Gay native of China is not swimming upstream in Philly

Posted 8/10/18

Arthur Zeng is president of the LGBT+ swim club called The Fins Aquatic Club, which competes with other swim clubs, both gay and straight, in many regional and international swim meets. (Photo by …

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Gay native of China is not swimming upstream in Philly

Posted

Arthur Zeng is president of the LGBT+ swim club called The Fins Aquatic Club, which competes with other swim clubs, both gay and straight, in many regional and international swim meets. (Photo by Suzi Nash, printed with permission from the Philadelphia Gay News)

by Len Lear

Is there much anti-gay bigotry in China? “It's kinda similar to here,” answered Arthur Zeng in an interview last week. “In rural areas or small towns, it's still a social taboo. There's less religious reasons, more because people still hold reproduction as one of the most important values in life, so gay people are thought of as dishonor to the family because they can't give kids.

“But in big cities and among young people, I think a lot has changed in the last decade, and people are more tolerant now … I have personally not experienced any of that (bigotry) in the U.S., but I do still hear many stories from my friends who grew up in the U.S.”

Zeng, 32, is the president of the LGBT+ swim club called The Fins Aquatic Club, which competes with other swim clubs in many regional and international swim meets. They are part of IGLA (International LGBTQ+ Aquatics), so they go to IGLA and the International Gay Games as well. These meets can be anywhere in the world.

“The Gay Game is in Paris this year, and we have a few people competing there,” said Arthur. “It's actually starting next week! We have many great swimmers on the team who have won a lot of medals in these games. I personally have passed my competitive time.”

Zeng grew up in China and started swimming at age 5 or 6. He allegedly learned to swim when a big dog chased him into a swimming pool. After graduation from college in China, he came to the University of California Irvine for grad school and after six years earned a PhD in chemistry in 2014.

“Initially, I just wanted to come here for grad school,” he said. “The U.S. has great research programs in chemistry, and I've always wanted to be a scientist. Also, I wanted to explore the world, getting to know different cultures and different people. After a few years on the West Coast, I really liked the life here. I've met some great people and did pretty well in school, so I decided to look for a job in the U.S. and stay here longer.”

Why move from California to Philly? “I never really thought about moving to Philly before. I didn't have anything against it, but it just wasn't one of my destination cities. I got a good offer for a position here that I was really interested in, though, so I moved. And now the city has grown on me, and I'm happy I moved.

“I feel pretty settled in Philly now, but for long term, I don't know. I do sometimes miss a few things from China, mostly food, but I'm pretty happy here. I'll still try to live in Europe first, though, so I can finish the whole circle around the world.”

Zeng, whose dad works for a bank (“I never quite understand what he does there”), comes from a relatively small town in China called Jiangyou, known for its spicy food and giant pandas. He likes the fact that Philly is a very walkable city, but he dislikes “overfilled trash bins.” His family in China has visited him twice here.

What are the main differences between living in China and in the U.S.? “I get to know more people from very different backgrounds and to experience different cultures more in the U.S. In China, there are regions and ethnic groups with different cultures, but it's not as diverse as the U.S. And I really have enjoyed the opportunity to know and experience diverse cultures in the U.S.”

Zeng did take many years of English classes in China and had to pass an English test to come to school in the U.S., but most attention was given to reading and writing English, not speaking. “It took me a few years of practice after coming to the U.S. to be able to speak English fluently.”

Arthur, who lives in the Washington West neighborhood, is engaged to a man named Alan, who asked him to dance while doing line dancing at a fundraiser.They plan to get married next June.

What is the best advice Zeng has ever been given? “Don't care what other people think or do. Find what really interests you and follow through.”

What are the hardest things he has ever done? “Coming to a new country, getting a PhD, publishing research papers, securing pools for the swim team and hiking part of Appalachian trail with my fiance. But I'm happy I worked hard and finished them all.”

For more information, visit www.philadelphiafins.org. You can contact Len Lear at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com

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