An Unexpected Encounter After Dinner One Evening



By Shelby Oak

We got out of the van and approached our dinner at the Friends restaurant. Behind the outdoor section of the restaurant was a stage with lights, multiple LGBT flags, and microphones for people singing and dancing on stage. During our delicious dinner at the sister restaurant of our first outing we got to watch an LGBT activist show complete with Khmer poetry, singing, dancing and ending with a drag show. This sparked many questions among the group as to what human rights were like in Cambodia and really made us think about how they were able to put on a show like that. In bigger cities in Cambodia, the LGBT community is commonly accepted and celebrated, but in more rural areas it’s not to the same extent. Within villages, LGBT is less of an open topic and more something private that isn’t celebrated but isn’t prosecuted. After our dinner and the show, we approached the two queens for a conversation. They told us about how there’s a drag bar in Phnom Penh where they both perform. We talked about how the introducer referred to them as “Henry” and “John” while their performing names were “JC” and “Rebecca.” They referred to their real names as alternate beings who were “at home sleeping.” “Henry?” he said playfully. “Who is she? I don’t know her.” After our conversation, JC and Rebecca headed back to their bar and we went over to the dance floor that hard formed in front of the stage. Our group created a small dance circle and a few Cambodians joined us. We showed off our moves and even learned a few new ones from our new found friends. We even joined a makeshift conga line around the circle with a bunch of people, laughing and dancing along the way. Then, we went home for a good night’s rest after a long night of food and dancing.

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