FCC Service (Feb 24)

SUNDAY SERVICE (ENGLISH)
24 Feb 2008 (Sun) - 10.30am
FCC Main Hall
56 Geylang Lor 23
Level 3, Century Technology Building
All are welcome!

Speaker
JEAN LEE
Transformation Series
From Slavery to Freedom
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _____

Worship Leader - GARY CHAN
Vocals - HO KOK WEI, JONATHAN FOONG
Keyboards - ERNEST THIO, NICHOLAS LEOW
Guitars - JIN WEI TANG, KELVIN NG, NATHAN GUO
Drums - JIN YU TANG
Sound - QING LONG LUO
Video - YAP FOO KEONG
Prayer - JAIME LOW
Communion - JONATHAN FOONG
Service Pastor - SUSAN TANG

ST:14 home-grown works in S'pore film fest (Feb 22)

Feb 22, 2008
14 home-grown works in S'pore film fest
Two films with gay content, Women Who Love Women and Lucky7, could
prove controversial
By Douglas Tseng
THIS year's Singapore International Festival showcases 14 movies made
by home-grown talents including two works with gay content which could
prove to be controversial.

Women Who Love Women: Conversations In Singapore is touted as one of
the few documentaries ever made about lesbians here. In it, three
Singapore lesbians talk candidly about their lives and loves.

Lucky7 is an experimental film with seven directors at the helm. One
director does a 10- to 12-minute segment of the film and this is
continued by the next director who knows only what has happened in the
last minute of the previous segment.

The movie's central character is played by by Sunny Pang. It has
homosexual content and has been rated R21 for 'sexual content and
disturbing images'.

Festival director Philip Cheah said Women Who Love Women was submitted
to the censors on Jan 10 and is pending a rating.

He said: 'All the films are like our children, we want to see them all
through the process.''

The festival has a policy of showing films uncut. Last year, Kan
Lume's experimental film about a gay couple, Solos, was withdrawn from
the festival after the censors ordered three cuts.

Other films that were withdrawn after the censors wanted cuts included
Sam Loh's serial killer thriller Outsiders (2005) and Zai Kuning's
short film Even Dogs Have Choices (2005), a short film featuring local
singer X' Ho.

Women Who Love Women, directed by Lim Mayling, 28, an events manager,
was screened at the Hong Kong Lesbian & Gay Film Festival last
November. It has also been screened privately in Singapore.

The three lesbians are Amanda Lee, 24, an undergraduate at the
Australian National University in Canberra, Australia; Sabrina Renee
Chong, 40, a photographer; and Gea Swee Jean, 24, who works in
business and IT marketing.

When asked how the audience would react to the documentary, Lim said:
'We will leave it to the audience to have their own thoughts. It is
still a little surreal to have been selected for the festival. It
remains to be seen if the film will be screened or how it will be rated.''

Other Singapore works to look out for include Royston Tan's After The
Rain, a short film about a young lad's move from the countryside to
the city, and Tan Siok Siok's Boomtown Beijing, a documentary on the
impact of the upcoming Olympics Games on a group of Beijing residents.

Royston is one of Singapore's most well-known directors, whose last
film, 881, about getai singers, made about $3.5 million at the box
office. Siok Siok is a long-time television producer who has worked
with Discovery Channel and MediaCorp TV. Boomtown Beijing is her debut
film, which she made while lecturing at Beijing Film Academy.

Festival manager Yuni Hadi said of the Singapore film segment:
'Whatever pre-conception we have of what a 'Singapore film' is, should
be left at the door and be challenged, twisted, questioned and discussed.'

The festival's opening film on April 4 is Wayne Wang's The Princess Of
Nebraska, a story about a pregnant Chinese girl's life in the United
States. Wang, who made his name with The Joy Luck Club (1993) and Eat
A Bowl Of Tea (1989), will be here for the festival.

Other films to watch out for include Wang Quanan's Tuya's Marriage,
which won the prestigious Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival last
year. It tells the heartbreaking story of a Mongolian woman who tries
to find a suitor to take care of her and her disabled husband.

douglast@sph.com.sg

# Ticket sales at Sistic outlets start from March 5. For ticketing
details and programme information, visit www.filmfest.org.sg

# The Siff venues are Lido cineplex at Orchard Road, National Museum
of Singapore, The Substation, Goethe Institute, Republic Polytechnic
and Sinema@Old School.

Reuters: FACTBOX: Facts about Singapore, winner of Youth Olympics (Feb 21)

(Reuters) - The International Olympic Committee on Thursday awarded the first Youth Olympics for 2010 to Singapore.

Singapore beat the only other contender, Moscow, for the Games, which will have around 3,200 athletes, aged 14-18, competing in 26 sports.

Here are facts about Singapore: * The island state lies at the southern tip of the Malaysian peninsula, just one degree north of the equator, and has a surface area of just 700 square kilometers (270 square miles) -- about eight times the size of Manhattan. The total population is 4.6 million, including foreigners. Among Singaporeans, about 77 percent are ethnic Chinese, 14 percent Malay and 8 percent Indian.

* A former British colony, Singapore became a republic in 1965, when it separated from Malaysia after a two-year union. The People's Action Party has had a stranglehold on parliament and the opposition has never had more than a few seats. Singapore is one of the world's few city-states, like Monaco and Vatican City.

* Singapore is the wealthiest nation in Asia ex-Japan, with a 2006 Gross Domestic Product of about $29,000 per capita, on par with G-7 member Italy. About 85 percent of its citizens own their own government-built apartment. The city is known for cleanliness, tropical greenery, and a low crime rate.

* Singapore's economy is driven by electronics manufacturing, financial services, and oil refining. The republic has the world's busiest port in terms of shipping tonnage and the world's largest container trans-shipment centre. In a bid to fight competition from low-cost China, Singapore is trying to build up new industries such as biotech and tourism.

* Singapore is famous for its tight social controls and restrictions on the sale of chewing gum. Homosexuality is illegal (but tolerated) and pornography is banned. Demonstrations are illegal, while public speaking and gatherings of more than four people require a permit. Reporters Without Borders' 2007 press freedom index ranked Singapore 141st out of 169 countries, after Azerbajian and Sudan, reflecting restrictions on the media and arts.

* Singapore has stiff penalties for drug use and a mandatory death penalty for drug traffickers. Singapore also practices caning for a variety of offences.

* The city-state has been trying to soften its image in recent years, with government ministers saying they want to create a "vibrant" city with more "buzz". It allowed some bars to stay open for 24 hours, permitted bar-top dancing, and held its first sex exhibition. In a bid to woo tourists and boost its image, Singapore legalized casino gambling in 2005 and is building two multi-billion-dollar casinos.

(Reporting by Singapore Newsroom)

LUSH: Lesbians United for Self Help starting new group

Hi all,

Given the recent debate on the issue of homosexuality that has been taking place, some of us may have a better understanding of the issue, while some of us still remain conflicted. For women who are struggling to reconcile our faith and sexuality, Safehaven, a ministry for lgbt christians under the Free Community Church, is starting the Fourth run of LUSH in March 2008. We started LUSH I in 2006, and LUSH II and III were both completed in 2007. So for those who may have missed the previous runs, we invite those who want to find out more to join us in LUSH IV, and information is as follows:

LUSH: Lesbians United for Self Help

What: Support Group for Gay Christian Women
We are now opening up for more women interested to be part of our fourth run.

Why: Very often, we women are told by our churches and the people around us that being gay or lesbian is a sin, and that Christianity doesn't condone same-sex partnerships.
As a result, many of us struggle to reconcile our sexuality with our faith. There seems to be a contradiction between "What We Have Been Taught" vs "What Feels Right To Us", and it seems impossible to resolve.

Who: Facilitated by Cephas and Julia of FCC, LUSH is a platform for women who struggle with this conflict. The group will be based on the format of a support group, providing a safe space to exchange ideas, explore other points of view, and encourage each other along our shared journey. (To aid the effectiveness of such a format for sharing, the size of the group will be limited, and members will be admitted on a first-come-first-served basis.)

How: The format will be based on discussions and sharing on a range of issues from the topics: Loving Ourselves; Sexuality and what the Bible says; Our Relationships; and Our Community.

When: Once a week, running for approximately 6 months with breaks in between.

If you are interested or have any enquiries, please contact Cephas at < diver_cep@yahoo.com > or Julia at < julspt@gmail.com>. Please reply by 24th of Febuary 2008.

Women's Nite 23rd Feb 2008: Getting to know you... online

Is it possible to truly fall in love with someone whom you've chatted with
online but have not met in person? But wait, how do you know she's for real
and she's really a "she" for that matter?

Apart from getting that next date, what else can we use the Internet for?

Whether you're a Women's Nite regular or an online lurker, you're invited to
a face2face discussion about getting connected through the Net - in more
ways than one.

***
Women's Nite February 2008
Saturday 23rd Feb, 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 22nd Feb 2008 *** About Women's Nite Women's Nite provides a
safe, neutral and alcohol-free space for lesbians and bisexual women in
Singapore to discuss the issues relevant to their lives. The event, held on
the last Saturday of every month, was started in December 2003. Over a
potluck dinner, we hold discussions on wide ranging topics like self
acceptance, homophobia, relationships and identity. We also invite special
guests to field questions on legal rights and sexual health, and conduct art
and dance therapy nights. To check out the past months' events, or find out
more, please go to http://women_snite.livejournal.com To get email updates
on each month's event, please visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group
/women_snite/ to join our mailing list. As far as possible, we would like to
keep this space commercial free. To advertise events and projects, please
email us at women.snite@gmail.com

Oogachaga presents... A Shot of Love (Feb 16)

Hot off the press - Review of To Know Where I'm Coming From (Feb 10)

Feb 10, 2008
Hot off the press
By Stephanie Yap
TO KNOW WHERE I'M COMING FROM
By Johann S. Lee
Cannon International/Paperback/
280 pages/ $21.40/(with GST)/
Times The Bookshop/***

FIRST, let's make it clear where this review is coming from. This
novel is not a work of great literature, at least not in the lyrical
sense.

Diary-like in its artless, earnest tone, a typical sentence goes like
this: 'The memories which washed over me came not in a gentle cascade
but in a drowning torrent, not so much in a montage of images as deep
stirrings in my consciousness.'

But as Lee has said numerous times in interviews, he has no illusions
of being praised for his prose style, but is more concerned with
writing a novel which speaks to people.

With that in mind, it's safe to say that he has succeeded. As his
cliched but generally likeable characters undergo soap opera-worthy
trials, readers will quickly find themselves invested in their lives
and rooting for them to find happiness, or at least hope.

Our hero is Ben, the son of a wealthy family who has lived in London
since his university days. Recovering from a bad break-up with his
partner of seven years, he heads back to Singapore in an attempt to
heal himself.

On touchdown, he catches up with his old friend Yusof, a renowned
playwright who has written a play based on Singapore's first gay
novel. In a rather self-deprecating moment, the writer has his
narrator comment: 'The author left the country immediately after the
book's publication. So he was a quitter, just like me.'

What he was quitting and whether things have changed since then is
revealed as the story shuttles between London and Singapore. The
development and breakdown of Ben's long-term relationship is
contrasted with his budding relationship with Peter, an actor in the play.

This is not a novel for those who appreciate subtlety. It has plenty
of overtly cinematic and symbolic bits, such as a climatic
conversation between Ben and a lover which takes place on National
Day, with fireworks and fighter jets whizzing overhead.

As the novel is a semi-autobiographical examination of the writer's
own experiences as a gay emigrant returning home, it unabashedly draws
on real life for major characters and events. Arts lovers will enjoy
the thinly veiled representations of local theatre personalities, from
an enfant terrible named Yusof to a flamboyant impresario named Ignatius.

It is also no-holds-barred in its critique of a perceived lack of
freedom of expression in Singapore, particularly with regard to gay
pride. Lee disapproves of heavy-handed censorship, citing examples
such as the bans slapped on events such as a picnic and a lecture.

Yet, amid such pointed criticism, the writer also presents the
perspective of a pragmatic older person, and how someone like that can
appreciate the Singaporean brand of freedom.

At one point in London, Ben hears on the news that a gay man has been
badly beaten up in what is obviously a hate crime: 'I said to Holly
the first thing that came to my mind: 'This would never happen in
Singapore.''

Indeed, one of the book's strongest points is its ability to capture
the conflict of being caught between worlds - a universal, yet at the
same time uniquely Singaporean, condition.

There is the despair of a lost love warring with the hope of loving
again. And there is the yearning to escape a suffocating environment
for the larger world, yet the inescapable desire to be drawn back into
the embrace of home.

If you like this, read: Peculiar Chris (1992) by Johann S. Lee, about
a young man coming out in Singapore. The book is out of print, but
some copies are available for loan at the National Library and at the
Pelangi Pride Centre at 21 Tanjong Pagar Road, 04-01.

PPC will be closed on Saturday, 9 February 2008

Dear all

Please take note that Pelangi Pride Centre will be closed on Saturday, 9 February 2008 because of Chinese New Year Holidays.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our Chinese friends a Happy Lunar New Year!

Take care
The Pelangi Pride Centre Team

Herstory @Gotham Penthouse (Feb 7)

Herstory @Gotham Penthouse
Usher in this Chinese New Year in style @Gotham Penthouse. Get lucky
with 2 of Herstory's beauty queen, the 888 sistas. WIN CA$$H in our
Chinese New Year TOTO Draw! Free Entry for the Cheongsam girls. Most
Babelious Cheongsam Girl gets 1 bottle of 42Below vodka! Gong Xi Fa Cai

Sign up for 1 Year of Herstory BLACK to receive:
Privilege online surfing @www.herstory.ws
Herstory Black Membership Card valid for 1 year
1 FREE Party Entry Pass
Roxy beach bag
LePride's Car Decal

Don't miss Herstory Grrls Only Party. Whether you want to sit and chat
or dance and cruise, you're guaranteed to find something you'll like at
Herstory Party. See ya..

Showtime
888 sistas showcase starts at 11pm

Party Theme
Herstory Chinese New Year cheongsam party. Wear your cheongsam and you
get complimentary entry to the party.

Programme Highlights
Chillout 9pm-10pm
Showtime 888 sistas showcase + TOTO Draw 11pm
Chart Topping Hip Hop and Sexy R&B Dance Music 11.30pm-2.30am
Pop Hits Dance Music till 3am

Drinks Promotion
One for One on all standard housepour 9pm-10pm

Admission
No Cover Charge
Applies to all members/non members
Herstory Members - $4
Non Herstory Members - $8
Entry for men - Subject to Approval at Door ($12)
POLICY : Mainly womyn with men as guests

LOCATION
CLARKE QUAY - 3A RIVER VALLEY ROAD #03-01, MERCHANTS COURT SINGAPORE
179020
Click here for map:
http://www.herstory.ws/style/images/1/events/gotham/map.jpg

MRT / BUS
Clarke Quay MRT

OPENING HOUR
9pm - 3am

ADVERTISMENT / ANNOUNCEMENT
Got a flat to rent? Looking for housemates? Searching for like minded
travel buddies? Or even looking for someone special? Herstory C.A.T.S is
your solution to lesbian classified. Sign up now. It's completely FREE!!
http://www.herstory.ws/cats/

Newly added merchants
Trinity Therapy is glad to introduce the following discounts to Herstory
Membership Card holders only.
10% off all Body Therapy Services
15% off all Face Therapy Services
20% off all Botanical Skincare Products
20% off all 100% Pure Essential Oil Products
For first-timers only, you will recieve a $20 worth of Goodie Bag.
Blk 2 Balestier Road, #01-693 (opp Thomson Medical Centre)
T. 6251 5398 (11am to 9pm) SMS. 9670 7074 (anytime)

Sign up for 1 year of Herstory Black to get Herstory Membership Card
worth $12.00 and valid for 1 year or purchase your Herstory Black
Membership Card during Herstory party at Gotham Penthouse on 7 Feb 2008.

Check out Herstory BLACK promotions now! http://www.herstory.ws/black/
Check out Herstory participating merchants.
http://www.herstory.ws/events/merchants.php

Send Us Your Comments
Tell us what you think & how we can improve Herstory by writing to
admin@herstory.ws

Tell Your Friends
If you like what Herstory has been doing. Please help to promote
Herstory by telling your friends at
http://www.herstory.ws/recommend.php

Contact Us
http://www.herstory.ws/about/contact.php

See you.

Cheers,
Cary
Herstory

AFP: Sydney bishops to boycott Anglican meet over gays (Feb 3)

SYDNEY: Bishops in Australia's largest city Sydney are pulling out of the Anglican Church's top global meeting this year in a dispute over gay bishops and same-sex marriages, a spokesman said Sunday.

The boycott is being spearheaded by Archbishop of Sydney Peter Jensen, who is a leading conservative voice in the acrimonious row over the ordination of openly gay Bishop Gene Robinson in the United States.

Announcing the move after an ordination service here, he said another five bishops would also not attend the Lambeth Conference, which runs from July 20 to August 3 in Canterbury, England.

"With regret, the archbishop and bishops of the Diocese of Sydney have decided not to attend the Lambeth Conference in July," he said in a statement.

"They remain fully committed to the Anglican Communion, to which they continue to belong, but sense that attending the conference at this time will not help heal its divisions."

The US Episcopal church in 2003 consecrated Robinson as a bishop, outraging conservative colleagues in the Anglican church around the world.

Conservative Anglicans, mainly from Asia and Africa, have been threatening for some time to boycott the conference over Robinson's appointment.

The Lambeth Conference is held every 10 years and is the highest meeting of the world Anglican communion, bringing together more than 800 bishops from all over the world.

Robinson himself has not been invited, but the US bishops who consecrated him have been asked to come.

A spokesman for Jensen confirmed to AFP on Sunday that the bishop would not attend.

"For quite a while, that is certainly what a lot of people in the Anglican world expected," the spokesman said.

A number of African bishops led by Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria are also expected to boycott the meeting. - AFP/ac