Taiwanese actress Zhu Hui-zhen has publicly outed her deceased daughter in a moving press conference that repeatedly reduced her to tears.
Speaking of an unfulfilled promise of waving a rainbow flag in Times’ Square, Hui-zhen held a flag firmly in her hands and shouted in an increasingly emotional voice, 'Today is the day Zhu An-jie comes out of the closet...Mama has helped you come out.'
Hui-zhen held the unexpected press conference on Thursday (24 May), after An-jie jumped to her death as she turned 26 on Mother's Day, drawing much media speculation.
'I admit my daughter was unable to handle the challenges in love,' Hui-zhen said. 'She didn't understand not loving is itself a kind of love.'
Taking all the blame herself, the grieved mother said she, as a single mother, had failed in love badly and did not manage to teach An-jie how to love.
Hui-zhen said she would really want to know what An-jie had talked about with her lover in her last phone calls, but stressed she was not trying to hold anyone responsible, thanking this Miss Su instead for letting An-jie love her.
An-jie suffered from the 'ill-fate of Tongzhi (the Chinese term of gays)' while many gays do not get their families' blessings, Hui-zhen said. She vowed to gather support in society to establish a support centre and urged other gays not to give up their lives easily.
'Respect life and cherish your family,' she said. 'Give it another thought and there may well be no need to [commit suicide].'
A 'rainbow memorial ceremony' and 'goodbye party’ for An-jie has been scheduled for early next month. All condolence offerings will go to World Vision to support children in need.
Article from GayStarNews.
