登當選的可能方向，這是一個好的參考資料

朱敬一的書評

汩羅江畔寫心得 —
評論 Bolton 新書 “The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir"
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美國前國家安全顧問 John Bolton 的新書 "The Room Where It Happened" 幾天前上市，實體與網路銷售皆大賣，據報導他的版稅收入大概至少有幾千萬元。該書還沒有中譯版，所以不知道中文書譯名為何。此書撰寫是「敍事序時體」，每一章按國安事件的主題切分，例如土耳其、委內瑞拉、中國等，然後就各個主題，再依事件時序記述其發展。這樣做實為不得不然；因為美國面對的平行事件太多，若同時處理，讀起來會昏倒。

寫書痛批川普，報復性居多
Bolton 在 2018-2019 年在白宮的職稱是 National Security Advisor (NSA)，相當於我們政府體制中的「國家安全會議秘書長」。他 2018 年 4 月上任，2019 年 9 月辭職，在職僅一年五個月。NSA 是白宮一級閣員，份量大概與美國國務卿不相上下。NSA 與國務卿都是負責涉外、國安事務，但是由於美國是世界強權，涉外及國安事務的份量幾乎是國內事務的一倍，故 NSA 的重要性幾乎是「左丞相」。

一年五個月任期看起來不長，但是以川普閣員更動速度觀之，Bolton 已經算是任期長的了 (讀者可以與柯文哲小內閣 PK 一下)。Bolton 應該是有做日記或是筆記的習慣，所以他的記載超級詳細。每一次重要會議的開始時間，可以細到「四點十五分」這種刻度，會議的重要出席人員也絕不遺漏。每一次對話誰說了什麼，也幾乎是「可以加引號」那麼精準。所以，我對於書中「記述」的真實性與正確性，幾乎不予置疑。至於偶爾有作者自己的評價，則讀者當然可以自行斟酌。

如果你問，Bolton 寫這本書的目的是什麼呢？我想一方面是賺錢 (幾千幾萬收入吔！)，但是也許更重要的，則是吐一口怨氣，紮實地狠搥川普一拳。你看完這本書就能了解，這一年五個月時間「君臣」之間累積了多少怨氣。最重要的是：老闆川普完全沒有令他尊敬之處，也不尊重閣員。孟子兩千年前的描述是「君視臣如土芥，則臣視君如寇讎」。此書讀起來，波頓已經是「必欲揭川普瘡疤而後快」，幾乎是指著鼻子駡。

閣員眾生相，一覽無遺
Bolton 在書裡記載了不少閣員同事，有褒有貶。被他貶抑的包括前國防部長瘋狗 Mattis、現任財政部長 Mnuchin、前駐聯合國大使 Nikki Haley，當然 B 氏駡最多的是川普本人。Bolton 在對話中認同的閣員則包括前白宮幕僚長 John Kelly、現任國務卿 Pompeo。其中，有許多次與川普開會之前之後的「會前交心」或「會後善後」或「如何應付老闆」的對話，都是 Bolton 與 Pompeo 的對談，所以這本書出版之後，我感覺 Pompeo 恐怕會被川普嫌，處境頗為艱難。

多說無益，且讓我將書裡精彩幾句話一一標出，讓沒有時間讀全文的朋友，了解 Bolton 的怨氣。

Bolton 在 50 頁明言，Mattis is our biggest problem。Bolton 說，Mattis 與幕僚在前置討論時從不表示意見，這樣才能在最後階段提出一個「別人沒有辦法仔細評估」的不同意見。如果真是如此，Mattis 這咖其實段數很差，而且玩不久。但是另外一種解讀是：如果國防部長 Mattis 的意見都是在Bolton 主持的會議中講了，Mattis 在川普面前就沒有表現了，而國防部則像是國家安全會議的下轄部會，我想 Mattis 不願意如此。所以，這裡的矛盾，是權力面的，未必是 Bolton 所述人格面的。

在 337 頁，Mnuchin 被 Bolton 形容為擁中 (熊貓) 派。川普說，此人 seemed more protective of US firms that were sleeping with our enemy than of accomplishing the mission we have." Mnuchin 的立場若此，Bolton 不說外界恐怕也不清楚。但是 Bolton 有一點批評我完全同意：美/中之間的衝突，是制度面的，包括中國政府的大量 (黨國不分) 補貼、強迫智慧財產移轉、偷竊營業秘密等。這些因素加起來，形諸於外，才是「貿易順差」等問題。所以，制度是關鍵，貿易只是表相。Mnuchin 老想達成「貿易談判」，拼命阻擋制度問題的討論，擔心那些討論妨礙了貿易談判，這根本是捨本逐末，混淆問題本質。

人權，值幾文錢？
幕僚建議川普對天安門 30週年講話，川普拒絕 (286 頁）。他說：that was 15 years ago (他年代都搞錯，一表相差 15 年，不過不足為奇)，who cares about that? 所以天安門死多少人，沒有重要性？Bolton 在288 頁又記載，川普在電話上對習近平說，他可以在新疆建集中營。香港的動亂，川普也主動說，那是中國內政。這些，大概是全書最恐怖的內容。我們從媒體報導以為美國支持香港、譴責新疆隔離，但是 Bolton 說，那不是川普本意。台灣媒體報導了與台灣有關的內容，Bolton 在 286 頁說，川普已經放棄了敍利亞的庫德族，台灣會是下一個嗎？

我想，事情的關鍵，不在於台灣是不是只有「筆尖」大小，不是庫德/敍利亞/台灣/香港/維吾爾之間權衡輕重的問題，而是川普本人的「價值觀」。B 氏批評 (120 頁)，川普沒有整體國際戰略，看問題只看零零散散的點 (archipelago of dots)。就川普而言，國際事務像是「一筆筆的不動產交易」。有些人用「生意人」描述川普，我覺得有點羞辱千千萬萬做生意的人。生意人其實也是有血有肉、有感情有關懷。我認為比較正確的描述是：川普錯誤地把國際政治與世界運作，視為一筆筆「買賣」。所謂「美國優先」，其實就只是看「美國年度損益表」。這，才是真正的麻煩。

正因為一切都只看「損益表」，所以 NATO 川普就只盯著 NATO 預算吵，一直要逼德國多出錢。德國是應該多承擔責任，但是不能把事情搞成「你們敢不出錢，我美國就退出 NATO。」難道 NATO 是個買賣？Bolton 在134-135 頁記載，川普要求歐洲諸國增加 NATO 經費，但是不順利，於是打算在 G7 會議時宣布美國退出 NATO。這麼天大的事，事前完全沒有與國安顧問及任何閣員討論，好像只是一件房地產交易的 counter offer，Bolton 失望也害怕，已經打算辭職了；那時他才上任三個月。幸好，G7 會議發言前幾分鐘，川普問 Bolton：Are we going to do it? Bolton 回答：Go up to the line, but don't cross it。川普後來沒有越線，但 Bolton 此事應該已經嚇出一身冷汗。

美國與盟邦關係極差
川普不喜歡多邊組織如 WTO、NATO、WHO，這大家都知道。但是，不喜歡多邊組織，並不表示凡事都要「單邊硬幹」。然而川普就是喜歡單邊硬幹，像是「蝙幅俠」，而不是「豪勇七狡龍」。過去三年，美國得罪了許多盟邦，部分原因是川普的單邊硬幹，部分是因為他的嘴巴。

川普批評歐盟：EU is worse than China, only smaller (98頁）。他這句台詞在不同地方講過多次，我也聽說過，我相信歐洲國家一定聽過，外交上傷害很大。132 頁，川普說 EU 輪值主席 Junker "as a vicious man who hated the U.S. desperately" (132頁)。這話應該也漏到歐盟耳中。EU 對美國這樣駡盟友，極為反感。

不只對盟邦，他對閣員也是極為粗暴。在全書中，不斷有閣員離職，川普從來不讓閣員自己宣布請辭，而永遠是他搶先在 Twitter 上宣布別人「被請辭」。有些閣員情緒激動，川普完全不在乎。 幕僚長 John Kelly 被川普羞辱，氣壞了 (216頁)。他會後對 Bolton 說：I've commanded men in combats, and I've never had to put up with this shit like that." Kelly 是陸戰隊上將，兒子作戰陣亡。會後，K 赴兒子墓地平復心情，然後辭職。什麼叫「視如土芥」？斯之謂也。

川普在週末急著趕走 Mattis (186 頁)。幕僚提醒：快到聖誕節了吔！川普說：下週一才聖誕節，執意在這個週末攆走人。這不是刻意給自己找敵人嗎？也因為如此，Bolton 精心設計離職，比川普 Twitter 早幾個小時宣布辭職，也是用 Tweet。內閣大臣賭氣若斯，恐怕史上少見。

對川普人格，極為不滿
Bolton 全書一再敍述川普的人格瑕疵。第 6 頁，Bolton 說川普 always bizarre。扣除書首標題之類，第 6 頁其實只是正文第 1 頁，就開火了。在 12 頁，Bolton 引述 Charles Krauthammer 曾經對川普的批評，說他的行為 behavior as that of an eleven-year-old boy。但是後來Krauthammer 又修正，說 "I was off by 10 years"。所以，只有 1 歳的水準？我們都知道，1 歲小孩最需要的協助，就是「擦屁股」。這大概是 Bolton 的意思吧。

在 38 頁，川普提到，對外，白宮經常要演 good cop/bad cop 的戲碼。Bolton 說，當然是總統扮 good cop 囉。川普回：the trouble is: we've got two bad cops。所以，川普完全攔不住自己的嘴巴，這樣就根本就沒辦法演戲了。川普說他是個說話的人，「我喜歡說話」。Bolton 描述 (86頁) 例行情報簡報，川普根本沒有用心聽，後來變成他自己講的時間更多。再後來，川普把 security briefing 改為 2 週一次 (209 頁)。但是每次還是他在講，而且內容與 security 無關。

這頗像李登輝會客。某年諾貝爾經濟獎得主 Gerald Debreu 來訪，拜會李總統，計 61 分鐘，D 氏只講了 2 分鐘，李講了 59 分鐘，對諾貝爾獎得主大談經濟發展論。D 氏後來說，If I knew this, I really had other better things to do.

總統，經常打臉閣員
美國商務部宣布對 ZTE 的制裁 (170)，川普很怒，然後就宣布暫緩，並且打電話給習近平示好，因為他想與習大大維持好關係。Bolton 認為，這是閣員依法辦事，總統怎麼可以對依法行政的官員開駡。這一點，台灣原先恐怕不知原委，以為是習近平打電話給川普。如果如 Bolton 所描述，是川普主動打電話去，這值得我們警惕。Bolton 批評川普：he has "difficulty in separating personal from official relations".

川普要關閉美墨邊界 (213頁)，幕僚指出此事株連廣大，有種種困難。川普大怒，說 It's like a movie theater when it is filled。邊界每天早上晚上都有通勤進出、物流貨流等問題，怎麼會與電影院太擠相提並論？國土安全部長事後就走人了。

川普也想對華為放水 (282)，國安人員都非常火。最後美國沒有放水，不是因為大家說服了川普，而是因為川普發現中國想拖延談判，期待 2020 變天。所以，川普對華為的強硬，是因為老共希望混過 2020。他修理華為，似乎是冲冠一怒為自己。這一點，台灣事前也不知道，也要警惕。

如果打臉閣員是基於判斷，也就罷了。經常，川普顯示出他的常識匱乏。川普說 (210頁)：it would be cool to invade Venezuela。閣員一大堆人都是身經百戰的將軍，都知道兵凶戰危，入侵委內瑞拉這叫做 cool？川普問 (121頁)，"Is Finland a part of Russia?" 這呼應前述 11 歲還是 1 歲？Bolton 說，川普每天中午才上班 (208頁)。咦？與台灣的誰很像？

官場鬥爭，哪裡都一樣
Bolton 赴日本安排川普訪問的前置 (120頁)，川普問：你為什麼要先去？B 氏對這個問題頗感困擾，後來問 Kelly，為什麼老闆這樣問？K 說，他擔心 you upstage him。總統出國訪問，怎麼可能沒有前置作業？擔心幕僚影武，明白說就好啦？但是老闆問這個問題，Bolton 應該知道川普不好伺候了。我在 2003 年卸任中央研究院副院長之後，就立志「此生絕對不再做副手」。伺候難伺候的老闆，真的比什麼都難。川普年紀與 Bolton 差不多，川普外面聲望也不好，其難伺候尚且如此。如果川普比 Bolton 大上 20 歲，又是諾貝爾獎得主，那 Bolton 才會真的痛苦。

川普阻礙華為、ZTE 制裁，影響烏克蘭調查方向，對付 Biden 之子，要邀請神學士代表到大衛營，應該都是 Bolton 辭職的導火線 (381-427頁)。Bolton 的說詞很委婉，但是他對川普所為不以為然，已經呼之欲出。

但是真正把 Bolton 與 川普之間關係弄緊張的，還是有人咬耳朵。這，就是權力鬥爭。紐約時報等媒體經常刋出一些內幕，有人向川普說：「好像是 Bolton 漏的喔。」Bolton 出差依慣例坐空軍的專機，也有人去唸：「波頓不跟閣員一起行動，因為他有自己的飛機喔」。這一類的咬耳朵，據 Bolton 說是 Mulvaney 所為，但是誰知道呢？古今中外一樣，宮廷鬥爭永遠是精彩戲碼。Mulvaney 也厲害，現在外放愛爾蘭做特使，遠離權鬥核子武器範圍。

國安顧問該扮演什麼角色？
整體而言，我對於美國的國家安全體制，是高度肯定的。有兩個案例：1）Bolton 草擬的 cyberspace 攻防作業要點，由川普簽署。對於網路攻擊美國的行動，不但偵測，而且回擊。我認為這非常值得台灣參考。我不很了解，網攻如果來自臨時的設備，回撃要怎麼做？2）Bolton 的角色扮演相當稱職，國際經驗與視野豐富，專業判斷頗為到位。整本書中，他沒有任何議題分析我持不同判斷。我認為台灣的國家安全會議，遜色多了。

Bolton 知道如何抓緊組織、如何善用常任文官幕僚。Bolton 也有精闢的戰略視野，不會陷在傳統官僚體系的框架裏。美/中對峙能夠打成今天的局面，Bolton 絕對居首功。他離開之後到 2020 年 11 月大選前，希望 1 歲或 11 歲的男孩，不要鬧事才好。
https://youtu.be/2QIZO5t12t8

Stand up. Respect ✊

(Update: 中文繹版連結：https://www.facebook.com/329728177143445/posts/1800273350088913/)

“An open letter to Eric Kwok, and for everyone re homophobia, discrimination and bullying”

Dear Eric,

Imagine this. You are one of the contestants on a TV talent show. You are sitting in a room with other hopefuls and one of the judges walks into the room and demanded this: “Raise your hand if you are not homophobic.”

I’m very sure you will raise your hand.

You don’t have to answer me whether or not you really are homophobic. But stay with the feeling inside your mind. How do you feel?

Your feelings are most likely the same as the feelings of your contestants when you walked into a room and asked them to raise their hands to declare their sexual orientation publicly. Because in this day and age, homophobia is just as “controversial” as homosexuality, if not more.

The reason why I’m writing this open letter to you is because after reading your apology, I want to take the opportunity to address to you, and everyone out there, the need for proper etiquette regarding LGBT issues, and to address the forms of micro-aggression, bullying and discrimination the LGBT community faces everyday especially in the workplace.

I’m taking this incident seriously because from my personal experience, this is not just a one-time slip-up for you.

I remember long time ago I was so looking forward to meeting and working with you because you are, after all, Eric Kwok the great songwriter.

You were very friendly when we talked privately. Then I started to notice how once there were audiences, media or other people around and when the cameras were turned on, you would start making insinuating and demeaning gay jokes about me and in front of me. Jokes and comments even my closest friends wouldn’t dare to make in public.

At first, I didn’t really pay too much attention. I just brushed it off as juvenile and trivial. In fact, I had been so used to these jokes since growing up that I learned not to react much.

However, as time progressed and we worked on more occasions, the same thing would happen repeatedly. The teasing and the stereotypical gay jokes continued and you would make sure that the spotlight would fall on me afterwards. The jokes no longer felt light. They felt hostile, even vindictive.

In fact, it felt like bullying.

One of these incidents was well documented in tabloids back then and you can still look it up yourself on the internet.

I came to the realization that it was not just a one-time thing. I don’t know if it’s intentional or unintentional but it’s definitely a habit and a pattern.

So many questions would be in my mind every time after working with you. Why does Eric do that every time? Is he picking on me? Does he hate me? Is he homophobic? Does he think homosexuality is something funny? Does he do this to other people too? Did I do something that pissed him off? I remember I was nothing but courteous. So why do I deserve this?

I had no answers for all of these questions. All I knew was I became fearful of working with you, dreading what words would fall out of your mouth to put me in an awkwardly embarassing position. But still I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt. You’re from California you shouldn’t be homophobic. I even defended you in my head by telling myself to loosen up.

But it’s not just you. Throughout my years in the entertainment industry, I have encountered and endured so many chauvinistic “tough guys” who like to use homosexuality as a laughing stock or source of bad comedy which were all discriminating and demeaning, yet not funny.

It’s not only me. I’m sure many people of the LGBT community face this everyday in their workplace. People around them would claim their intentions were harmless but we all knew deep down that these “jokes” have the power to put people someone in an embarrassing, inferior and even threatening positions.

We kept quiet and tolerated. Sometimes we even felt obligated to laugh along just so we couldn’t afford to look “petty” or “stiff”, especially in front of people of higher authority and stature.

So Eric I want to ask you.

Why have you been so obsessed with my sexuality all these years?

Why are you so fascinated by other people’s sexuality?

Why is being gay such a huge issue to you even to this day that you had to make it the first thing you asked your contestants?

Why you also had to specifically make a post on social media about that fact you questioned people about their sexuality?

Why do you take so much pride publicly in your ability to guess who are the gay contestants even when they weren’t ready to share that information?

And most of all why do you find all this to be so funny?

To begin with one’s sexual orientation is a very personal thing which others have no right to intrude, even in the entertainment industry where you are supposed to be fine with “controversy”.

This is for you and everyone out there: using your power and authority to demand someone to declare his or her sexual orientation, especially in a work environment, is ancient, barbaric and unacceptable.

Kicking someone out of the closet is just pure evil.

The fact you did what you did, especially with your stature and on broadcast TV, is not only wrong, but also you are telling the Hong Kong audience that it’s alright to continue this form of intrusion and micro aggression that the LGBT community wants to see gone.

You’re leading a very poor example by giving Hong Kong audience the impression that being gay is still a taboo.

How are your contestants, who are boys of young age, going to offer new perspectives to the Hong Kong audience under your guidance if you perpetuate stereotyping and demonstrate to them that being gay is still an issue?

I feel sorry for any contestants who are in fact gay sitting in that room that day too. They must have been traumatized seeing the way you forced your inquisition. The impression you left them with is that the entertainment industry is still a very unfriendly place for gays. Is that what you want them to think?

But most of all, it’s the attitude, tone and manner with which you shared about this incident on social media, giving people the impression that any matter regarding sexual orientation is still something shameful and laughable, which is on top of list the thing that the LGBT community fights hard everyday to change.

When you said in your apology you “have great respect for gay people, especially their hard fight for equality” I became baffled as what you did, in the past to me or in that room to the boys, is the exact thing that makes the LGBT community’s ongoing fight for equality so difficult.

Putting people down, perpetuate stereotypes, heckling and ridiculing yet making it look OK is anything but liberal and respectful, or Californian. I don’t see any “entertainment values” that are of good taste if they are made up at the expense of other people’s struggle.

If this incident happened in America, where you grew up, you would’ve gotten yourself in such hot waters that you probably can’t get out of.

I just want you and everyone out there to know that it’s not okay. And it never was. Never will be.

Being “as liberal as it gets” is great. Having gay friends is great too. Having dinner with your gay friends is absolutely fabulous! Playing all these cards to avoid being labelled as “homophobic” is very convenient. But having class, empathy, kindness and authentic respect is a completely different territory. These don’t come automatically with backgrounds.

At this point you don’t owe me an apology. I just hope that after this incident you can really start working and living with the essences of a truly liberal and creative individual. Inspire changes and end stereotypes. Start new trends and break old patterns. Embrace and not segregate. Do the work.

I had been away from Hong Kong and the industry for a few years now. It breaks me heart that I have to write this sort of open letter when it’s already 2018. I want to make this industry a safer, nicer and more accepting place to work in when I return. I want members of the LGBT community in Hong Kong, who have been so supportive of me and my music, to also have safer and nicer working environment in their respective lives.

I don’t mind coming off as an over-reacting petty bitch with no sense of humour if my message finally comes through and everyone, including you, “gets it”. I rather have no sense of humour than a bad one.

To all the contestants of the show. If anyone ever asks you if you are gay and you are not ready to discuss, it’s OK to stand up for yourself and say this: “It’s a rude question to begin with. You have no right to get an answer from me to begin with. And it doesn’t matter. It SHOULDN’T matter. It’s 2018. I hope one day I can use my craft to inspire the world and to make this become a non-issue.”

But if you are ready to be open, you have my complete support and love.

Let’s hope that through acceptance, learning and effort, one day there will no longer be any “controversial questions”. Wouldn’t we like that Eric?

Yours truly,
Pong

#LGBT
#homophobia
#safeworkplace
#中文版稍後會有
Eric Kwok 郭偉亮

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

(Update: 中文繹版連結：https://www.facebook.com/329728177143445/posts/1800273350088913/)

“An open letter to Eric Kwok, and for everyone re homophobia, discrimination and bullying”

Dear Eric,

Imagine this. You are one of the contestants on a TV talent show. You are sitting in a room with other hopefuls and one of the judges walks into the room and demanded this: “Raise your hand if you are not homophobic.”

I’m very sure you will raise your hand.

You don’t have to answer me whether or not you really are homophobic. But stay with the feeling inside your mind. How do you feel?

Your feelings are most likely the same as the feelings of your contestants when you walked into a room and asked them to raise their hands to declare their sexual orientation publicly. Because in this day and age, homophobia is just as “controversial” as homosexuality, if not more.

The reason why I’m writing this open letter to you is because after reading your apology, I want to take the opportunity to address to you, and everyone out there, the need for proper etiquette regarding LGBT issues, and to address the forms of micro-aggression, bullying and discrimination the LGBT community faces everyday especially in the workplace.

I’m taking this incident seriously because from my personal experience, this is not just a one-time slip-up for you.

I remember long time ago I was so looking forward to meeting and working with you because you are, after all, Eric Kwok the great songwriter.

You were very friendly when we talked privately. Then I started to notice how once there were audiences, media or other people around and when the cameras were turned on, you would start making insinuating and demeaning gay jokes about me and in front of me. Jokes and comments even my closest friends wouldn’t dare to make in public.

At first, I didn’t really pay too much attention. I just brushed it off as juvenile and trivial. In fact, I had been so used to these jokes since growing up that I learned not to react much.

However, as time progressed and we worked on more occasions, the same thing would happen repeatedly. The teasing and the stereotypical gay jokes continued and you would make sure that the spotlight would fall on me afterwards. The jokes no longer felt light. They felt hostile, even vindictive.

In fact, it felt like bullying.

One of these incidents was well documented in tabloids back then and you can still look it up yourself on the internet.

I came to the realization that it was not just a one-time thing. I don’t know if it’s intentional or unintentional but it’s definitely a habit and a pattern.

So many questions would be in my mind every time after working with you. Why does Eric do that every time? Is he picking on me? Does he hate me? Is he homophobic? Does he think homosexuality is something funny? Does he do this to other people too? Did I do something that pissed him off? I remember I was nothing but courteous. So why do I deserve this?

I had no answers for all of these questions. All I knew was I became fearful of working with you, dreading what words would fall out of your mouth to put me in an awkwardly embarassing position. But still I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt. You’re from California you shouldn’t be homophobic. I even defended you in my head by telling myself to loosen up.

But it’s not just you. Throughout my years in the entertainment industry, I have encountered and endured so many chauvinistic “tough guys” who like to use homosexuality as a laughing stock or source of bad comedy which were all discriminating and demeaning, yet not funny.

It’s not only me. I’m sure many people of the LGBT community face this everyday in their workplace. People around them would claim their intentions were harmless but we all knew deep down that these “jokes” have the power to put people someone in an embarrassing, inferior and even threatening positions.

We kept quiet and tolerated. Sometimes we even felt obligated to laugh along just so we couldn’t afford to look “petty” or “stiff”, especially in front of people of higher authority and stature.

So Eric I want to ask you.

Why have you been so obsessed with my sexuality all these years?

Why are you so fascinated by other people’s sexuality?

Why is being gay such a huge issue to you even to this day that you had to make it the first thing you asked your contestants?

Why you also had to specifically make a post on social media about that fact you questioned people about their sexuality?

Why do you take so much pride publicly in your ability to guess who are the gay contestants even when they weren’t ready to share that information?

And most of all why do you find all this to be so funny?

To begin with one’s sexual orientation is a very personal thing which others have no right to intrude, even in the entertainment industry where you are supposed to be fine with “controversy”.

This is for you and everyone out there: using your power and authority to demand someone to declare his or her sexual orientation, especially in a work environment, is ancient, barbaric and unacceptable.

Kicking someone out of the closet is just pure evil.

The fact you did what you did, especially with your stature and on broadcast TV, is not only wrong, but also you are telling the Hong Kong audience that it’s alright to continue this form of intrusion and micro aggression that the LGBT community wants to see gone.

You’re leading a very poor example by giving Hong Kong audience the impression that being gay is still a taboo.

How are your contestants, who are boys of young age, going to offer new perspectives to the Hong Kong audience under your guidance if you perpetuate stereotyping and demonstrate to them that being gay is still an issue?

I feel sorry for any contestants who are in fact gay sitting in that room that day too. They must have been traumatized seeing the way you forced your inquisition. The impression you left them with is that the entertainment industry is still a very unfriendly place for gays. Is that what you want them to think?

But most of all, it’s the attitude, tone and manner with which you shared about this incident on social media, giving people the impression that any matter regarding sexual orientation is still something shameful and laughable, which is on top of list the thing that the LGBT community fights hard everyday to change.

When you said in your apology you “have great respect for gay people, especially their hard fight for equality” I became baffled as what you did, in the past to me or in that room to the boys, is the exact thing that makes the LGBT community’s ongoing fight for equality so difficult.

Putting people down, perpetuate stereotypes, heckling and ridiculing yet making it look OK is anything but liberal and respectful, or Californian. I don’t see any “entertainment values” that are of good taste if they are made up at the expense of other people’s struggle.

If this incident happened in America, where you grew up, you would’ve gotten yourself in such hot waters that you probably can’t get out of.

I just want you and everyone out there to know that it’s not okay. And it never was. Never will be.

Being “as liberal as it gets” is great. Having gay friends is great too. Having dinner with your gay friends is absolutely fabulous! Playing all these cards to avoid being labelled as “homophobic” is very convenient. But having class, empathy, kindness and authentic respect is a completely different territory. These don’t come automatically with backgrounds.

At this point you don’t owe me an apology. I just hope that after this incident you can really start working and living with the essences of a truly liberal and creative individual. Inspire changes and end stereotypes. Start new trends and break old patterns. Embrace and not segregate. Do the work.

I had been away from Hong Kong and the industry for a few years now. It breaks me heart that I have to write this sort of open letter when it’s already 2018. I want to make this industry a safer, nicer and more accepting place to work in when I return. I want members of the LGBT community in Hong Kong, who have been so supportive of me and my music, to also have safer and nicer working environment in their respective lives.

I don’t mind coming off as an over-reacting petty bitch with no sense of humour if my message finally comes through and everyone, including you, “gets it”. I rather have no sense of humour than a bad one.

To all the contestants of the show. If anyone ever asks you if you are gay and you are not ready to discuss, it’s OK to stand up for yourself and say this: “It’s a rude question to begin with. You have no right to get an answer from me to begin with. And it doesn’t matter. It SHOULDN’T matter. It’s 2018. I hope one day I can use my craft to inspire the world and to make this become a non-issue.”

But if you are ready to be open, you have my complete support and love.

Let’s hope that through acceptance, learning and effort, one day there will no longer be any “controversial questions”. Wouldn’t we like that Eric?

Yours truly,
Pong

#LGBT
#homophobia
#safeworkplace
#中文版稍後會有
Eric Kwok 郭偉亮

前美國國安顧問John Bolton的新書 The Room Where It Happened

#vodcast #podcast #videopodcast #bookclub

想要支持我們，看幕後花絮、NG片段，請加入Youtube 會員：
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每週二、四、日晚上9點更新
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訂閱百靈果News／無料福利社 頻道：http://bit.ly/25wWa2h

歡迎來到百靈果News
這裏是華語界最自由的雙語國際新聞
Welcome to Bailingguo News
The FREEst International News Podcast in the Chinese Speaking World

我們把高音質的檔案放在其他網路平台，歡迎大家訂閱

百靈果News的Podcast：

蘋果：http://goo.gl/k9qXxb
安卓：https://soundcloud.com/cafreeteria
Spotify : http://goo.gl/QZ1u6j

也可以到Instagram 追蹤我們喔：
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前美國國安顧問John Bolton的新書 The Room Where It Happened

#bookclub
想要支持我們，看幕後花絮、NG片段，請加入Youtube 會員：
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD2KoUc0f4Bv2Bz0mbOah8g/join

每週二、四、日晚上9點更新
我們的網站上線了：http://bailingguonews.wixsite.com/bailingguo
訂閱百靈果News／無料福利社 頻道：http://bit.ly/25wWa2h

歡迎來到百靈果News
這裏是華語界最自由的雙語國際新聞
Welcome to Bailingguo News
The FREEst International News Podcast in the Chinese Speaking World

我們把高音質的檔案放在其他網路平台，歡迎大家訂閱

百靈果News的Podcast：

蘋果：http://goo.gl/k9qXxb
安卓：https://soundcloud.com/cafreeteria
Spotify : http://goo.gl/QZ1u6j

也可以到Instagram 追蹤我們喔：
Instagram：https://www.instagram.com/bailingguo_news

前美國國安顧問John Bolton的新書 The Room Where It Happened

想要支持我們，看幕後花絮、NG片段，請加入Youtube 會員：
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD2KoUc0f4Bv2Bz0mbOah8g/join

每週二、四、日晚上9點更新
我們的網站上線了：http://bailingguonews.wixsite.com/bailingguo
訂閱百靈果News／無料福利社 頻道：http://bit.ly/25wWa2h

歡迎來到百靈果News
這裏是華語界最自由的雙語國際新聞
Welcome to Bailingguo News
The FREEst International News Podcast in the Chinese Speaking World

我們把高音質的檔案放在其他網路平台，歡迎大家訂閱

百靈果News的Podcast：

蘋果：http://goo.gl/k9qXxb
安卓：https://soundcloud.com/cafreeteria
Spotify : http://goo.gl/QZ1u6j

也可以到Instagram 追蹤我們喔：
Instagram：https://www.instagram.com/bailingguo_news