TNP: I may have HIV. Will you still sleep with me? (Sept 30)

I may have HIV. Will you still sleep with me?
Under proposed changes to law, those at risk must disclose sex history to partner
By Ng Wan Ching
September 30, 2007

Tell the truth, says a new legal proposal that seeks to put the onus on those who lead risky sexual lifestyles to come clean with their partners.

Deceive - if there is a possibility that you have been exposed to the Aids virus - and you face up to 10 years in jail and a fine of up to $50,000.

Will such a law be effective in stemming the spread of Aids? Or could it drive people further into secrecy?

Imagine saying before sex: 'I may have been exposed to HIV. If you have sex with me, you should accept the risk of infection.'

Under the Infectious Diseases Act now, a person who knows that he is HIV-infected must inform his partner before having sexual intercourse. His partner must agree to accept the risk of infection.

If he doesn't warn his partner, he's breaking the law.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) is proposing to expand the act to include those who, although unaware that they are HIV-positive, have reason to believe that they have been exposed to the risk of contracting HIV or Aids.

This could be from having unprotected casual sex with multiple partners and prostitutes or sharing needles.

Another condition is that he must have had tested negative for HIV and not had sex or engaged in any risky activity since then.

Finally he must take reasonable precautions during sex, such as by wearing a condom.

Said Mr Benedict Jacob-Thambiah, an HIV/Aids educator: 'Who can be bothered? I think this will drive such people underground even more. Because now you are saying they are potential criminals.'

BLAME GAME?

The proposed laws appear to be more intent on ascribing blame rather than to treat HIV/Aids as a public health concern, said Mr Jacob-Thambiah.

Said Mr Brenton Wong, former vice-president of Action for Aids: 'This is putting the law in the bedroom, but how are the authorities actually going to police it?

'This is saying that if you are morally questionable, then you will get HIV. Only if you remove the stigma and make treatment available and affordable will people come forward.'

Dr Stuart Koe, chief executive officer of Fridae.com and a trained pharmacist specialising in HIV medicines, predicts that the new law will rarely be used.

'It will have minimum impact on HIV in Singapore. I think we could use our resources better,' he said. He thinks that to accuse someone of infecting another person with HIV is a
difficult thing to prove in court.

Said Dr Koe: 'Firstly, the chain of transmission is fairly difficult to ascertain.

'Secondly, if it's between a married couple, usually the wife will not want to prosecute the husband for fear of breaking up the family.'

If the Government is willing to go to the extent of changing the law, he thinks it would be much more helpful to change it to protect HIV individuals from workplace and insurance discrimination.

'We should improve their access to treatment and care rather than further alienating them,' said Dr Koe.

Already, there are fears that there is a hidden HIV epidemic.

A study of more than 3,000 leftover blood samples from public hospital patients early this year showed that one in 350 was infected with HIV.

If accurate, this would mean that Singapore has about 9,000 infected adults, much more than the official figures.

Neither the patients in the study nor their doctors were aware of their HIV status. Also, HIV is now a treatable disease like any other chronic disease.

'With treatment, people have stopped dying from HIV. But that message has not gone out. Instead when people find out they are positive, they go underground and they feel helpless,' said Dr Koe.

But Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan points out he has good reasons for the proposed changes.

Every year, 10 per cent of those newly infected with HIV are women. About half of them are married women whose husbands are HIV positive.

Said Mr Khaw: 'I draw the conclusion that they got it from their husbands.'

These are among the people he wants to protect. The new laws will help the Ministry deal with the minority of people who are sexually irresponsible.

For the majority of people, ABC - abstain, be loyal or use a condom - is good enough.

The minority may need CRT - condom and regular testing.

'If you insist on harming yourself by visiting prostitutes and so forth, then do CRT and inform your sexual partner,' said Mr Khaw.

Three cases have been dealt with under the existing laws.

In 2005, investigations unearthed the case of an HIV-positive foreigner from Nigeria who had unprotected sex with several women in Singapore.

He did not inform them of his status before they had sex. He left Singapore before he could be charged.

Earlier this year, an HIV-positive man did not inform his wife of his status before engaging in sex, using a condom.

His wife, who was a foreigner and unwilling to testify against her husband, tested negative for HIV.

He was fined.

An HIV-positive individual who may have had sexual intercourse without informing his partner of his HIV status is also being investigated.

Will the amendments take it a step further in preventing the spread of Aids?

Yes - but only if honesty is a policy that is practised in bed.

HIV+

2,852 people in S'pore HIV-positive, 25 are kids

HIV+

1,547 people in S'pore have Aids

Women's Nite: Stand by Me (Sept 29)

September Topic: Stand By Me

Friends may come and go in your life, but how do you know which ones are for keeps?
Do you keep straight friends after coming out?
Do you keep gay friends after getting hitched?
And which circles do you feel closest to?

This Women's Nite, join us for a heart-to-heart discussion as we tackle some of the myths and realities of friendships that gay women have.

Women's Nite September 2007
Saturday 29th September, 7pm
Venue (in Singapore) will be disclosed upon registration.

Limited to 30 invites, so please register with your full name, contact number, the full name/s of your guests, if any, and the type of halal food or drink you would be contributing to the potluck.

Although Women's Nite is open to women of all orientations, please let us know if you are straight, or are bringing along straight guests, so that we can be sensitive to the needs of all women present.

Please send your details to women.snite@gmail.com [women dot snite at gmail dot com]

Registration closes at midnight 28th September 2007

See you there!

ST: Homosexuality : Older Youth more open and better informed (26 Sept)

Differences noted in age groups - in ST poll of 284 youth - could be a result of higher education and life experience, says experts.

By Tessa Wong

GENERAL attitudes towards homosexuality may be conservative - but that depends on who you ask.

A Nanyang Technological University (NTU) survey which was reported last week found most Singaporeans uncomfortable with the subject.

Meanwhile, a separate Straits Times survey of 284 youth, aged from 12 to 25, found them more open-minded than their elders.

Three in 10 respondents from secondary schools, junior colleges, Institute of Technical Education, polytechnics and universities, felt homosexuality was wrong. In contrast, the NTU survey had found seven in 10 of the general population had negative attitudes, although it similarly noted that younger people were more tolerant.

The Straits Times poll had 11 questions looking at students' comfort level with displays of homosexual behaviour; their knowledge about sexual orientation; and their reaction if they found out a classmate, good friend or family member was gay.

The poll found younger respondents were more conservative. They were also more likely to subscribe to misconceptions. Older youth were more tolerant and better informed.

RELATED LINKS The age divide

Of the 187 secondary school respondents, about 33 per cent felt homosexuality was wrong. More than 35 per cent also believed homosexuals were largely responsible for the spread of the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV. About 42 per cent of them blamed gay people for paedophilia.

But, of the 97 students from junior colleges and tertiary institutions polled, a lower proportion - 27 per cent - felt homosexuality was wrong. The figures were even lower when it came to the HIV and paedophile misconceptions: 22 per cent and 14 per cent respectively.

This difference in mindset towards the issue may be the result of higher education, and could indicate a shift towards more tolerance in the future, experts say.

While he acknowledged that even some well-educated people remain conservative, Dr Terence Chong, a sociologist with the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (Iseas), said the poll indicated this: 'Broadly speaking, people who are more educated generally tend to be more open to alternative lifestyles.'

Professor Kwok Kian Woon of NTU's sociology department - who is independent of the NTU survey - also pointed out that youth would re-think previous prejudices with age and life experience.

'As they get on with their education, they could have the opportunity to question the prevailing attitudes which they were brought up with,' he said. 'There is also the possibility for prejudices to be revised upon encounters with homosexual people.'

Responses among those polled by The Straits Times bear out this point.

National University of Singapore sociology student Abdullah Luqman Hussin, 24, believes education has made him think critically about his beliefs.

'After entering university, I started thinking more rationally, and realised that a lot of my preconceived notions about homosexuals, like they were more promiscuous and had looser morals, were unfounded,' he said.

Ms Chua Peixuan, 17, a Ngee Ann Polytechnic mass communication student, used to think homosexuals were 'weird and gross', until she befriended a lesbian classmate in polytechnic.

'My mindset began to change. I saw that homosexuality is just a way of life, that homosexuals are still people and shouldn't be ostracised,' she said.

Of the minority of respondents who felt uncomfortable about homosexuality, Erma Dzalin, 14, a Secondary 2 student from North Vista Secondary, said she 'will never accept it' for religious reasons. 'It's just not natural. I don't think I will ever change my mind, and I don't see why I should,' she said.

Yet the poll also raises the issue of whether there is enough frank talk about homosexuality among younger students.

Gay activist Alex Au, in fact, feels 'our schools do a very poor job of educating our students about sexuality and sexual orientation'.

But the Health Promotion Board says students are taught in Aids education that Aids is not just a 'gay disease', and that the main mode of transmission is via heterosexual contact.

Meanwhile, the Education Ministry's Growing Years sexuality education programme in schools is clear cut.

It offers basic information, including definitions and theories about homo-sexuality. Teachers are told to stress that there have been cases of successful correction of homosexual behaviour.

But how discussions are carried out is left to educators, and that remains unclear. Rameza Khan, 15, a Secondary 3 student, said: 'Right now, we hardly talk about it in school. There should be more information for us, or else in the long run, students won't really understand it.'

Discussions at home will help too, said Ms Braema Mathi, a visiting Iseas fellow researching gender issues. 'There needs to be more factual information that one can share... without being seen as promoting any lifestyle,' she said.

As it is, experts say the large number of 'neutral' responses to crucial questions in the Straits Times poll is troubling - it could indicate a lack of knowledge to make judgments.

Said Prof Kwok: 'The issue is not just about acquiring more knowledge, but also about making good judgment, and that needs to be cultivated when you're young.'

twong@sph.com. sg

Substation event gets police nod after civil society groups excluded

Zul Othman
Wednesday • September 26, 2007

THE police have turned down a request by The Substation to organise an outdoor flea market that would have included booths run by 19 civil society groups.

The flea market was supposed to be part of a six-hour event, The Tunnel Party, last Saturday to mark the 17th anniversary of The Substation, Singapore's first independent, non-profit, multi-disciplinary arts centre founded by late theatre doyen Kuo Pao Kun.

It was to have been held next to the Fort Canning Tunnel and also feature music and arts shows.

A police spokesperson said: "In the Substation's initial application for the event, the police noted it would include outdoor booths for civil society groups to promote their cause."

The groups included the Vegetarian Society, the Cat Welfare Society and two gay support groups Pelangi Pride Centre and Women Who Love Women.

"(We) informed the organisers of our position of not allowing outdoor events assessed to be contrary to public interest," the police spokesperson added.

Rather than call off the show, the organisers decided to rebrand it as the SeptFest Gig and moved it to the pavement area behind the Singapore Management University (SMU) School of Law and School of Accountancy.

The change was met with approval by the authorities.

The organisers "have done away with the outdoor booths for civil society groups. As such, the police have approved the application for SeptFest", said the police spokesperson.

The SeptFest Gig had some 23 outdoor booths, ranging from flea markets vendors to stalls peddling homemade jewellery. It attracted some 700 visitors.

The Substation's artistic co-director Lee Weng Choy told Today "it was important for us to continue with the event … because we see it as part of a large process".

The group deems such events as important because if these gatherings are successful, it said, it sets a positive precedent for engagement between the arts, civil society and the authorities.

Mr Lee said: "Some of our stakeholders, such as the bands, the commercial flea market groups and the public, might lose faith in The Substation if we cancelled an event again."

Last year, the police turned down its application to close down Armenian Street for a street party, also a collaboration with artists, arts groups and civil society groups.

Faith as a grain of mustard seed: Troy Perry had it

Eight months before the Stonewall Riots - our LGBT call to freedom from police, political and religious oppression - Rev. Troy Perry invited 12 friends on the quiet Sunday morning of Oct. 6, 1968, to his small Los Angeles apartment to pray, sing and just celebrate communion together.

So began the first Metropolitan Community Church. Within a year, those 12 celebrants became 1,500, with Sunday services held in larger and larger venues.

A clarion call that God's love includes gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people spread from city to city across America. Four years after Rev. Perry's venture into unchartered waters of faith, the Metropolitan Church of Detroit met for the first time in downtown Detroit's Central Methodist Church, joining the nationwide LGBT spiritual movement. Back then, the pastor was Rev. Nancy Wilson, now moderator of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches.

Now, 35 years later, MCC-Detroit - with a membership nearing 200 - is celebrating its founding with dinners, a dance and Sunday services with Perry preaching, as he says, "the good news of inclusively; the sharing of God's spiritual grace for all, regardless of race, color, creed, age, gender or sexual orientation."

At 67, Perry, who retired as Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches' founder and moderator in 2005, is as busy as ever. Perhaps busier.

The former Baptist preacher (ordained at age 15) turned Pentecostal evangelist, turned "God's Gay Liberator" - as well as the author of several books, including longtime best-selling autobiography "The Lord in My Shepherd and Knows I'm Gay," and religious advisor to two White House presidents on four occasions for AIDS-related issues and hate crimes - recently was honored with a Doctor of Divinity degree from the Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge, Mass. It was his third such degree.

He also recently returned from Singapore, where the government refused to allow him to preach, since male homosexuality - but not female - is taboo. But Perry managed to "preach" in a unique way. But more on that in a minute.

Those who have heard Perry know he's a dynamic, charismatic preacher, a power-house speaker. "The Billy Graham of Gay Liberation," some have dubbed him. He's also a tireless human rights advocate (Fellowship churches are now known as Human Rights Churches); an outspoken believer in safe, adult sexual freedom; and a supporter and member of the leather community.

Like MCC-Detroit's pastor Rev. Mark Bidwell, Perry was married, divorced, has two children and, as a young man, was kicked out of his home church for his homosexuality. It was a traumatic experience for both men.

In 1969, Perry performed the first same-sex marriage in America. In 1970, he filed the first-ever lawsuit seeking legal recognition of same-sex marriage. He lost. But since then, Fellowship ministers have performed more than 6,000 same-sex marriages.

Asked about the founding of the first MCC Church, Perry recalls, "I knew that I wasn't starting another Pentecostal church. I was starting a church that would be truly ecumenical. I had asked the religious backgrounds of those first 12. They were Catholic, Episcopal and of various Protestant sects. I fervently sought to serve a really broad spectrum of our population.

"It would have to be a church that most could understand and easily identify with and accept diversity as not being unusual or odd," he continues. "It seemed to me that it should be traditional, almost like those churches attended in childhood, not too different from that."

His fledging church took out an ad in the Advocate, a small paper in the area, and received great coverage. While the new church was news in the gay community, most mainstream papers ignored it, Perry says - especially religious columns. Yet people kept flocking.

"We were still holding services in my home and my house was bursting at the seams," he recalls. "We were looking for another place. We needed help on all fronts. I needed other theological minds to shape the way things were developing.

"It seemed nothing could stop us. We all felt the thrill of discovery - a new Pentecost outpouring - and the occasional clumsiness of growing pains. We knew that we stood on the threshold of great things. People came out of the shadows, out of the closets, out of the half-world."

It seemed they were drawn to the faith community. The talent flowed in: Pianists. Choir directors. "Family members - like my own dedicated and supportive mother," Perry adds.

"Our church provided a feeling of freedom to worship. We knew that we were on God's side because God loved us, too. We excluded no one. We welcomed all. We still do."

Heterosexuals came to the first services, he says; they still do today, comprising at least 20 percent of the congregation. Worldwide, there are 300 congregations in 22 countries and a membership of more than 250,000. It all amounts to an annual income of $24 million.

"Our mustard seed of faith has becomes a sheltering tree of strength, political activism, and spiritual solidarity," he says.

Perry was part of a recent six-member delegation to Southeast Asia. The delegation was scheduled to conduct speaking engagements, workshops and worship services in Malaysia and Singapore, and meet with LGBT rights groups.

"I've had enough experiences for three lifetimes," Perry muses, "but this was the first time an entire country banned me. I was allowed to enter but told that I could speak only one-on-one with individuals." In other words: No preaching.

"But all over the world I've observed over and over: The LGBT community always finds creative ways to make our voices heard," he says. "In spite of oppression and intimidation, we always find ways to get out the message that all people deserve equality under the law, that all of God's children - including gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender persons - that all are worthy of dignity."

While the Singapore government may have banned him from speaking out, Perry notes, the event's organizers saw to it that his voice was heard. They announced that, while Perry couldn't deliver a speech or sermon, he could answer one-on-one questions. So, from 9 p.m. to midnight, he answered one question after another. Many, many questions.

"Of course, I answered out loud in front of the audience - so I was actually able to share far more information than if I had preached a half-four sermon," Perry says. "There's a saying that when a door closes, God opens a window. When Singapore officials slammed a door shut in our face, Singapore's LGBT activists opened a window - with a breathtaking view of dignity, human rights and, for many, new-found faith."

Rev. Perry will preach at Metropolitan Community Church of Detroit at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 23. The 35th anniversary dinner will take place the evening before, Saturday, Sept. 22 at Park Place in Dearborn.

Oogachaga presents: The Legendary Killer: HIV/AIDS (Sep 29 @ PPC)

A Courageous Sharing by an HIV+ Warrior

Do you feel curious about a person with HIV?
Do you think a person with HIV has a future?

Let Oogachaga’s Mandarin Forum uncovers the myths and facts surrounding this notorious yet legendary killer. We will bring you – an HIV+ gay warrior, an outstanding medical social worker and an experienced volunteer from Communicable Disease Centre.

29th September, 2007 (Saturday)
4:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Free. Light refreshments available.

Pelangi Pride Centre @ Bianco
21 Tanjong Pagar Road
www.pelangipridecentre.org/contact/contact.htm

(above Ya Kun Kaya Toast & Mox, accessible by lift)

Do register for the event at contact@oogachaga.com. The first 20 persons to register will get their drinks free!

This event is supported by Action for AIDS.

ST Online Forum: Religion's role in gay debate is interesting (Sep 22)

Religion's role in gay debate is interesting

I refer to the article '7 in 10 frown on homosexuality, NTU survey finds' (ST, Sept 20). It is very interesting to note public opinion on this issue.

As the survey found, religion is the primary driving force for the anti-gay sentiment in Singapore. It is also noted that practitioners of the Abrahamic religions hold significantly more negative attitudes.

It is noted that the people surveyed are profiled according to the national population.

Does this imply that the survey goes according to racial lines, according to religious demographics, or both?

As noted above, Christians and Muslims are generally more anti-gay than other religions.

If the survey had not taken into account the religious demographics of Singapore, where the Abrahamic religions do not make up the majority, then the survey may not be an accurate indicator of the social opinion in Singapore.

It is also noted that from the letters addressing the issue recently, the strongly anti-gay have generally been vocal, English-educated and Christian.

Several writers to the Online Forum also involved God in their arguments.

Laws in Singapore are not set according to religious interests. They must remain secular and universal, and not influenced by any religion.

This is of utmost importance as Singapore is a multi-religious society and no one religion must exert its norms or standards on the whole country.

Lester Lam Yong Ling

ST Forum: Gay Teacher's Outing Not Appropriate (Sept 22)

ST Forum: Gay Teacher's Outing Not Appropriate

In the letter, 'Gay teacher's outing a milestone in debate' (ST, Sept 18), Dr Peter Goh Kok Yong stated that '... heterosexuality has always been the biased model'.

It is actually the natural model, based on the physical attributes of males and females. Moreover, it is the best model for the benefit of mankind.

Yes, teachers are supposed to provide 'unbiased advice to young students' but who is to ensure this? In fact, parents are supposed to do this important work, not teachers.

Students are very impressionable and prone to hero-worshipping teachers that they like. By admitting that he is gay, Mr Otto Fong has issued an open invitation to students to find out about his lifestyle and perhaps some of them might want to follow in his footsteps.

It is the gay lifestyle and its implications that most people are wary of.

There are gays who live their choice of lifestyle quietly but there are others who aggressively try to influence people to follow suit.

These are the ones who, if they are teachers, may cause the most harm in schools and elsewhere.

Let us not be too harsh on gays but let us not be blind to the dangers they pose to society and mankind.

Remember that, very often, silence means consent.

Patricia Maria De Souza (Ms)

Forum to educate the public on the ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism, Establishment of Singapore Working Committee

The ASEAN Summit that will be held in mid-November will see the signing of the ASEAN Charter in Singapore.

During the 40th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Manila last 30-31 July 2007, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers agreed to include a provision in the ASEAN Charter that mandates the creation of a human rights body.

As such, an ASEAN Human Rights Working Group (AHRWG) was established whose goal is to push for an intergovernmental human rights commission for ASEAN. At the moment, countries that have national Working groups and are part of the (AHRWG) are Cambodia, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand.

Human rights advocates in Singapore are looking to establish a national working group. As such a forum will be held to discuss the process towards the formation of such a group here.

The forum will look to educating the public on the ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism and also the establishment of a Singapore Working Committee. Public consultation, input and participation are important if the group hopes to represent views of civil societies, NGOs, interest groups and human rights bodies.

Date: 23 September 2007, Sunday
Time: 2.00 pm
Venue: Allson Hotel, Victoria Room, Level 2

Speakers:
M Ravi, human rights lawyer
Jolovan Wham, social worker
Alex Au, gay rights activist
Isrizal, arts community representative
Chee Soon Juan, politician & political activist

Admission: Free and open to the public

ST: Views divided, so gay sex law stays (Sep 22)

Views divided, so gay sex law stays
by Jeremy Au Yong

The decision on whether or not to decriminalise gay sex is a very divisive one and until there is a broader consensus on the matter, Singapore will stick to the status quo.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was explaining the Government's decision not to repeal section 377(A) of the Penal Code, even as it introduced to Parliament recently a raft of proposed changes to that law.

He was responding to a question from a Law undergraduate, who said she was concerned about the kind of image Singapore's stand on this issue left on foreigners, including the talent that it wished to draw here.

Mr Lee said in reply: 'If everybody felt like you in Singapore...we could change 377A and we would de-criminalise gay sex.

'But the fact is many people in Singapore feel passionately to the contrary to the point of view which you have argued. And you have to take cognizance of that.'

He said that the Government's view was that it should not push forward on this issue but follow along as societal views shifted.

'And as of today my judgment is the society is comfortable with our position. Leave the clause' he said.

Sharing his own views on homosexuality, he said it seemed to him that it was a trait people were born with.

He stressed, however, that that did not mean gays should set the tone here.

'My view is that gayness is something which is mostly inborn, some people are like that, some people are not. How they live their own lives is really for them to decide. It's a personal matter,' he said.

'I think the tone of the society should really be set by the heterosexuals and that's the way many Singaporeans feel.'

He also made clear that the issue was something Singapore would deal with on its own. It did not need foreign speakers coming here to 'add sugar and spice' to the debate.

He was referring to a recent decision by the Police to cancel the permit for Canadian academic Douglas Sanders to speak in Singapore on the subject.

'Within Singapore, we will have to work this out in our society, and I think that's what we will do,' he said.

Ex-Gay Edmund Smith speaks in Singapore

Befriending and Helping the Homosexuals

Do you know of a loved one or friend who is gay?
Are you helping or working with someone who is struggling with his sexual orientation?
Are you interested to find out more about the topic of homosexuality?

If any of these descriptions fit you, you will not want to miss this workshop.

Outline of Workshop:

• An introduction to the homosexual community
• Sexual orientation and the sexual Lifestyle (the ex gay lifestyle)
• How does one become a homosexual?
• The self issue
• The vacuum issue
• The barrier issue
• How does a homosexual recover?
• What can you do for the ex-gay community?

About the Speaker

Edmund Smith was a former homosexual who lived a homosexual lifestyle from 1983 until 1994 when he decided to walk away from it.
He started the Real Love Ministry in Malaysia - a ministry that reaches out to the marginalised communities such as the deaf, people with AIDS and the homosexual community.

Edmund is also a professional performing and recording artiste who has released two albums titled "Wake Up" & "Homosexuality and the Ex-Gay Lifestyle". He is now happily married to Amanda and is blessed with two children, Angelica and Ethan Smith

Venue: Oriental Plaza Oriental One, Level 4, 291 New Bridge Road
(Free Admission but Registration is Required.)

Date: 22 September Saturday
Time: 2pm - 5pm

Contact person for registration/ enquiries: Paul Teo
Tel: 63235393
Email: learning@alivecommunity.net

CNA: PM Lee fielded questions on gays, foreign talent at NUS forum

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has called on the younger generation to take advantage of Asia's growth prospects, especially Singapore's, and to seize the opportunities ahead.

Mr Lee made the point during an hour-long dialogue with university students at the Kent Ridge Ministerial Forum on Friday night.

The dialogue also touched on foreign talent and gays in Singapore.

Singapore has moved from third-world to first-world status within the space of one generation.

And this has led to the country attracting a lot of foreign talent.

But, is Singapore becoming a place for the wealthy? asked one law undergraduate asked during the dialogue.

"Singapore seems to be built not for us but for foreigners. Sincerely, I am afraid that as a middle income person, I am not able to make that jump in social, economic class. My question is this, is this land, Singapore, a place for the rich?" asked the student.

Mr Lee replied that Singapore cannot be a place for the rich, because if that was the case, the government would lose the elections.

"Singapore has to be a place where the majority of Singaporeans, a vast majority of Singaporeans, will enjoy a high quality of life and be able to have jobs where you can earn well and do well for yourself," he said.

"You may not be able to do as well as the top most successful banker, lawyer or property developer. But you do well for yourself, your career. You have good schools for your children, good healthcare for your parents, good leisure for your family, good opportunities for your future, that's for everybody," Mr Lee added.

"To have a society where everybody is equal, that's a recipe for poverty, it doesn't work. There will be inequalities in society but we must make sure that the majority of people have a good standard of living and improving standards from year to year," he said.

Another student wondered if Singapore was becoming less open, especially after recent news that the law on Section 377A, which criminalises gay sex, will not be changed.

PM Lee said: "It's a very divisive issue, our view or my view is that gayness is mostly something in-born; some people are like that and some people are not. How they live their own lives is really for them to decide, it's a personal matter.

"But the tone of the society, the public, and society as a whole, should be really set by the heterosexuals and that's the way many Singaporeans feel.

"Gay people exist. We respect them, and they have a place in our society. But (for) Section 377A, to change that, will be a very divisive argument. We will not reach consensus however much we discuss it.

"The views are passionately held on both sides. The more you discuss it, the angrier they become. The subject will not go away.

"Our view, as a government is, we will go with society. We will not push forward as society's views shift. We just follow along. As of today, my judgement is: the society is comfortable with our position. Leave the clause (alone). What people do in private is their own business; in public, certain norms apply."

Nearly 800 local and foreign students studying at the National University of Singapore (NUS) attended the annual dialogue. - CNA/ir

ABC News: The Toughest Call: Conversion Therapy

The Toughest Call: Conversion Therapy

Jennifer Lee Had a Tough Choice to Make When She Found Out Her Husband Is Gay

By ALISON LYNN and MAGGIE BURBANK

Sept. 22, 2007 —

Jennifer Lee thought she'd found the man of her dreams when she met Steve Lee. He was handsome, sensitive and most of all funny.

They quickly fell in love and after Jennifer converted to Mormonism, they married. After a few years, they welcomed a son. Despite their seemingly happy, secure relationship, Steve was hiding a secret, one he'd had since he was 19 years old.

Jennifer was devastated when her husband told her he is gay.

She was suddenly faced with the toughest call she could imagine: should she stay with her husband who has just come out to her or should she leave him? Although the news shocked and upset her, Jennifer decided something could be done.

"I started to convince myself it didn't have to be," Jennifer said, "and I started to convince him it didn't have to be and he agreed."

Steve, a devout Mormon, feared God would not accept him if he were gay. The couple met with their bishop who urged Steve to rid himself of his homosexuality by going through conversion therapy, a controversial program intended to eliminate homosexual feelings. Steve felt he had no choice.

"I wanted to be accepted by God," he said. "I wanted to be loved. That was everything to me. And so I saw no other route."

So every week Steve joined other Mormon men for group therapy. Most conversion therapy involves different forms of behavior modification, attempting to make people straight by having them act straight. Some programs even teach men about stereotypically "male" activities, such as talking about football and changing motor oil. Steve did not find that his experience with conversion therapy was at all therapeutic.

"I would definitely call it brainwashing," he said. "It was an exercise in humiliation."

There is much skepticism surrounding conversion therapy and whether it's even possible to reverse someone's sexual orientation. Most professional health organizations reject the theories behind conversion therapy, and many have even deemed it a potentially harmful "treatment."

Jack Drescher is a psychiatrist in New York and warns that not only is conversion therapy unlikely to work, it can be very dangerous.

"Patients feel more depressed and anxious when the treatment doesn't work," Drescher said. "They blame themselves. Some people became suicidal."

Are Conversions Successful?

The largest faith-based conversion therapy program in the country is Love in Action, which is located in Memphis, Tenn. Eight years ago "20/20" was invited to meet nine participants in the program who were attempting to purge themselves of what they called "homosexual behaviors."

James Serra, one of those men, says he is one of the program's success stories. Serra stayed in the program for three years, and today he's a counselor at Love in Action.

When asked whether he was a gay man or a straight man, Serra answered, "I'm a man, period. And the way I see it, it's a behavior. Homosexual, heterosexual is a behavior."

While Serra admits he is still attracted to men, he emphasizes that he has not acted on those feelings in eight years. Even though he has yet to have a relationship with a woman, he hopes that one day he will get married and have children.

Wade Richards was Serra's roommate when "20/20" visited Love in Action. As a devout Christian, Richards says he was faced with the difficult call of whether to accept his attraction to men or try to change. Despite the time he spent in conversion therapy, he now lives his life as a gay man.

"I believe that a loving God would not have someone go through such a struggle," said Richards.

Big Bucks on Sexuality Conversion

The faith-based movement to convert people's sexuality is a lucrative industry. Last spring the conservative Christian organization Focus on the Family hosted a conference called "Love Won Out" at a megachurch in Nebraska. Parents were encouraged to bring their children to the conference so they could learn the church's take on homosexuality.

In addition to the $60 entrance fee, attendees could purchase books and videos, including a book by John Paulk, former chairman of Exodus International, a network with more than 11,000 affiliated ministries. Claiming to be "ex-gay" for more than a decade and happily married to a woman, Paulk was considered a poster child for conversion therapy.

Then in 2001, "20/20" reported that Paulk was photographed coming out of a gay bar in Washington, D.C. He is still married, but stepped down from Exodus. His book about his own conversion from homosexuality is still being sold.

Like many of the attendees at the "Love Won Out" conference, Steve and Jennifer had hoped that conversion therapy would be effective. After Steve went through a Mormon therapy program, Jennifer made the tough call to stay in the marriage. They subsequently had two more children, but all along, Steve felt painfully trapped.

"There wasn't a 15-minute segment of any day that went by that I did not feel terrible inside my head," Steve said.

After 16 years of marriage, Steve admitted to Jennifer that he had been having a long-term affair with another married man. The couple has now been divorced for four years, and Jennifer has written a book called "My Ex Is Having Sex With Rex."

Jennifer says, in retrospect, one of her biggest regrets in life was to believe that her husband's sexuality could be changed by conversion therapy. She wishes churches would embrace anyone and everyone, but doubts that will ever be a reality.

"In a utopian world, the churches would open their arms and accept everybody in the world for who they are," she said, "but I don't believe that's going to happen."

Copyright © 2007 ABC News Internet Ventures

Safehaven presents... HIV/AIDS - A Gay Christian Response (28 Sept 2007, 7,30pm)

Dr Messer will also be giving a talk at FCC on
28 Sep 07 (Fri), 7:30pm.

SAFEHaven presents:

HIV/AIDS – A Gay Christian Response

Whether we admit it or not, HIV/AIDS is a serious
problem in the gay community. The HIV infection rate
amongst gay men in most developed countries including
Singapore is un-proportionately high. In the midst of
striving for equal rights and non-discrimination, the
gay community has the tendency to push the HIV problem
below the societal radar screen, unfortunately to its
own demise. What then is the appropriate response to
the issue at hand? What can gay Christians do to help
our own community, if no other would help us? Come and
listen to Dr Donald Messer share his insights on this.

Date / Time : 28 Sept 2007 (Friday) 7:30 pm
Venue : Free Community Church (Aljunied)

ST: People most likely to be anti-gay: The religious and those who conform to social norms (Sept 20)

People most likely to be anti-gay: The religious and those who conform to social norms
by Radha Basu
The Straits Times, Sep 20, 2007

Seven in 10 people here frown on homosexuality, a Nanyang Technological University (NTU) study has found.

The study - which its authors claim is the first 'nationally representative' survey of its kind here - found two key predictors of sentiments here: how deeply religious a person was and how far he or she conformed to social norms.

The study by NTU's School of Communication and Information was published recently in the International Journal of Public Opinion Research, which maps public opinion worldwide.

To gather the data, more than 1,000 people, profiled to resemble the national population, were asked six questions to gauge their attitudes towards lesbians and homosexuals.

For example, they were asked whether sex between two men or two women was 'plain wrong' and whether homosexuals or lesbians were 'disgusting'.

It was found that 68.6per cent of respondents 'generally held negative attitudes', 22.9per cent had positive attitudes and 8.5per cent were neutral.

Besides answering the questions, participants had to give their age, income, education level, gender and marital status. They also had to answer questions designed to gauge how religious they were and how strongly they felt about conforming to social norms.

Through statistical calculations, the study concluded that 'intrinsic religiosity' - viewing religion as the primary driving force in life - was the strongest predictor of anti-gay sentiment here.

On average, Christians and Muslims were seen to hold 'significantly more negative attitudes' than Buddhists or freethinkers.

Those who conformed to social norms also tended to view homosexuality more dimly.

Adherence to norms was assessed through questions such as whether one believed following family and social expectations was important.

Although gender did not influence attitudes much, two other demographic factors - marital status and age - did.

As in the West, most married people and older folk tended to hold a more negative view of homosexuality than those who were single or young, noted Associate Professor Benjamin Detenber, the principal researcher in the study.

But unlike in the West, where women tended to be more tolerant of gays than men, there was no major distinction here, said Prof Detenber.

The survey results did not surprise MP Sin Boon Ann, who heads the Government Parliamentary Committee for Community Development, Youth and Sports.

On granting more rights to homosexuals, he said: 'We are a conservative society and will not be trailblazers in this regard.'

He added that Singapore's public stand on the issue, including the recent move to continue regarding male homosexual sex as an offence, was a 'statement of values' rather than a 'statement of rights and obligations'.

The National Council of Churches here agreed, saying that the study confirmed Singapore society's inclination to 'uphold traditional and pro-family values'.

People's attitudes towards homosexuality here, said the council's general secretary Lim K Tham, may have been shaped by 'an upbringing influenced by religion and government policies that were family-centric'.

Whether the law that criminalises homosexual sex among men should be repealed was a matter of fierce debate in the recent review of the Penal Code.

The Government said that public feedback made it clear that the majority of people felt the law should stay.

Gay rights activist Alex Au said the lack of 'positive gay role models' could have led to anti-gay sentiments here.

However, he sees a definite softening in attitudes in the NTU findings.

Noting that a 2001 government survey showed that 85per cent found homosexuality 'unacceptable', he said: 'From 85per cent negative to 70per cent in a few years is a rapid change in attitudes.'

He conceded that the questions in the two surveys were different, but added: 'It's unlikely that lay respondents would concern themselves with such academic differences.'

NAY TO GAYS
Kenya 99%
Nigeria 95%
Indonesia 93%
Jordan 88%
Bangladesh 87%
Vietnam 84%
Lebanon 76%
South Korea 69%
Turkey 66%
India 63%
Brazil 42%
US 42%
Japan 34%
Philippines 33%
Canada 26%
Britain 22%
France 21%
Italy 20%
Germany 15%

Data adapted from Pew Global Attitudes Project, 2003

DPA: Seven in 10 people in Singapore frown on homosexuality

Singapore - Seven in 10 people in Singapore frown on homosexuality, with the highly religious and those conforming to social norms most likely to be anti-gay, a study said on Thursday.

Conducted by Nanyang Technological University's School of Communication and Information, more than 1,000 individuals were queried.

The findings published in The Straits Times showed that 68.6 per cent of the respondents 'generally held negative attitudes,' 22.9 per cent had positive attitudes and 8.5 per cent were neutral.

'Intrinsic religiosity,' - viewing religion as the primary driving force in life - emerged as the strongest predictor of anti-gay sentiment, the study said.

On average, Christians and Muslims were seen as holding significantly more negative attitudes than Buddhists and freethinkers.

Those who conformed to social norms also viewed homosexuality negatively.

The law in Singapore criminalizes homosexual sex, although it is rarely enforced. The government told parliament recently that public feedback made it clear that the majority of people want the law to remain.

Most married people and the elderly also held a more negative view of homosexuality than those who were single and young, the study said.

© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

Press Release: Kampong Kapor Methodist Church takes initiative to organise seminar to raise HIV/AIDs Awareness

PRESS RELEASE

Kampong Kapor Methodist Church at 3 Kampong Kapor Road has taken the initiative to organize a seminar to raise the awareness of HIV/Aids on September 29, 2007 from 3pm to 6pm. This is the first time that the church is having such an event in the face of the alarming pandemic to issue this call to the Christian community to deal with HIV/Aids.

The Guest of Honour is Senior Minister of State Dr Balaji Sadasivan who is in charge of the government’s programme on HIV/Aids will give the Opening Address. Dr Donald E Messer, Executive Director of the Center for the Church and Global Aids will provide the global perspective about the disease and the programme of the global church to fight the pandemic. He is the former President of Iliff School of Theology in the United States . Ms Braema Mathi, Vice-Chairman of Action for Aids, will give us the Singapore scene in the battle against Aids especially on the impact on women and children. She is a former Nominated Member of Parliament here. The seminar is presided by Mr Hsieh Fu Hua.

The seminar will consider the causes, prevention and treatment of HIV virus. It will discuss the ways to be of service to the victims of Aids and their families. More importantly it will involve in formulating an educational programme on HIV/Aids.

Those who wish to attend this important seminar are requested to register by calling 6293-7997 or email mailbox@kkmc.org.sg. Please call the same number of further information.

Dr Donald E Messer is a United Methodist theologian and author of twelve books. He is currently the Executive Director of th Centre for the Church and Global AIDS catalysing Christian involvement in the major issues related to global HIV and AIDS, world hunger, and clean water. Messer is both president emeritus and the Henry White Warren Professor Emeritus of Practical Theology at The Illiff School of Theology. In 2005 he was honoured with a "Lifetime Achievement Award" from a medical university in India for his humanitarian work.

Ms Braema Mathi is the Vice-President of Action for Aids. She is a National Council of Social Services Board Member and currently works as a Visiting Research Fellow in the Institute of South East Asian Studies. Ms Braema was the Founder-President of Transient Workers Count Too (TWC 2), an advocacy and research group that look into the issues of migrant workers and current Chair of its Research and Policy sub-committee. She is also a Past President of the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) and current Chair of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) sub-committee. Ms Braema has been a journalist, a teacher, a head of Corporate Communications in the healthcare industry and has served two terms as a Nominated Member of Parliament.

At the 8^th International Congress on Aids in Asia and Pacific held last month in Colombo, Sri Lanka the World Health Southeast Asia Regional Director declared: "In the Asia-Pacific region, we are at high risk of a massive spread of HIV," At the same congress the UNAIDS Asia-Pacific Regional Director reported: "The harsh reality is that the grim march of the epidemic in our region continues unabated,"

UNAIDS estimates 5.4 million people were living with HIV in the Asia Pacific region in 2006, with anywhere between 140,000 and 610,000 people dying from AIDS-related illnesses.

This is the world's second largest number of people living with HIV. The sub-Saharan Africa has has the largest number with 25.8 million people infected with the virus. One important new finding is about the way the virus has spread in the heterosexual community which started among injecting drug users in the 1990s, moved on to sex workers, from there to male clients and their faithful wives and then to children. Young women and girls in Asia are being trafficked as sex workers and they carry a high HIV/AIDS risk.

Economic growth and improvements in infrastructure have created greater wealth and mobility, but have also promoted HIV infections. In Asia the virus is being transmitted also by wealthy men, often after having unprotected sex with prostitutes and passing the infection to their wives and children.

The Singapore Ministry of Health has reported that there were 357 new Aids patients in 2006 and 222 were transmitted through heterosexual sex. Three in four people infected are heterosexual. The upward trend of new infections continued unchecked. The budget for Aids education has been increased to $4 million this year.

The stigmatization of HIV-positive people and conservative social attitudes are hindering the efforts to fight the disease. In confronting HIV/Aids it is necessary to mobilize various sectors of the community to address the issue.

ST: 7 in 10 frown on homosexuality, NTU survey finds (Sep 20)

20 Sep 2007
Straits Times

7 in 10 frown on homosexuality, NTU survey finds
By Radha Basu, Community Correspondent
(People most likely to be anti-gay: The religious and those who conform to social norms)

SEVEN in 10 people here frown on homosexuality, a Nanyang Technological University (NTU) study has found.

The study - which its authors claim is the first 'nationally representative' survey of its kind here - found two key predictors of sentiments here: how deeply religious a person was and how far he or she conformed to social norms.

The study by NTU's School of Communication and Information was published recently in the International Journal of Public Opinion Research, which maps public opinion worldwide.

To gather the data, more than 1,000 people, profiled to resemble the national population, were asked six questions to gauge their attitudes towards lesbians and homosexuals.

For example, they were asked whether sex between two men or two women was 'plain wrong' and whether homosexuals or lesbians were 'disgusting'.

It was found that 68.6per cent of respondents 'generally held negative attitudes', 22.9per cent had positive attitudes and 8.5per cent were neutral.

Besides answering the questions, participants had to give their age, income, education level, gender and marital status. They also had to answer questions designed to gauge how religious they were and how strongly they felt about conforming to social norms.

Through statistical calculations, the study concluded that 'intrinsic religiosity' - viewing religion as the primary driving force in life - was the strongest predictor of anti-gay sentiment here.

On average, Christians and Muslims were seen to hold 'significantly more negative attitudes' than Buddhists or freethinkers.

Those who conformed to social norms also tended to view homosexuality more dimly.

Adherence to norms was assessed through questions such as whether one believed following family and social expectations was important.

Although gender did not influence attitudes much, two other demographic factors - marital status and age - did.

As in the West, most married people and older folk tended to hold a more negative view of homosexuality than those who were single or young, noted Associate Professor Benjamin Detenber, the principal researcher in the study.

But unlike in the West, where women tended to be more tolerant of gays than men, there was no major distinction here, said Prof Detenber.

The survey results did not surprise MP Sin Boon Ann, who heads the Government Parliamentary Committee for Community Development, Youth and Sports.

On granting more rights to homosexuals, he said: 'We are a conservative society and will not be trailblazers in this regard.'

He added that Singapore's public stand on the issue, including the recent move to continue regarding male homosexual sex as an offence, was a 'statement of values' rather than a 'statement of rights and obligations'.

The National Council of Churches here agreed, saying that the study confirmed Singapore society's inclination to 'uphold traditional and pro-family values'.

People's attitudes towards homosexuality here, said the council's general secretary Lim K Tham, may have been shaped by 'an upbringing influenced by religion and government policies that were family-centric'.

Whether the law that criminalises homosexual sex among men should be repealed was a matter of fierce debate in the recent review of the Penal Code.

The Government said that public feedback made it clear that the majority of people felt the law should stay.

Gay rights activist Alex Au said the lack of 'positive gay role models' could have led to anti-gay sentiments here.

However, he sees a definite softening in attitudes in the NTU findings.

Noting that a 2001 government survey showed that 85per cent found homosexuality 'unacceptable', he said: 'From 85per cent negative to 70per cent in a few years is a rapid change in attitudes.'

He conceded that the questions in the two surveys were different, but added: 'It's unlikely that lay respondents would concern themselves with such academic differences.'

ST: Lecture permit revoked after cops get info on gay agenda (Sept 19)

Lecture permit revoked after cops get info on gay agenda
by Zakir Hussain
The Straits Times, Sep 19, 2007

A permit for a lecture by a Canadian law academic last month was cancelled after the police learnt it was part of gay activists' efforts to promote their political agenda, Parliament was told yesterday.

Senior Minister of State (Home Affairs and Law) Ho Peng Kee said police also discovered from information online that Professor Douglas Sanders was an advocate for decriminalising homosexual sex.

Explaining the backdrop to the cancellation, he said police found out only after granting the permit that his talk was part of a two-week series of events 'which promoted the gay cause'.

'It became subsequently clear to police that the event was part of the efforts of gay activists to promote their political agenda which involved a foreigner,' Associate Professor Ho said.

'Our laws are an expression and reflection of the values of our society and any public discourse in Singapore on such matters should be reserved for Singaporeans.

'Foreigners will not be allowed to interfere in our domestic political scene, whether in support of the gay cause or against it.'

He was replying to questions from Mr Baey Yam Keng (Tanjong Pagar GRC) and Nominated MP Siew Kum Hong on why the permit had been cancelled.

In July, the authorities approved a public entertainment licence for an event in which Prof Sanders of the University of British Columbia was to speak on 'Sexual orientation in international law: the case of Asia'.

But the permit was cancelled four days before the Aug 7 talk because, based on additional information received, police saw the event as 'contrary to the public interest'.

Police had learnt of Prof Sanders' background and that he was 'likely to talk about our Section 377A, which is the criminalising of homosexual sex'.

'He was an advocate for decriminalising of homosexual sex, having spoken, for example, at the United Nations,' Prof Ho said.

The section - which will remain on the books despite proposed changes to the Penal Code tabled on Monday - was hotly debated here after draft changes were floated last year.

Prof Ho said the decision on Prof Sanders 'was not taken lightly; neither was it a case where police just approved without careful consideration'.

The organisers had, in fact, proceeded with the event - but without Prof Sanders - as no permit is needed for an indoor talk where no foreigners are speaking.

There has not been a similar licence cancellation for talks by foreign speakers in the past five years as police are usually able to decide on an application based on the information available to them, Prof Ho said.

In this case, they received additional information only shortly before revoking the permit, and had acted 'expeditiously'.

Prof Sanders' curriculum vitae accompanying the application, for instance, made no reference to his UN involvement, or to articles he had written on issues similar to Section 377A here.

Asked by Mr Michael Palmer (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC) why the Government could engage foreigners to comment and advise on policy-making but civil society groups could not, Prof Ho said context was important.

There was an ongoing debate here on homosexuality - a topic which Prof Ho noted was 'divisive'.

And it was quite different to have someone like Prof Sanders, 'a known advocate for the human rights of gays and lesbians, to take a position'.

'We can hear his views on the air or read it online but it's quite different to invite him here to speak to a Singapore audience at this time.'

Townhall Meeting of the Tunnel Party to be Postponed

We were informed today by The Substation that the Tunnel Party will be postponed because the Police wanted The Substation to apply for an assembly license even though the event had already been scheduled to move indoors (from outdooors) into The Guiness Theatre because of similar concerns by the Police.

In order to apply for an assembly license, the police would need to vet all the flyers and brochures from the groups and also mentioned that they are not in favour of the distribution of materials from "certain" groups.

Hmm... wonder what groups those are?

The Substation will arrange a meeting with all the stakeholders of the various groups to re-think the whole event.

Having said that, permission from MDA was given to hold a music event outside and the film screenings will still continue in the theatre. Following requests from MDA, the music event outdoors will now be licensed as The SeptFest Gig.

Everyone is invited to go down to The SeptFest Gig at 4.30pm, Saturday, SMU Pavement Area

ST: Hospitalised men to be asked to volunteer for Aids test (Sept 19)

Sep 19, 2007

Hospitalised men to be asked to volunteer for Aids test

Law change will also ensure those who transmit HIV cannot plead ignorance

By Judith Tan

ALL men admitted to hospitals from later this year will be asked to take a voluntary Aids test, widening efforts to stop the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from spreading here. The move follows similar testing already in place for pregnant mothers and at-risk groups such as health-care workers. At the same time, the laws will be tweaked to ensure that those responsible for transmission are dealt with. Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan said yesterday that a person who did not know he was HIV-positive would not escape blame. The Infectious Diseases Act would soon be amended to 'clarify that ignorance of one's HIV status will not be a defence for those who engage in high-risk sexual behaviour'. It is currently an offence for someone who is HIV-positive to have sex without informing his sexual partner of his HIV status. HIV testing would not be compulsory, or be taken nationwide, said Mr Khaw in Parliament yesterday. 'For population-wide screening, there's of course a trade-off that we have to make because there's a cost to screening. And also you don't want to cause unnecessary inconvenience to the vast majority,' he told the House. Mr Khaw added that since no country has conducted compulsory screening, Singapore has to consider 'if we want to be ahead of the curve, especially when our prevalence is not as high as in the rest of the world'. In the first eight months of this year, 278 Singaporeans were newly diagnosed with HIV, bringing the total number of known HIV-infected cases to 3,338. The prevalence of known HIV cases among those aged 15 and above stood at 0.07 per cent, up from 0.02 per cent 10 years ago, he said. He was responding to Dr Lim Wee Kiak, an MP for Sembawang GRC, who wanted to know what the Ministry of Health (MOH) is doing in the light of a recent report that one in 350 public hospital patients was infected with HIV, which causes Aids. Given that 4,500 inpatients are treated in public hospitals daily, this meant that 12 unknown HIV patients could be coming into close contact with health-care workers every day. 'The risk of accidental transmission is not trivial,' he said. Mr Khaw explained that the voluntary screening is in line with recommendations made by the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They are requiring healthcare workers such as surgeons who are exposed to the patient's open tissues or blood directly to know their HIV status, and for adult patients to be offered HIV screening. He added that the public hospitals such as Changi General Hospital are progressively implementing the CDC recommendations. Mr Khaw said Singapore looked to the US and other countries 'because their numbers are higher and they have been studying this problem for a longer period'. He referred to a recent trip to Sydney, led by Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Information, Communications and the Arts, Dr Balaji Sadasivan. One key learning point was that the stakeholders such as the government, health-care groups and Aids organisations and patients must work closely to help those at risk to take personal responsibility to reduce risky behaviours, and go for regular testing. Speaking to The Straits Times, gay media company Fridae.com's chief executive officer Stuart Koe lauded the first steps to a better working relationship between the ministry and the groups. 'We are currently at the stage where we can sit with MOH and map out a strategy in the fight against HIV,' said Dr Koe, who was among the representatives from three non-governmental organisations involved in HIV prevention who accompanied Dr Sadasivan on his trip. juditht@sph.com.sg

CNA: Foreigners will not be allowed to interfere in Singapore's domestic affairs (Sept 18)

SINGAPORE : Foreigners will not be allowed to interfere in Singapore's domestic political scene and this includes support for or against the gay cause.

The Home Affairs Ministry reiterated this in Parliament on Tuesday, when it explained why it revoked an approved licence for gay activist Professor Douglas Sanders to speak at a public lecture in Singapore on 7 August.

Nominated MP Siew Kum Hong had voiced concerns that the Police may not have fully deliberated the circumstances before they granted the licence the first time around.

Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee explained that even after granting licences for public entertainment, the Police would continue to monitor developments.

And if circumstances warrant it, they would cancel the public entertainment licence if necessary, for public safety or public interest reasons.

It was in this context that the approval given for Professor Sanders was subsequently revoked, when information obtained later made it clear that the talk was part of gay activists' efforts to use a foreigner to promote their political agenda.

Associate Professor Ho said, "The context is important. It's not that foreigners cannot make their comments or views known on Singapore policies. No, in fact they all do! But it's quite different if local activists, in the context of a situation in Singapore where we know that there's an ongoing debate for some time already on a topic which is divisive, a topic which has caused two sides in particular to expound different points of views, whether we want to invite a foreigner to come here to speak to a Singapore audience.

"And from what we know, Professor Sanders is a known activist for the human rights of gays and lesbians. We can his hear views or read it online. But it's quite different to invite him here to speak to a Singapore audience at this time."

The Senior Minister of State also confirmed there has not been a similar cancellation of a licence granted for talks by foreign speakers in the past five years. - CNA/ms

AFP: Oral, anal sex legal in Singapore (Sept 18)

Oral, anal sex legal in Singapore
Article from: Agence France-Presse

From correspondents in Singapore

September 18, 2007 02:17am

ORAL and anal sex in private between consenting heterosexual adults would be legalised under a Bill introduced in Singapore's parliament.

Under the city-state's first major penal code amendments in 22 years, a section criminalising “carnal intercourse against the order of nature” would be repealed.

The Bill would also create new offences to tackle child prostitution and sex tourism.

Singapore has in recent years gradually eased social restrictions that have given it a straight-laced reputation.

But while the Bill takes a softer line on heterosexual sex, a ban on acts of “gross indecency” between males will remain.

Gay rights activists have said authorities have not laid charges under the section in recent years, even though it remains in force.

Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore's Second Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, said earlier this year that the city-state was undergoing liberalisation while retaining a very strong conservative core.

Although prostitution itself is not an offence in Singapore, the Bill would make it an offence to obtain commercial sex with a person under 18.

Conviction could lead to a prison term of up to seven years, while communicating for such a purpose could bring up to two years in jail, the Bill says.

Similar offences committed abroad would attract the same punishments, it said.

Local media have reported that some Singaporeans travel to the nearby Indonesian island of Batam for sex with teenage girls.

In another new provision, making travel arrangements intended to facilitate under-age commercial sex abroad would bring up to 10 years in prison, the Bill says.

The revised penal code, still to be passed into law by parliament, also broadens the scope of an offence against unlawful assembly.

An assembly of five or more people would be illegal if the group's common objective is to commit “any offence,” the Bill says, broadening the definition from mischief and trespass.

Singapore's laws against unlawful assembly gained prominence during last year's meetings in the city-state by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

Pro-democracy activist Chee Soon Juan engaged in a three-day standoff with police, who stopped him and a small group of followers from marching to the meeting venue after police rejected his application for a permit.

ST Forum: Gay teacher's outing a milestone in debate (Sep 18)

STRAITS TIMES Sep 18, 2007

Gay teacher's outing a milestone in debate

I REFER to Mr Paul Jacob's article, 'A teacher's disclosure and the issue is out in the open' (ST, Sept 15). I applaud Mr Otto Fong's honesty and courage in coming out as a gay person and a teacher. It is indeed a milestone in the gay debate in Singapore. Despite the large number of passionately argued letters that have appeared on the gay issue over the past months, we actually have not progressed very far. As Mr Jacob pointed out, the loudest voices come from both ends of the spectrum of tolerance. Neither end is likely to be swayed by the other. Sitting silent in the middle is the largely conservative majority who may yet change their opinion of gay people if only they get to know them. That is why Mr Fong's coming out is so significant. Unlike black people striving for racial equality in the US in the 1960s, gay people are invisible in many societies, including Singapore. Hence, the debate remains largely conceptual, with highly skewed academic data and examples thrown in by the opposing camps. What is so obviously missing is the subject of the debate itself - the gay people. For fear of societal rejection and discrimination, most gays in Singapore remain in the closet. While Mr Fong does not represent every gay person in Singapore, his identity and life humanises the gay issue in a way no amount of well-constructed arguments can ever achieve. What is equally significant is the fact that Mr Fong is a school teacher. The concern raised by Mr Jacob is whether Mr Fong is able to provide neutral, unbiased advice to young students who may be uncertain about their orientation. The reality is that there has never been any neutral, unbiased advice given to students on sexuality. Heterosexuality has always been the biased model. While the Education Ministry may want to acknowledge the concerns of parents who are uncomfortable with gay teachers in schools, it would do well not to continue to hide them in the closet. It should publicly acknowledge the existence of gay teachers and assure parents that all its teachers, gay or straight, are expected to uphold the utmost standards in their professional conduct and will not impose their personal values, including sexuality, on the students. Dr Peter Goh Kok Yong

Pink News.co.uk: Singapore reforms laws but gay sex still illegal

Singapore reforms laws but gay sex still illegal
17th September 2007 14:10
PinkNews.co.uk writer

A bill introduced to the Singaporean parliament today will legalise oral and anal sex in private between consenting straight adults.

However the ban on "gross indecency" will remain in place and male homosexuals still face a maximum of two years in prison for gay sex.

The new legislation will also create new offences relating to sex tourism and child prostitution.

The authorities have not brought anyone up on charges of gross indecency for several years.

The city state of nearly five million people is renowned for its draconian legislation.

Chewing gum is illegal and the police keep a close watch on public behaviour.

In July veteran actor Sir Ian McKellen urged the country's government to ditch draconian colonial-era laws on gay sex while touring the country with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

In a promotional interview with a local radio station, he said:

"Just treat us with respect like we treat everybody else and the world will be a better place, I think.

"Coming to Singapore where unfortunately you've still got those dreadful laws that we British left behind... it's about time Singapore grew up, I think, and realised that gay people are here to stay."

In April one of the most influential politicians in Singapore spoke out against laws banning sex between men.

Lee Kuan Yew was Prime Minister from 1959 to 1990, and remains a powerful figure in the country.

In an interview with the Straits Times, Mr Lee talked about the theory that homosexuality is genetic.

"If in fact it is true, and I have asked doctors this, that you are genetically born a homosexual - because that's the nature of the genetic random transmission of genes you can't help it. So why should we criminalise it?"

Under his premiership and the two Prime Ministers that succeeded him, the Singaporean authorities have banned gay films and public displays of homosexuality such as Pride events.

365Gay.com: Singapore to Repeal Sodomy Laws But Not For Gays (Sept 17)

Singapore To Repeal Sodomy Laws But Not For Gays
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

Posted: September 17, 2007 - 5:00 pm ET

(Singapore) Legislation was introduced in the Singapore Parliament on Monday to repeal laws banning sodomy but the bill would specifically limit it to heterosexuals.

The new legislation is the first overhaul of the penal code in nearly a quarter century. It removes a section of the law making "carnal intercourse against the order of nature" a crime.

But it maintains a similar law, dating back to British imperial rule, forbidding sex of any kind between males.

Under the law "gross indecency" between two men can lead to two years in jail.

Police have not laid a charge for a number of years, but LGBT rights groups in the city state have been actively lobbying for its repeal.

In April, Lee Kuan Yew, the man regarded as the father of Singapore, called for the decriminalization of gay sex laws. (story)

"If in fact it is true, and I have asked doctors this, that you are genetically born a homosexual — because that's the nature of the genetic random transmission of genes — you can't help it. So why should we criminalize it," Lee, who served as Prime Minister from 1959 to 1990 and is the father of current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, told a youth rally.

The revised criminal code also broadens laws against "unlawful assembly."

That provision also has raised concerns among gay activists.

In August Singapore banned gay events held in public parks. The move came as gays were attempting to celebrate LGBT pride. (story)

Police lifted a permit to hold a picnic and fun run at a park saying politics were not welcome in green spaces.

Censors refused to allow an LGBT book reading event that was to have been part of the pride celebration. A human rights forum was blocked. And a photography exhibit of of gays and lesbians was closed by police hours before it was to officially open.

The Media Development Authority balked at a book by author Ng Yi-Sheng about a young man's fictional sexual adventures with older men including military officers and government officials.

The authority said that the book went beyond good taste and decency and disparaged public officers.

The human rights forum was to have featured Douglas Sanders, a professor emeritus in law at the University of British Columbia, Canada, and Thailand's Chulalongkorn University.

The forum, titled "Sexual Orientation in International Law: The Case of Asia," was deemed contrary to public interest.

The censorship board ordered the photo exhibition closed because it showed photos of gay men and women kissing.

The board said that the show violated Singapore law because it promoted "a homosexual lifestyle".

Come join us at Tunnel Party (Sat, 22 September 2007) - Outdoor License not approved, stay tuned for more information

Tunnel Party Flea Market participants

Civil Societies/Non-profit groups

1 Cicada Tree Eco-Place
An NGO that promotes eco-living and the natural & cultural heritage of Singapore through environmental education.

2 ONE (Singapore)
Raising public awareness and taking concrete actions to make poverty history.

3 ACRES
NGO with the main aim of fostering compassion and respect for all animals.

4 Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2)
TWC2 is a charity that is concerned with promoting the well being of foreign workers in Singapore.

5 Pelangi Pride Centre
The folks at Pelangi Pride Centre operate a resource library devoted to HIV education and GLBTQ issues.

6 UNIFEM Singapore
A women's fund at the United Nations, it provides financial and technical assistance to innovative programmes and strategies to foster women's empowerment and gender equality.

7 Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME)
HOME is a NGO that aims to improve the welfare and status of migrant workers in Singapore.

8 Youth Ministry, Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery
Supports youths in personal and spiritual growth and community initiatives on areas such as inter-faith, environment and community arts.

9 Vegetarian Society (Singapore)
Educate the public to eat less or no meat; support vegetarians

10 Cat Welfare Society
Registered charity working to control the population of community cats and to reduce complaints through a cat management programme called Trap-Neuter-Return-Manage.

11 Think Centre
an independent non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Singapore. First registered as a business (RCB) on 16 Jul 1999 and today as a society (under ROS) on 20 Oct 2001, the Centre aims to critically examine issues related to political development, democracy, rule of law, human rights and civil society. Think Centre's activities include research, publishing, organising events and networking.

12 AWARE
Promoting a society that provides optimal opportunities for women, and men, to realise their highest potential.

13 Green Volunteers Network
started in November 1997 to increase public participation in environmental protection by providing a range of hands-on activities and programmes to turn awareness into action. It attracts all sectors of the community, from students to retirees. Since its inauguration, it has grown from 50 to 900 strong and it still expanding.

14 Singapore Environment Council
The Singapore Environment Council is a company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 2nd November 1995. It is a non-profit organisation with the status of an institution of public character and it is an approved charity which therefore offers tax exemption for donors.

15 Food for All
An initiative to better coordinate food distribution efforts in Singapore and to advocate on hunger issues.

16 Catholic Aids Response Effort (CARE)
Founded in 1992, a registered Society, we provide shelter/home to people with HIV/AIDS who have been ejected by family and society at large and to give them self-worth; to assist them to integrate back into Society and to educate the public on HIV/AIDS and welcome volunteers.

17 aidha
Providing financial education, entrepreneurship and confidence building training to migrant domestic workers in Singapore.

18 Women Who Love Women
A collection of resources for gay women in Singapore, run by gay women in Singapore.

19 Riverkids Project
An NGO dedicated to spread awareness about child trafficking in Cambodia

Arts Groups/Artists

20 Music For Good
A music organization that promotes Singapore music.

21 The Meeting Point
Started as group of 3 photographers who believes in spurring one another in our works, and to bounce off ideas. Along the way, more people joined in, besides photographers, a illustrator, a filmmaker wannabe, and 2 writers joined in, and collaborated on few projects. Till date, there are 9 photographers, 2 writers, one cameraman, one illustrator.

22 Migrant Voices
Registered arts group doing arts programmes with migrant workers, celebrating the artistic talents of migrant workers.

23 Singapore Anti-Death Penalty Committee
a group of artists & individuals coming together to discuss issues of capital punishment.

24 The Substation
Non-profit independent arts organization.

25 LionCityDIY
Independent do-it-yourself artists that does print zines, silkscreening and gigs.

26 The Theatre Practice
Founded in 1986 and Singapore's first bilingual theatre company

27 Sloth Studio
Slothstudio.com is an online portfolio that we use to portray our personal artworks (both traditional and digital mediums) and designs.

28 The Necessary Stage Ltd
The Necessary Stage is a non-profit theatre company with charity status founded in 1987 to create innovative intercultural theatre that touches the heart and mind.

29 Theatreworks/72-13
is the home of Theatreworks, a performance centre and platform for Asia's expression and its relationship to the rest of the world.

30 The RAISED Committee
Individual artists

Commercial Groups

31 Urs ConNEXTion Pte Ltd
Managing group of people that are Dynamic, Innovative and Passionate in Entertainment & Event Management. We provide Innovative, Creative and Unique concept in Show Productions. Managing and organizing of Youth, Sport, Art, Music, Celebration, and Corporate Events, as well as Competition, Training, Course, and Seminar. We also provide Artists and Talents management, Music and video production, courses like: vocal, hip hop dance etc. and Event Consultant.

32 Flux Us
Active since Jul 05, we are the country's first and only store solely dedicated to the promotion of experimental music to Singaporeans. We have also organised various concerts featuring local, regional and international musicians and sound artists.

33 Fusion X Music
A centre dedicated towards the promotion of music events and courses

34 House on the Pebble/Frocking
We are a small jewellery/craft making duo. Being animal lovers, we would like to use some or all of our profits to SPCA.

35 Def Rocket
Def Rocket is a concept-driven graphic tee label, created by writer Don Bosco. It is inspired by underground music, science fiction and street culture.

36 Visual Trap
Group of young designers who specialize in T-shirts

37 Flea Fly Flo Fun/SWOP
A consortium of flea market vendors
38 Joey Chin Ling Min
Two people; one a writer and a part time poet, and the other an NUS undergrad, a freelance stage actress selling poetry and other knick knacks.

Commercial Individual Vendors

39 Joan Teo

Others

40 Singapore Management University (SMU)
students groups involved in non-profit work will set-up booths
a) SMU Women's Connection (feminist)
b) SMU Verts (environment)

41 Nanyang Technological University
students from the Arts, Design and Media department

42 Harley Davidson (TBC)
picture opportunities with bikers

43 Yogis for the Environment, Animals and Humanity (YEAH!)
Yoga with certified Vivakananda Yogi on top of the tunnel

44 Asian Europe Foundation (ASEF)
Launched on 15 February 1997 in Singapore, the foundation's mission is to promote greater mutual understanding between the peoples of Asia and Europe through closer intellectual, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges.