KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian self-confessed gay pastor is to marry his African-American partner soon.
Press reports stated that Rev Ou Yang Wen Feng (pic) was likely to wed the Broadway musical producer by the end of the month or early September with ceremonies planned in New York and Malaysia.
Ou Yang told AFP in an interview in Hong Kong that his partner had popped the question on June 26, two days after New York City legalised same-sex marriages.
“He went to a church and wrote a song for me. He proposed at the end of the song in public,” the 41-year-old pastor said.
Ou Yang, who now serves at the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) in New York, urged gay men and women to speak out to “break the vicious cycle” and help fight misconceptions about the gay community.
According to the MCC homepage, the church is part of an international movement of Christian churches reaching out to all, including homosexuals, bisexuals and transsexuals.
“When society discriminates against gay people, you only push gay people into the closet,” Ou Yang said.
Ou Yang’s “coming out” took place in 2006 when he published the story of his decision to make public his sexual orientation, after a nine-year marriage to his now ex-wife, whom he described as an “angel“.
“She asked for a divorce, and this is the biggest gift she could ever give me, she set me free. I owe her big time,” said the pastor who grew up in a conservative Christian family.
Several netizens praised Ou Yang, who has tattoos on his shoulder and arm, as the “most trendy pastor”. They said they had not spotted other pastors wearing ear-rings.
Some said he looked like Hong Kong actor David Wu and Chinese actor Chang Chen.
Ou Yang, a former columnist with Sin Chew Daily, said Kuala Lumpur was “growing and developing” with Sunday services and bible studies.
Ou Yang’s best friend, known only as Joe, was quoted by Guang Ming Daily as saying that he was happy for the couple.
