ST Online Forum: Gay men and lesbians are Singaporeans too (Jul 21)

July 21, 2007
Gay men and lesbians are Singaporeans too

GAY people are Singaporeans too whether you think they are natural or not
according to your religion or social perception.

As National Day draws near, remember our national pledge. It should apply to
heterosexuals and homosexuals alike.

To me, being a Singaporean comes first, everything else; religion, race,
language, personal and social customs, and sexuality, et cetera, second.

Let not religion nor individual prejudices divide us as a people. Everybody
is entitled to hir or her point of view, but when you are out of your home
and in the public, it is time to put the differences aside and regard your
fellow Singaporeans as fellow citizens who have a right to exist as human
beings in their own way. No one should impose his or her personal and
religious point of view on others. Preach tolerance and acceptance, practise
it too; there is no need to persecute others just to defend your own views.

MM Lee has been enlightened enough to see the plight of ordinary gay
citizens suffering from religious and social persecution to make his public
statement on homosexuals. The Government has already lifted legal
persecution through the non-application of Section 377A. Gay men and
lesbians do not want to tear up the fabric of society, they just want
everyone to understand, to each his own.

Gay men and lesbians are Singaporeans too. Family values are best protected
and taught by responsible parents who do not place blame on external
factors.

In the public, as a society, we are one people, one Singapore; regardless of
race, language, or religion. Remember the pledge.

For the longest time, homosexuals had been frowned upon, prosecuted by law,
right to marriage denied, and not even allowed to be portrayed in a
favourable light in the media due to censorship regulations and law.

How long are the Government and the heterosexual citizens going to deny the
pledge of justice and equality to homosexual citizens?

Or are homosexual Singapore citizens a sub-citizen of this nation that the
pledge does not cover?

Chua Chee Hiang