BBC News: Singapore relaxes HIV-spouse ruling

Singapore relaxes HIV-spouse ruling

Foreigners with HIV are "prohibited immigrants"
Singapore has relaxed a ruling under which foreign spouses with HIV, the virus that causes Aids, are expelled from the country.

Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong was quoted by the Sunday Times newspaper as saying that most of the 12 spouses already repatriated would be allowed to return.

The spouses, four of whom had children, were married to Singaporeans.

Appeals of other similar cases would also be considered sympathetically.

Goh said the law had to think of the family. "The law cannot just apply without thinking of the consequences to the family," Mr Goh told a family forum.

"It is not meant to throw out people who are already permanent residents or visitors on a tourist pass [that have] married somebody here or have been here for some time."

Since April last year, 12 foreign spouses have been repatriated, of whom 11 were women from Thailand, Indonesia, China and the Philippines.

'Prohibited immigrants'

On Saturday, the government defended laws introduced earlier this year that require foreigners wanting to live permanently or work in Singapore for over six months to undergo a test for HIV.

Singapore

Foreigners wanting to live in the country have to undergo an HIV test

"HIV screening of foreigners seeking immigration or work passes is a measure to safeguard public health," the home affairs ministry said in a statement.

Foreigners wanting to live permanently or work in Singapore for over six months have to undergo a medical examination which also includes a test for tuberculosis.

Singapore amended its Immigration Act in October 1998 to classify foreigners with HIV as "prohibited immigrants".

People falling in this category will not be allowed to stay and will be turned away should they attempt to re-enter the country.

The rate of HIV infection is low in the city-state, at less than 1%.

ST: Do gays have a place in Singapore?

Do gays have a place in Singapore?

by Irene Ng

Intro: A forum on gay issues was cancelled when the authorities rejected its application for a permit. But if "Everyone Matters" according to the Singapore 21 vision, don't gays matter too? Can community concerns and gay expression be reconciled?

Don't ask, don't tell--and don't promote

For a long time, this has been the unwritten code guiding how the homosexual community relates -- or should relate -- to the mainstream society in Singapore. People are not asked as a matter of course if they are homosexual. Homosexuals do not have to tell and, as long as they do not promote their lifestyle, they can enjoy their pockets of freedom. Underlying this code is the belief that the less said about homosexuals and their activities, the better the rest can live and let live, and the more homosexuals can go about their lives.

Mr Alex Au, 47, a gay man (author of the gay Web site Yawning Bread) had hoped to ask, tell and promote at a function tomorrow. He had planned to hold a forum at the Substation to ask where gay and lesbian Singaporeans stand in relation to the Singapore 21 vision. It would tell of perceived discriminations against the gay minority, and promote the idea that homosexuality and its activities should not be stigmatised, criminalised or censored.

No such luck. On Tuesday, the Public Entertainment Licensing Unit of the Home Affairs Ministry rejected his application for a permit to hold the forum. [2] In the clearest terms yet, the authorities said the forum would advance and legitimise the cause of homosexuals in Singapore. As the mainstream moral values of Singaporeans are conservative and homosexual acts are unlawful, it would be contrary to the public interest to allow the forum, the police said. So, for now at least, the status quo is protected. But can it be maintained?

Statue quo re-examined

Whether society likes it or not, there is now a thriving gay scene with gay bars and clubs. Nothing hush-hush about it, too. Impressive guide-lists are available on various websites, such as the Utopia Homo Page. Films with gay themes, such as the 'Wedding Banquet 'and 'The Birdcage', have been shown at cinemas. At the recent film festival, four such films were screened to full houses. Artistic experimentation has also become bolder. Some local plays have fleshed out gay-related dilemmas. Bookstores, which used to carry one or two gay-related books, now have four to five shelves dedicated to them.

In a typical view, Nominated MP Zulkifli Baharudin, a member of the policy-discussion group The Roundtable, notes that society is already very tolerant of homosexuals, despite its conservative tenor.

Says Tanjong Pagar GRC MP S. Vasoo, who heads the Government Parliamentary Committee on Community Development "As I see it, anyone in Singapore can have his private interests and everyone can do anything he wants in his life, so long as it does not violate the laws of our society." Therein lies the rub. Many homosexuals interviewed point out that rules and institutions still discriminate against them. They chafe at censorship rules which block out material "advocating" homosexuality. Popular TV episodes of Felicity and Ally McBeal with gay themes, for example, have been canned. The Singapore Broadcasting Authority Act prohibits material which "advocates homosexuality or lesbianism, or depicts incest, paedophilia, bestiality and necrophilia".

Song-writer and Lianhe Zaobao columnist Ng King Kang is aghast that homosexuality and lesbianism are lumped together with "incest, paedophilia, bestiality and necrophilia". "Is this being conservative or plain ignorant?" he asks rhetorically, wondering if this law could withstand scrutiny.

Another source of grievance is the mainstream media, which many homosexuals tend to view as an adversary. According to sociologist Leong Wai Teng, in his article on Singapore in a 1997 book, Sociolegal Control Of Homosexuality "The media treats gays as criminals, perverts and subjects for gossip and scandal."

He also referred to two government ministries "known to have employment policies tied to sexual orientation". "In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, self-acknowledged homosexuals are barred from appointments involving access to classified information, while "outed" homosexuals are dismissed or exiled to another ministry," he wrote. Homosexuals are "outed" when people force them out of the closet by making their sexual orientation known.

According to homosexuals interviewed, the status quo flies in the face of equality and the Singapore 21 dictum that "Everyone Matters". All they want, they assert, is nothing more than the rights enjoyed by other citizens. These include the right to form associations and to have sexual relations without the Penal Code calling it "carnal intercourse against the order of nature" or an act of "gross indecency". In a sense, the gay community has used these laws and guidelines as a kind of mirror, observing their reflection in the statutes criminalising their activities.

Nominated MP Claire Chiang says she has asked several gay activists what they want to do that they cannot already do discreetly. Why, a few years back, she was even invited to a gay "wedding" here. Their common response, she says, was that they crave social acceptance and affection. The homosexuals, being a fringe minority, lack the political clout to affect change. They do not enjoy widespread grassroots support, but have won a growing group of sympathisers from the ranks of the secular elite.

Then came the Internet

In recent years, a series of catalysing events have served as an ongoing impetus for the more vocal homosexuals to act on their unhappiness. One is the Government's rejection of their application to form a society called People Like Us (PLU) in 1997. Its stated mission: To promote awareness and understanding of the issues and problems concerning gay, lesbian and bisexual persons. Its application was rejected without official explanation in 1997, despite appeals right up to the Prime Minister.

Feeling even more alienated, gays have banded more closely together, where once their community was diffused and lacking in direction. The HIV scare has bonded them further.

Then came the Internet. It opened the floodgates of communication, spawning chat forums, e-mail lists and Web personals. A vibrant virtual gay community was born.

Furthermore, as Mr Ng documents in his 1999 book, 'The Rainbow Connection The Internet And The Singapore Gay Community', the wealth of information available online on gay-related issues has the effect of personal empowerment. According to Mr Au, websites reporting the strides made by gay movements elsewhere have also emboldened the gay community here to step out. So galvanised, gay activists here latched on to the Government's promise of opening up. After all, they recall, in an S21 forum early this year, Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said "There is no policy too sensitive to question, and no subject so taboo that you cannot even mention it."

Indeed, it was mentioned--and loudly--during a live CNN interview with Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew in 1998. A gay man phoned to ask if gay people have a place in Singapore "as we move into a more tolerant millennium". Mr Lee's reply, in a nutshell It is a question of what a society considers acceptable, and Singaporeans are still largely very conservative.

Different, Not Deviant

Public attitudes towards homosexuality are varied and uneven across different groups. They are tied up closely with community norms and religious values in this multi-racial and multi-religious society. Mr Murat Mohd Aris, manager of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore's Office of Mufti, tells Insight categorically that homosexuality is forbidden in Islam. "Islam views homosexual behaviour as a sinful act, which is a symptom of the decadence of society. It is a perverted means of satisfying natural urges. Homosexuality degrades a person and is a most unnatural way of life." He adds "Individuals with homosexual behaviour require psychological or medical treatment."

Then there is the Catholic stand, as expounded by Father Bernard Teo, Major-Superior of the Redemptorist Order in Singapore and Malaysia. "The Church makes a distinction between a person with a homosexual orientation and one who seeks homosexual activity," says the Novena Church priest, who has a PhD in moral theology and Christian ethics.

"The Catholic Church doesn't accept homosexual activities as a right because sexual activity has a special procreative meaning attached to it. But people with gay orientation are to be respected as persons in their own right." So, it is all right to have a homosexual orientation as long as the homosexuals are chaste.

On the other end is Venerable Shi Ming Yi, secretary-general of Singapore Buddhist Federation. Asked about the Buddhist stand on homosexuality, he appears stumped. "We have never discussed this. There is nothing on the matter under the five Buddhist precepts," he mumbles. Faced with such a mixed reception, gays have erected their own altars on the Internet, publicising groups such as Gay Christian Fellowship and Gay Buddhist Fellowship.

In secular society, however, sociologist Tan Ern Ser senses that social opinion on the gay issue has changed over the years, viewing gays as different rather than deviant. This intuitive view seems to be backed by a recent survey by Mr Au and his friends, who polled about 500 Singaporeans on the streets and via the Internet. Among other things, it found that of the 240 polled on the Internet, 74 per cent felt they would be able to accept a gay sibling, if not immediately then after a while. In contrast, of the 251 polled on the streets, including HDB neighbourhoods, 46 per cent said the same. This suggests that the Internet-savvy elite might be more open to the matter.

Among them is Ms Dana Lam, president of the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware), who asserts "As a heterosexual parent, I would not like my children to add to the unhappiness in our society by discriminating against difference." But she alone cannot teach them this, she intones. "They need to be supported by society in their learning." Chinese intellectual Lau Wai Har, a veteran educationist, does not think society is ready for this. "Homosexuality is not acceptable practice here."

In stronger terms, Mr Masagos Zulkifli, the president of the association of adult Islamic religious students, Perdaus, says Singapore should not be seen to promote social practices that are not acceptable by the religious groups here.

The two largest religious groups in Singapore -- the Taoism and Buddhism -- have no proscription against homosexuality. As far as I know, nor does Hinduism. Only the religions from the Middle East are obsessed with homosexuality, and even the Christian Churches are reexamining their positions. In any case, Singapore is a secular state, and large numbers of Singaporeans declare themselves "free thinkers", so why should the state take instruction
from a few religious theorists?

He adds "It is certainly a real issue that must be addressed, but not by way of officially recognising that to lead a homosexual life is acceptable." Perdaus does not think that homosexuality and lesbianism are consistent with the S21 vision, which aims to strengthen the family institution. "In fact, it destroys the traditional family unit. It also goes against the policy to encourage Singaporeans to have more children." So, while some community norms may evolve, one remains rock solid--The Family--as the basic building block, with the responsibility of carrying this unit into the next generation.

Against such a background, acceptance of a community of homosexual people seems difficult. Opponents are thus inclined to link gay people's defiance of conservative sexual morality with an "anything goes" lifestyle that undermines the structure of society.

To compound matters, an accusation often levelled against gays is that they can influence the impressionable young to try out homosexuality. Similar concerns prompted the authorities in Britain to ban in 1988 "the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship".

But one should not over-simplify or over-generalise.

Father Teo says that he knows many homosexuals who make great contributions to the church and community and lead respectable lives. "We need to respect them as persons and to educate people that these people have rights to their dignity," says the priest. The issue needs to be addressed "because a lot of people suffer when things are not clarified". But how to address it without being accused of "promoting" homosexuality? asks academic researcher Russell Heng. "There are some real hurdles -- psychological, emotional, social, economic -- which gay people must face in many areas of their personal life and they want to talk about these issues."

So too heterosexuals who have a gay relative but who are unsure of how to deal with it because of the taboo nature of the subject, he says. It seems then, that Nominated Member of Parliament Claire Chiang thought the authorities were wrong in denying the forum a permit.

Cautions Mr Zulkifli, "this is all very well, but if the matter is opened up for discussion, be prepared for some serious conflict and a hardening of conservative views." Science cannot yet produce unequivocal answers to many of the questions regarding homosexuality that vex politicians or stir the "moral" community.

One factor, however, has become clear. Anyone who expects to make sense of Singapore society must accept that gay activities have become a more visible part of the social landscape. No doubt, this will include the upcoming Speakers' Corner. There, speakers require no police permit, but only this: A Singaporean identity and the courage to face the crowd.

Inter Press Service: RIGHTS-SINGAPORE: Deportation of People with HIV Stirs Row

SINGAPORE, May 24 (IPS) - Singapore sees its deportation of nine foreign women with HIV this month as a self-protective step, but critics say the move only heightens the stigma against people living with the virus and violates their rights.

The nine, married to Singaporean nationals, were reported to have been deported as "prohibited immigrants" in a news report by the English-language newspaper 'Sunday Times' on May 14. A source said they were probably deported earlier on the same week.

The repatriation of HIV-positive foreigners is "necessary", said the health ministry's spokesperson, "to ensure that they will not pose a threat to the public health in Singapore".

Action for AIDS (AFA), a local non-government organisation, sent a letter of appeal to Singapore's President S R Nathan last week. "We hope the government will accept some flexibility in enforcing these regulations," said AFA president Dr Roy Chan.

Roger Ang, a volunteer coordinator of a support group for HIV patients and one of letter's three signatories, added: "I feel that it is not necessary (to repatriate them). I understand the government's views, but on a humanitarian side, these are people with families, with children."

He says the government should consider the situation from the viewpoint of people with HIV. It seems the government is taking a "cautious stand," he said. "Perhaps they think that their number is too small to make an issue of it."

Singapore's tough policies do not impress AIDS activists elsewhere, who say the city state's immigration rules are not a sound way to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS pandemic anyway.

Singapore's hard-line approach may help prevent the indiscriminate spread of HIV by foreign commercial sex workers, but the deported married women -- some have children -- are not likely to spread the disease, says John Ungpakorn, a senator and secretary to Access Foundation, a Thailand-based NGO that works with people with HIV/AIDS.

"The government would be building a false assurance. People would think that just because these HIV-positive foreigners are deported, Singapore is safe," he said in an interview.

Apart from the nine deportees, another 10 foreign women mostly from Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, are to be deported and separated from their families when their social-visit passes expire, news reports say. These passes allow stay in Singapore from two weeks to one year, often obtained by foreigners who wish to live with their families in the city state.

The families affected by the deportation were distraught when interviewed by the 'Sunday Times'. Daniel Wee works in the marine industry. His wife, Phay, a Thai national, is expecting their child in September. "I'm afraid they will be separated. She also won't be able to take care of the baby and the child will not have the chance to know the mother," he said.

Nan, a Thai national, seems resigned to her helplessness. She said: "We can't do anything but hope. Hope that the laws can be changed and we can live with our families."

Under amendments announced in February this year, all applicants for permanent residence or for immigration passes valid for more than six months must undergo compulsory HIV testing.

This is part of the country's attempt to "further strengthen the control of communicable diseases like HIV infection," said various government ministries in a joint statement released in February.

But critics of compulsory HIV-testing say the procedure violates human rights and compromises the confidentiality of medical information.

According to figures released by the Ministry of Health, more than 3,000 foreigners have tested positive for the HIV virus since 1985 in Singapore, compared to 1,200 Singaporeans in this country of 3.8 million people. Likewise, an amendment to the immigration law in 1998 made non- citizins with HIV or AIDS "prohibited immigrants".

People who work with those with HIV/AIDS say this month's deportation is a sign of a bigger problem -- Singapore's policies that give inadequate sympathy to people with HIV despite the need to approach it more as a human problem, and not an immigration problem or less vital one simply because it affects fewer people.

For instance, the lack of fair treatment fpr Singaporean HIV patients was discussed in a recent 'Asiaweek' article. It says all deceased people with HIV are double-bagged and incinerated within 24 hours.

Singapore's authorities claim that the HIV virus remains active for several days in the body of the deceased. As such, embalming is outlawed to minimise the risk of transmission, said a health ministry spokesman.

Without embalming, a body decomposes rapidly in Singapore's tropical heat, thus justifying the 24-hour cremation ruling, he added.

This rule however is "contrary to the norms of internationally accepted practices", argued AFA president Chan.

It typifies the "widespread stigmatisation and discrimination of PWAs (people living with HIV/AIDS)," he said in his message for the 10th Candlelight Memorial observance for deceased who had HIV/AIDS held on May 21.

Likewise, apart from standard health care subsidies that all Singaporeans are given, those with HIV do not receive additional subsidies for anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs, which the health ministry considers "non-standard".

When administered appropriately, ARVs can significantly reduce the amount of HIV virus in a patient, says Ungpakorn.

However, a Singapore health ministry spokesperson said the long- term effectiveness of ARVs is still unknown, and treatment is also "expensive". He added: "It is better to channel our subsidies to more cost-effective treatments for the benefit of the majority of our patients."

Patients who "require financial assistance can approach Action for AIDS or other charitable organisations for help," the spokesperson said.

AFA honorary secretary Brenton Wong was nonplussed about the government's stand. "We boast about our high foreign reserves and wonderful economic development, yet we can't take care of our own people."

He also believes that people with HIV here are discriminated against because there is no law that prevents companies from firing employees because they are HIV-positive. An employee of a local hotel was recently dismissed when his HIV status was discovered, he says.

Because the government does not subsidise "non-standard" forms of treatment, HIV patients need protection from unwarranted dismissal in order to afford the often-expensive treatment.

Wong also said that despite government efforts to reduce HIV transmission, rates of infection have not fallen in Singapore, though they remain far below harder-hit countries like Cambodia where one out of every 50 people between the ages of 15 and 49 have HIV. In 1998, 199 new cases of HIV/AIDS were reported in Singapore.

"The government tends to put a moral judgement on AIDS. They are loathe to deal with it realistically," Wong added.

In his message for this month's candelight ceremony, AFA's Chan said: "While we have been able to avoid an epidemic on the scale seen in some other neighboring countries, we cannot rest because people are still getting infected through ignorance, negligence and complacency." (END/IPS/ap-hd-he/kn/js/00) .

Rainbow Network: Singapore Survey Reveals Gay Support

A survey of nearly 500 adults in Singapore has shown that the majority would have no problem accepting a gay or lesbian member of the family.

Despite the government’s efforts to curb homosexuality in Singapore, some 46 per cent of those polled on the street and 74 per cent of internet respondents said they would accept a gay relative in the family - if not immediately, then after a while. They far outnumbered those who felt they would not be able to (only 26 per cent on the street and nine per cent from the internet).

Gay activist Alex Au, who helped organise the survey, said: "I am not surprised. In coming out, I have met nothing but friendliness and open-mindedness."

Another widely held view was that employers should not discriminate against homosexual employees.

Some 73 per cent of streetside respondents and 83 per cent of internet respondents agreed. It is not illegal to be gay in Singapore, but it remains illegal to conduct homosexual acts, either in private or public.

The government curbs displays of homosexual acts in the media. An episode of the American television series ‘Ally McBeal’ was recently banned because it showed lawyer Ally and co-worker Ling Woo kissing during an experimental date.

Gay activists conducted the survey as part of a recent push to gain greater recognition in society. They admit it was not 100 per cent scientific, but claim its results reflected public opinion.

Activists have applied for a licence to stage Singapore`s first ever homosexual forum this Sunday. They submitted their application on May 3, but have yet to receive a response.

The event would discuss the prospects for homosexuals under ‘Singapore 21’, a government campaign launched last year aimed at encouraging Singaporeans to participate more in society. Its slogan is ‘everyone counts’.

MOH: Update on the HIV/AIDS Situation in Singapore (Dec 99)

Update On The HIV/AIDS Situation In Singapore

01 Dec 1999

For the first nine months of this year, another 150 Singaporeans were found to be HIV infected. This brings the total number of HIV infected Singaporeans to 1,080 as at 30 September 1999. Among them, there were 468 asymptomatic carriers, 251 with full-blown AIDS and 361 have died.

Mode Of Transmission Of HIV Infection Among Singaporeans

Sexual transmission remained the main mode of transmission among Singaporeans accounting for 96% of all reported cases (1,040 out of 1,080 cases). The remaining HIV infected Singaporeans contracted the infection through intravenous drug use (21), the perinatal route (11), renal transplant overseas (5), and blood transfusion (3).

Heterosexual transmission was the most common mode of HIV transmission among Singaporeans since 1991, accounting for 72% of all reported HIV infected Singaporeans. Most of these cases contracted the infection through unprotected casual sex and sex with prostitutes in Singapore and overseas.

Profile of HIV infected Singaporeans

The majority (954 cases) of the HIV infected Singaporeans were males and 126 were females giving a male to female ratio of about 8 : 1. Two-thirds (65%) of the cases were between the ages of 20 - 39 years at the time of diagnosis. About 83% were Chinese, 7% were Malays, 6% were Indians and 4% Others.

60% of the reported cases were single. Among the males, 65% were single while among the females majority (70%) were married (Table 5). Since 1991, there has been an increase in the number of married persons among HIV infected Singaporeans from 14% in 1991 to 38% in 1998. For the first nine months of this year, 39% of the reported cases were married.

Ministry's Advice

The Ministry would like to emphasise that the only way to avoid AIDS is to remain faithful to one's spouse and to avoid casual sex and sex with prostitutes. A HIV infected person looks and feels normal during the early stage of the infection. It is therefore not possible to tell if a person is infected by looking at his/her appearance.

The Ministry would also like to remind those who are at risk of being infected with the HIV virus not to donate blood. They should see their doctors for HIV screening. All women who are pregnant are encouraged to be screened for HIV infection so that measures to prevent transmission from mother to infant could be taken early. The Ministry would like to assure that the identities of persons who come forward for testing and those who are found to be HIV positive will be kept strictly confidential.

Please visit http://www.gov.sg/moh/releases/update_aids.html to know more about the issue.

Newsintercom.org: Madeleine Lim: A Singaporean Lesbian Filmmaker

Madeleine Lim: A Singaporean Lesbian Filmmaker

Madeleine Lim is a Singaporean film maker now living in San Francisco. Her recent film, Sambal Belacan in San Francisco, just had its world premier in the San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival in June 1997 and generated a lot of interest. Sintercom talks to Madeleine about her family, about living in the US, about her film and about her lesbianism.

Tell us a little about yourself and your family.

My mother is born in China and adopted by Singaporean parents when she was six. My dad is from Malacca. He is Baba -- half Chinese, and the other half a mixture of Malay, Indian and Portuguese. My parents separated when I was nine and my mother then re-married. My step-father is half German and half Spanish. I lived with them until I was 23 and then I left Singapore. They now live in Kazakhstan and run a very successful travel agency there.

I studied in the Convent of Holy Infant Jesus for primary and secondary school. I then went to Catholic Junior College and finished my diploma in the College of Physical Education. I recently finished my BA in Cinema Productions in San Francisco State University.

Why did you leave for the US at 23?

While in Singapore, I had been talking with friends about living more "out," living my lesbianism as a normal and full part of my life instead of being limited to just maybe one bar and a small circle of friends. I wanted a lesbian community around me to organize within, to be an active part of. Since that was not possible in Singapore, I decided to explore other countries. I left just one month after graduating from the College of Physical Education.

I meant to stay in the US for only two and a half months but ended up staying two and a half years. I landed in New York and travel by land across the country, checking all things lesbian on the way. I checked out things like lesbian community, bars, restaurants, publications, cafes... I didn't go to all the states -- skipped the southern states because I didn't want to deal with their racism. I also explored California, moving from Los Angeles to Santa Cruz to San Francisco. I knew I wanted to come to San Francisco because I heard there is a large lesbian community there. This traveling took a whole year. Before my US trip, I have also checked out lesbian communities in other European cities like London, Paris, and various parts of Spain, Italy and Germany. I didn't want to stay there because of the language barrier and also because there were few Asians there.

When I got to San Francisco, I thought it was great. I wrote to my friends asking them to come. One year later, one came and several years later, another came. We sometimes get together to talk about Singapore and our homesickness.

Many people think of homosexuality as western moral degeneracy. Do you agree?

I think homosexuality in Asian culture goes back as far as European cultures if not further. Its whether we want to acknowledge it or not. It is well documented, for example, in Chinese and Indian culture. As far as having lesbians and gays in Singapore, I don't think it is something that we can blame on western decadence. People who say that it is a western import do so because they don't want to acknowledge their own ignorance or stereotyping of homosexuals. So, instead of dealing with their own attitude, they blame it on the west.

Have you experienced homophobia when you were in Singapore? Do you think Singaporeans are homophobic?

The most negative experience was when I was in secondary school, I almost got thrown out of school because one of the teachers in the school found out I was a lesbian and soon all the teachers knew. They said things like: "homosexuality is abnormal, you are a good student, you must not be a lesbian." I was basically not allowed to spend time with my girl friend at the time, by parent, teachers and councilors. It was that attitude that was very damaging to me. Struggling to keep my sanity through all of that, with no one to confide in and talk to, was the most traumatic part.

I finally told my mom I am a lesbian when I was nineteen. I did that because I wanted to share that part of my life with her. From that time on, I came out to my friends and lecturers at the College of Physical Education. I was very outspoken about lesbian issues. I ran an lesbian publication for two years and tried to build whatever community I could. For me, I think that people who thought my lesbianism was problematic just stayed away.

Homophobia is much more subtle and implied in Singapore whereas it is more extreme in the US. In Singapore, people will make comments like: "are you a boy or a girl?", and look at you if you're holding hands with another woman. In the US, there are domestic partnership laws and health benefits at work for your same-sex partner but you're also more likely to be beaten up with a baseball bat for being gay. I think Singaporeans are no more or less homophobic than people from other countries. I don't want to generalize, but the only thing that matters in Singapore is the limited access to lesbian and gay literature and support, and that does affects how people view homosexuality. If access to information is easier, they may be a little more understanding.

When did you first thought of making the film Sambal Belacan in San Francisco?

When one of my close friend came to the US, she added a sense of family to my daily life. Living in San Francisco, my lesbian sexuality was validated but not my Singapore identity. When she moved to San Francisco we constantly talked about what home meant to us and where that was. Since then, I have been toying with the idea of making a film that reflects our daily life. I didn't want to focus on just one person, me, but want to present different Singaporeans' experiences. I started writing the script in the fall of 95 and started production in February 96. I finished the film just in time for the film festival.

What are the themes of this film?

There are three main themes: The first is lesbian sexuality and our struggles with our families. Our families all know, but one refuses to face it, another is very accepting, and mine, well, my attitude is: this is who I am, they just have to deal.

The second theme is immigration, especially about immigrants of colour living in the US and the anti-immigrant climate prevalent now, how unwanted we are made to feel, and how despite this we try to build a community and home for ourselves.

The last theme is cultural identity, how we try to live and celebrate all that we are, being Singaporean and being lesbians, without internalizing the pressure to assimilate into the dominant American culture.

Feminism is also an important part of this film. There is this scene in the film where I shot two women's naked and entwined body from the foot slowly up to the head. While this is happening, the audience is seeing these female bodies as sex objects, but when the camera reaches their head, they look back at the audience as if they had been interrupted and intruded upon. This act of looking back at the audience make the audience aware that they themselves had been caught in the process of objectifying the bodies on the screen.

In this film, I try to expand the boundary of traditional documentary film making by making it more intimate, less like a formal interviewer-interviewee format, and by including scripted scene, poetry and news reel footage.

Film making is expensive. Where did you find the money to do it?

I started without any money. Then I applied for and received two academic scholarship. One from Markwoski-Leach scholarship for outstanding lesbian and gay students, the other from the Uncommon Legacy Foundation for outstanding lesbian students. They each gave me $1,000. I later received grants from the Frameline Film and Video Completion fund and the Asian American Arts Foundation. The Frameline fund is a prestigious national award and I was one of the five recipient this year. I also raised $4,000 from within the lesbian communities in San Francisco, KL, and Singapore and by doing garage sale and giving screening parties of my earlier film. The whole film costs $16,000 so I'm still hoping that more money will come in.

You mentioned an earlier film. What other films have you made?

Before Sambal Belacan, I completed Shades of Grey in January 96. It is a short seven-minute film about lesbian domestic violence. So far it has been shown in seven major film festival in five different countries.

I also completed a video documentary, Youth Organizing Power Through Art, in June 96. I was commissioned by the Berkeley-Oakland Support Services (BOSS - a non-profit organisation helping the homeless find housing and job) to make this video about a group of low-income homeless youths of colour who came together to create art and learn about helping each other and themselves.

After San Francisco, where else will you show this film?

Quite a few film festival organisers around the world have already requested a copy. They are the Vancouver International Film Festival, New York Experimental Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, Hawaii Lesbian and Gay Film Festival and a Hong Kong film festival. It is great to have so much positive response in such a short time.

I haven't talked to anyone yet about showing it in Singapore or Malaysia but I want to do so, especially to show it in the Singapore Short Film Festival.

Do you envision any problems showing this film in Singapore?

Yes. Because of the lesbian content and also because it critiques the Singaporean mentality on race, which is a sensitive topic. There are still a lot of negative connotations associated with lesbianism. I grew up in a convent school where we always heard rumours about some girl who hang out in the women's bathroom trying to kiss other girls who go there, and other such ignorant and negative images of what lesbianism is about. The film examines each of the three women on a personal level where you get to hear their stories and some of the struggles around coming out as a lesbian in Singapore, despite growing up in a very unsupportive environment. One of the women in the film is a Eurasian lesbian who got teased about her hair, lips and skin colour while growing up. Her father made her study Mandarin from primary one because he thought it would help her fit in. But in her experience, it did not matter whether she spoke Mandarin, she was judged immediately by the way she looked. However, I would love to have a public screening in Singapore. I think it would be the ultimate celebration for this film.

Have you thought of returning to live in Singapore?

Yes! I am eligible to apply for US citizenship but have not done so because I don't want to give up my Singapore citizenship. I'm just not prepared to do so. I still think of coming back although only my sister live in Singapore now with her French husband. My feelings for Singapore is always double edged: I was born and grew up there so I feel that I'm Singaporean; but my cultural heritage is very different from everyone else and people don't understand me, so I also feel like an outsider. I am biologically part Chinese, but heritage wise, I'm of mixed heritage. I don't call myself Eurasian because that has a different culture.

This has to do with having a German step-father since I was nine. We stopped visiting my mother's family because they disapproved of her divorcing and marrying an Ang Moh. Growing up, it was normal practice to have wine with our meal. I grew up practicing both European and Chinese customs. Chinese Singaporeans always assume I'm Chinese, but when they find out my upbringing is different from theirs, they think, "Oh, you're not one of us."

So you will make your next film in Singapore?

Oh yes, definitely! If I can get the money for the film, it will be shot in Singapore. I'm planning a colour feature length film next about a coming of age story of girls in a convent school.

Thanks for letting us do this interview and good luck. If anyone wants to talk to Madeleine or invest in her next film, you can contact her at:

US phone: (415) 752-0868
US address: 59 Cook St, San Francisco, CA 94118

Interviewed by Tan Chong Kee 14 July 1997
Copyright 1997 All rights reserved.