Life as a rainbow: Canto-pop singer Denise Ho on coming out

"You have to strengthen yourself before you can project anything."

Canto-pop singer Denise Ho Wan-sze is talking about her growing success in the Mando-pop market in recent years, which she says has given her more freedom and flexibility when making music back in Hong Kong.

However, the same can also be said about other areas of Ho's life. After becoming the first Hong Kong celebrity to come out as a lesbian last November, the 36-year-old has received unprecedented attention from the media. Although she says there haven't been many changes to her private life - her friends and family have long known about her sexual orientation - Ho feels that now that she is out publicly, she must tread carefully as any misstep may affect the way that the public perceives the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

So by coming out, Ho has truly strengthened herself in unexpected ways. "I think the public has been really positive about what I have done. It is not about whether one supports LGBT rights, but about gaining respect by standing up for yourself and minorities," says Ho, a founding member of LGBT rights organisation Big Love Alliance, which also counts as core members Canto-pop singer Anthony Wong Yiu-ming, and lawmakers Cyd Ho Sau-lan and Raymond Chan Chi-chuen.

Ho jokes that as far as being an activist goes, she is still just "a kindergarten student" but her (teacher), the late Canto-pop diva Anita Mui Yim-fong, inspired her latest musical projects. "I have a long way to go, but it's a responsibility I want to shoulder. My wouldn't say that because she was an artist, she didn't care about social issues - whatever happens in society concerns us all. I think Hong Kong people are slowly becoming aware of what is happening. We're not as free as we used to be, and we need to fight for ourselves."

Questions have been raised over whether Ho risks becoming stereotyped, and her music and outspoken stance on social issues - such as the anti-national education movement last year and the controversy involving a primary school teacher's foul language - in danger of being overlooked because of her sexual orientation.