S

Background Vocals

Queerness & Mainstream Singapore Culture

Queerness & Singapore Culture

I. Subculture (1950s-1980s)

II. High Culture (1980s-2000s)

III. Mainstream Culture (2000s?-)

“No, I do not think Singapore is ready … In Singapore, there is a range of views. There are gay groups in Singapore, there are gay people in Singapore and they have a place to stay here and we let them live their own lives. And we do not harass them or discriminate against them.”

“There is a trend in developed countries. In America, they have gay marriage. It is state by state. Not all states have agreed. In Europe, some countries have done it ... but there was big considerable resistance… Even in America, there is a very strong pushback from conservative groups against the idea.”

June 4, 2015PM Lee HsienLoong

to Antonio Velasquez from ABS-CNN

Penal Code, Section 377A

Any male person who, in public or private, commits, or abets the commission of, or procures or attempts to procure the commission by any male person of, any act of gross indecency with another male person, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years. 

Chinese traditions

Indian traditions

Southeast Asian traditions

Nation MTF term

Cambodia Kteuy

Indonesia Waria, banci,béncong

Malaysia Maknyah

Myanmar Meinasha

Philippines Bakla, bading

Thailand Kathoey

Vietnam Bónglô

Sacred transgenders

(Clockwise from top)- Bissu, Sulawesi- Dao Mau shaman, Vietnam- Nat gadaw, Myanmar

I. Subculture (1950s-1980s)

Bugis Street

Early gay spots

Criterion (1950s-1960s)

Hong Lim Park (1950s-1990s)

Golden Venus (1960s)

Le Bistro and Pebbles Bar (1970s)

Treetops Bar and The Hangar (1970s-1980s)

Boat Quay (1970s-1990s)

Esplanade Park (1970s-2000s)

Shadows, Mamota, Legend, Niche (1980s)

Fort Road Beach (1980s-1990s)

Shopping mall toilets (1970s-)

First “sex-change” surgery, 1971

Dr SS Ratnam

Benjamin Sheares

Dr Tsoi Wing Foo

Women’s Charter Amendment, 1996

•Avoidance of marriages between persons of same sex.12. (1) A marriage solemnized in Singapore or elsewhere between persons who, at the date of the marriage, are not respectively male and female shall be void.(2) It is hereby declared that, subject to sections 5, 9, 10, 11 and 22, a marriage solemnized in Singapore or elsewhere between a person who has undergone a sex re-assignment procedure and any person of the opposite sex is and shall be deemed always to have been a valid marriage.(3) For the purpose of this section(a) the sex of any party to a marriage as stated at the time of the marriage in his or her identity card issued under the National Registration Act (Cap. 201) shall be prima facie evidence of the sex of the party; and(b) a person who has undergone a sex re-assignment procedure shall be identified as being of the sex to which the person has been re-assigned. [30/96](4) Nothing in subsection (2) shall validate any such marriage which had been declared by the High Court before 1st May 1997 to be null and void on the ground that the parties were of the same sex.

II. High Culture (1980s-2000s)

GohChoo San

Queer plays of 1988

Jackson on a Jaunt

byEleanor Wong

Ten Little Indians/ As If

He HearsbyChay Yew

Lest the Demons Get

to MebyRussell Heng

“Homosexuality is portrayed as a natural and acceptable form of sexuality in the play. My ministry will not want to be a joint presenter of the play in its present form. This is in line with the government’s campaign against Aids [sic], and homosexuality is one of its main causes. Homosexuality in Singapore is objectionable.”

- Ng Yew Kang, Director, Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Cultural Development, 1988

LGBT texts 1989-1995

1993: The Mouse Marathon by Ovidia YuSisterhood: New Moons in San Franciscoby Joash MooThe Lady of Soul and Her Ultimate S-Machine by Tan Tarn HowMergers and Accusations by Eleanor WongDifferent Strokes by David Leo1994: Glass Cathedral by Andrew KohBugis Street: The Novelby Koh Buck Song and Tan HweeHua1995: Purple by Goh Boon TeckWills and Secession by Eleanor WongA Language of Their Own by Chay YewEston by Stella KonAbraham’s Promise by Philip Jeyaratnam

1989: Rigor Mortis by HareshSharmaLiwatby NizamRahman1990: Excuse Me, Are You a Modelby Bonny HicksSisterhood: The Untold Story by Joash Moo1991: Glass Roots (Don’t Step on Them)by Haresh SharmaMarrying by Ovidia YuImagine by Ovidia Yu异族／ Different Tribe by Otto Fongஅக்கா�/Akka by G. Selvanathan1992: Peculiar Chris by Johann S. LeeThree Fat Virgins Unassembled by Ovidia YuPrivate Parts by Michael ChiangPorcelain by ChayYew后代／ The Next Generation by Lim Soon Lan

Jimmy Ong, 1990

Josef Ng, 1993

The Substation/PLU

Rise of the Creative Class

by Richard Florida

Internet, 1995

SigNel, 1997

RedQUEEN!, 1998

Safe Haven/Free Community Church, 1998

Yawning Bread, 1998

SgBoy/Trevvy, 1999

Fridae, 2001

Kumar

TanjongPagar

Jason Wee AlfianSa’at

Olivia Yan, 傻孩子 /Silly Child,2008

LooZihan,Solos,

2007

III. Mainstream Culture (2000s-?)

PinkDot, 2009-presenthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1dQCsfEJ5o

Nation Party2001-2004

IndigNation,2005-present

Section 377A challenges:

2007, 2011-2014

SiewKum Hong M Ravi

“De facto, gays have a lot of space in Singapore.   Gay groups hold public discussions.  They publish websites.  I have visited some of them.  There are films and plays on gay themes.  In fact, sometimes people ask, “Why are there so many?  Aren’t there other subjects in the world?”  But since we have allowed it in the last few years, maybe this is a letting off of pressure.  Eventually, we will find a better balance.

There are gay bars and clubs.  They exist.  We know where they are.  Everybody knows where they are.  They do not have to go underground.  We do not harass gays.  The Government does not act as moral policemen.  And we do not proactively enforce section 377A on them.”

- Lee HsienLoong

IPS Survey, 2014

Wear White Movement

PenguinGate2014

AWARE Saga2009

Roy Ngerng

Vincent Wijeysingha

EU Day, 2014

Jean Chong