Gaysia Adventures in the Queer East

Benjamin Law considers himself pretty lucky to live in Australia- he can hold his boyfriend's hand in public and lobby his politicians to recognise same-sex marriage. But as the child of migrants, he's also curious about how different life might have been had he grown up in Asia. So he sets off to meet his fellow Gaysians. Law takes his investigative duties seriously, going nude where required in Balinese sex resorts, sitting backstage for hours with Thai ladyboy beauty contestants and trying Indian yoga classes designed to cure his homosexuality. The characters he meets - from Tokyo's celebrity drag queens to HIV-positive Burmese sex workers, from Malaysian ex-gay Christian fundamentalists to Chinese gays and lesbians who marry each other to please their parents - all teach him something new about being queer in Asia. At once entertaining and moving, Gaysia traces a fascinating quest by a leading Australian writer. 'Asia is a big place - where to start? I decided to begin where most Australian did- taking it easy on Bali, leisure-filled paradise island of the gods. But first, for reasons you will soon understand, I would have to get naked. Very, very naked.''A terrific read ... gonzo anthropology and great storytelling.' - John Safran 'Benjamin Law is funny and honest and handsome - Gaysiais a delightful, occasionally confronting adventure.' - Josh Thomas