Fridae.com: Singapore gay advocacy group launches academic prize (Aug 4)

Singapore gay advocacy group launches academic prize
Sylvia Tan

People Like Us, a gay and lesbian group, are inviting submissions for The Rascals Prize, the first ever award for research work related to the subject of LGBT and Singapore.

People Like Us (PLU), a gay and lesbian group focussed on advocacy and public education, has launched a biennial award worth S$2,000 (US$1,500) for the best research work related to the subject of LGBT and Singapore. The initiative was launched at the opening of Indignation, Singapore's LGBT pride season on Friday night (photo above).

In announcing The Rascals Prize, Russell Heng, one of the founders of PLU, told an audience of about 100 people that the unconventional name was deliberately chosen to commemorate a seminal event 15 years ago where police raided Rascals, a gay-on-Sunday disco.

On the night of May 30, 1993, all the patrons were made to line up and those without identification were hauled off to the police station for the night. The event spurred a group of 22 people led by lawyer Wilfred Ong to petition against the "high-handed police behaviour," according to the PLU web site. The group received an apologetic official reply and the incident is said to have marked the last documented incidence of police harassment of gays.

"The indignation over the raid on Rascals galvanised them into action and thus People Like Us was born," PLU said in a statement sent to Fridae.

Aside from the reference to the incident, Dr Heng told the audience that the name serves to remind that society benefits from having some "rascals" who shake things up from time to time.

"As a society often incapacitated by a need to observe rules, the rascals who dare to ignore, bend or break rules get things done. Activists pushing maverick causes; bloggers who go where media dare not; street protesters who remind us of the right of free association; it's time we learn to celebrate these rascals more," he said.

Explaining the aim of the prize, PLU said, "We believe that the more knowledge a society possesses about sexual orientation, and the social responses to this aspect of our humanity, the faster we will rid ourselves of misunderstanding, stereotype and ignorant prejudice."

The prize is funded by the monies raised at the Wilde movie fundraiser organised by Fridae on May 13, 2008. A cheque for S$10,000 was presented by Fridae to PLU on Friday night.

Citing the group's difficulties in roping in academics or other external help in its early years, Dr Heng told the audience that the four academics he approached agreed without hesitation and sees their response as an indication that society in general has become more understanding of the LGBT cause today.

The jury tasked to select a winner based purely on research and academic merit – whether the work helps or hinders gay activism shall not be a consideration – comprises Professor Michael Hor Yew Meng, (National University of Singapore) NUS Law Faculty, also Chief Editor of the Singapore Journal of Legal Studies; Associate Professor Quah Sy Ren, Acting Head of the Chinese Division, School of Humanities and Social Science, Nanyang Technological University (NTU); Dr Sharon Siddiqui is a partner in a regional research consulting company based in Singapore and former Deputy Director of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies where her research interest covers issues of culture, race and religion; and Dr Kenneth Paul Tan is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, NUS.

The first prize will be awarded in the middle of 2009. Submissions (recent independent research work; or research work submitted to a university, polytechnic college or academic journal) are invited for the first award, with closing date 31 January 2009. For details, visit http://www.plu.sg/society/?p=121.

Indignation Calendar of Events 2008

CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2008:

Welcome reception
Friday, 1 August 2008, 7 pm, at 72-13

Ancestors on the beach - an art exhibition by Jimmy Ong
Friday 1 August 2008 to Wednesday 20 August 2008. Time: 6-10pm
(Tue-Fri), 12-10pm (Sat+Sun), closed on Mon and public holidays, at
Post Museum

From fag to friend, a forum by the Queer-straight alliance
Saturday, 2 August 2008, 3:00 pm, at 72-13

From classoom to comics, by Otto Fong
Saturday, 2 August 2008, 7:30 pm, at 72-13

Adlus night hike
Saturday, 2 August 2008, 11:30 pm to dawn, start location to be
advised. REGISTER

Cruising through history
Sunday, 3 August 2008, 3 pm, at the Post Museum

Silence and aching hearts
Private event. REGISTER
Tuesday, 5 August 2008, 7:30 pm, at 72-13

Tong bu tong 2 - Another tribe
Rated M18
Wednesday, 6 August 2008, 7:30 pm, at 72-13

ContraDiction IV
Rated M18
Thursday, 7 August 2008, 7:30 pm, at 72-13

The Unofficial Pink Picnic
Saturday, 9 August 2008, 4:30 pm, Botanic Gardens Symphony Lake

Brain surgery - what's inside the heads of homophobes?
Tuesday, 12 August 2008, 7:30, at 72-13

Too often ignored: The science of sexual orientation
Wednesday, 13 August 2008, 7:30 pm, at 72-13

My wife, my kids…
Friday, 15 August, 7:30 pm, at Post Museum

Heartbreak heroes: Four Malaysians on surviving love, loss and a
hostel in Singapore
Private event. REGISTER
Saturday, 16 August 2008, 3 pm, at 72-13

TheBearProject Charity Art Show
Saturday, 16 August 2008, 7 pm, at Play

Queer women within feminist Singapore
Saturday, 16 August 2008, 7:30 pm, at 72-13

Is HIV becoming an Asian disease?
Tuesday, 19 August 2008, 7:30 pm, at Post Museum

Fridae.com: "Wilde" Fundraising Gala Premiere in support of Indignation (May 13)

Fridae.com, in support of Indignation 2008, is organising the
Singapore premiere of the film "Wilde" on May 13, 2008 at Lido
Cineplex.

As most of you may already know (and have attended the events since
2005), Indignation is Singapore's annual gay pride season will be held
in August this year and comprise talks, art exhibitions, readings of
plays and poetry, and some other social events.

Banned a decade ago in Singapore, the movie "Wilde" (1997) depicts the
rise and fall of the widely known gay Irish-born playwright, Oscar
Wilde. Wilde (played by Stephen Fry) is known for his plays including
Lady Windermere's Fan and The Importance of Being Earnest, are now
classics. Then-newcomer Jude Law plays his lover Lord Alfred Douglas
who wrote the poem, Two Loves, from where the phrase "the love that
dare not speak its name" originated.

Even as Wilde enjoyed his celebrity status, he was madly in love with
a succession of young men, at a time when the law against "gross
indecency" had only recently been passed by Parliament. This law was
the precursor of Singapore's infamous Section 377A. When Wilde was
convicted (and jailed for 2 years) under this law in 1895, it was a
huge scandal and his conviction made him a martyr to the hypocrisy and
persecution represented by such a law.

Why you should support the screening?
Fridae is donating its services in organising this event. Net proceeds
will benefit Indignation where the majority of its events are open to
the public and are traditionally free of charge, in order to be
accessible to everyone.

Fridae, Shaw and Crocodile co-present
The Wilde Indignation Fundraising Gala Premiere (R21)
Date: May 13, Tuesday
Time: 9pm (Reception from 8pm for VIP ticket holders)
Venue: Lido 2, Shaw House, 350 Orchard Road

Tickets are priced at S$20 and S$50 (which includes a reception) are
available on www.fridae.com/wilde. Donations will be accepted online
and at the door.

For info:
wilde fundraiser on may 13 to benefit singapore gay pride festival
http://www.fridae.com/newsfeatures/article.php?articleid=2217&viewarticle=1

oscar wilde - the most celebrated victim of an anti-gay law
http://www.fridae.com/newsfeatures/article.php?articleid=2218&viewarticle=1

365Gay.com: Singapore Bans Gay Events in Public Parks (Aug 8)

Singapore Bans Gay Events In Public Parks
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

Posted: August 8, 2007 - 11:00 am ET

(Singapore) The crackdown on LGBT pride in Singapore continued Wednesday with a government ban on gay events held in public parks. Police Wednesday told pride organizers they were lifting a permit to hold a picnic and fun run at a park saying politics were not welcome in green spaces.

"It was never meant to be political, and this testifies to the paranoia of the government," Alex Au, an organizer, told the Associated Press.

"They automatically assume that anything gay is a political challenge to them. It speaks volumes about the political climate in Singapore."

The picnic and 5K run were to have been held Thursday in the Botanic Gardens in central Singapore, as part of a weeklong gay pride festival.

The picnic ban is the latest in a series of pride events cancelled by the government.

Censors refused to allow an LGBT book reading event. 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. (story)

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. (story)

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

The exhibition, entitled "Kissing," was a selection of 80 posed shots of same-sex kissing between fully clothed models.

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

There have been growing calls in the tightly controlled nation for modernization of sex laws. The most recent came in April from Lee Kuan Yew, the man regarded as the father of modern Singapore.

Lee, who served as Prime Minister from 1959 to 1990 and is the father of current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong remains a powerful force in the cabinet of the city state.

Lee said he plans to introduce a bill in Parliament to remove the ban on gay sex.

Last year Singapore announced plans to decriminalize oral and anal sex for adult heterosexuals but sex between homosexuals would remain banned.

©365Gay.com 2007

AFP: Singapore bans gay story reading during pride event (Aug 3)

Singapore bans gay story reading during pride event
Fri Aug 3, 9:37 AM ET

Singapore authorities have banned a story reading during the city-state's gay pride festival, saying the text showed disrespect to public officials.

The ban comes after the Media Development Authority (MDA) said it would also not allow a photo exhibition of gay kissing during the two-week pride event, which began Wednesday.

In a statement late Thursday, the MDA said it received a licence application for an event called "Tall Tales and Short Stories," which included a text by author Ng Yi-Sheng.

MDA approved the event on the condition that Ng's text was not read.

"Ng's text was disallowed as it had gone beyond good taste and decency in taking a disparaging and disrespectful view of public officers," said Amy Tsang, MDA's deputy director for arts and licensing.

Ng confirmed he has been denied a licence to read the work, which was about a young man's fictional sexual adventures with older men including military officers and government officials.
"I was expecting it, to a certain extent," said Ng, whose text made reference to an imaginary politician named "Lee Low Tar."

Alex Au, an organiser of the Indignation festival, called MDA's decision self-serving.

"Public officials should likewise be equally subject to scrutiny and the text has many layers, and to only read the superficial layer accusing it of vulgarity clearly shows no understanding of the work," Au told AFP.

Au's photo exhibition "Kissing" has also been banned by MDA.

"The proposed exhibition which focuses mainly on homosexual kissing is deemed to promote a homosexual lifestyle, and cannot be allowed," Tsang said.

Despite being one of Asia's most advanced societies, homosexual acts are still outlawed in Singapore under law dating back to British colonial days.

The government said last year that oral and anal sex in private between consenting heterosexual adults would be legalised under Singapore's first major penal code amendments in 22 years.
However, the penal code section which criminalises "gross indecency" between two males will remain, the government said.

Despite the law, gay-friendly establishments like pubs and saunas are popular with both locals and foreigners.

AP: Singapore Bans Gay Kissing Photos (Aug 1)

Singapore Bans Gay Kissing Photos

By GILLIAN WONG, Associated Press Writer

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

(08-01) 11:37 PDT SINGAPORE, (AP) --

Singapore's censors have banned an exhibition of photographs depicting gay men and women kissing, a gay rights activist said, calling the move "absurd."

The city-state's Media Development Authority denied organizers a license because the photographs "promote a homosexual lifestyle," Alex Au, founder of a Singapore gay rights group, People Like Us, told The Associated Press Wednesday.

The exhibition, entitled "Kissing," is a selection of 80 posed shots of same-sex kissing between fully clothed models, said Au, who shot the photographs.

"Kissing" was canceled after organizers received a letter from the Media Development Authority on Monday saying it was rejecting their application for a license to hold the exhibition, Au said. The media regulator confirmed in an e-mail that it rejected Au's application for a license to hold the exhibition.

"Presently, homosexual content is allowed in the appropriate context but it should not be of a promotional or exploitative nature," Amy Tsang, deputy director of media content, said in the statement. "The proposed exhibition ... which focuses mainly on homosexual kissing is deemed to promote a homosexual lifestyle, and cannot be allowed."

Tsang said, however, that authorities have previously allowed "brief same-sex kissing" in stage plays and adult-rated films.

The exhibition was part of "Indignation," a two-week gay pride series of forums, film screenings, lectures and other events that was scheduled to start later Wednesday.

"It's absurd to think that gay people do not also kiss, and that representation of such a reality would be subversive," Au said. "There is a very stereotypical representation of gays and lesbians as deviants and I think it is important to correct the stereotype."

Au added that in place of the canceled exhibition, organizers have planned a talk to be accompanied by a slideshow of the photographs. Indoor gatherings do not require police permits.

Under Singapore law, gay sex is deemed "an act of gross indecency," punishable by a maximum of two years in jail. Authorities have banned gay festivals and censored gay films, saying homosexuality should not be advocated as a lifestyle choice. Despite the official ban on gay sex, there have been few prosecutions.

___

On the Net:

"Indignation," Singapore gay pride series:

www.plu.sg/indignation/

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/08/01/entertainment/e113618D41.DTL

Indignation 2007: Calendar of Events

Indignation (http://www.plu.sg/indignation/), Singapore’s GLBT pride season, comes around again. Brought to you by People Like Us and packed with exhibitions, talks, poetry, film, outdoor and social events, it’s a time to renew our confidence in ourselves.

The calendar of events is below, but, as always, subject to change. Do check back frequently for updates. Click on each item for more details.

All Indignation events are open to the public, and everyone, straight, gay or transgendered, is welcome. If there are any limitations, e.g. minimum age for entry as required by the licence from the authorities, they will be clearly stated in the blurb for the particular event.

Likewise, all events are free unless otherwise stated in a particular blurb.

Indignation events take place at various venues: 72-13, Free Community Church, PitchBlack Cafe, Action Theatre, etc. Each event blurb will state clearly.

Calendar of events

DATE & TIME	EVENT
Wed, 1 Aug 2007 7:30 pm	Opening reception All are welcome
1 - 15 Aug 2007	Idiosyncracies An art exhibition.
1 - 15 Aug 2007	Kissing A small photo exhibition
Thu, 2 Aug 2007 8 pm	Paper Dolls Film (Hebrew/English/Tagalog with English subtitles)
Fri, 3 Aug 2007 7:30 pm	Walking out from the shadow The success stories of 3 transsexuals
Sat, 4 Aug 2007 3 pm	Bifocal A forum
Sat, 4 Aug 2007 3 pm	My Brother Nikhil Film (Hindi with English subtitles)
Sat, 4 Aug 2007 7:30 pm	Does likeness matter? Queer-themed Chinese writing. A forum in Mandarin.
Sun, 5 Aug 2007 7:30 pm	Tall tales and short stories A talk by Ovidia Yu and Ng Yi-Sheng
Mon, 6 Aug 2007 7:30 pm	Relationship myths A talk by Anj Ho
Tue, 7 Aug 2007 7:30 pm	Sexual orientation in international law: the case of Asia A lecture by Prof Douglas Sanders
Wed, 8 Aug 2007 7:30 pm	MCC and the gay Christian witness in the 21st century church A talk by Rev Troy Perry
Wed, 8 Aug 2007 8 pm	The Laramie Project Film (English)
Thu, 9 Aug 2007 4:30 pm	In the pink A picnic
Thu, 9 Aug 2007 8 pm	Paper Dolls (repeat) Film (Hebrew/English/Tagalog with English subtitles)
Fri, 10 Aug 2007 7:30 pm	“Wei Ming is a Chao Ah Kua” Forum: Equality and sexuality in the Singapore school
Sat, 11 Aug 2007 Meet at 8:30 am	The pink run Morning 5km Walk/ Run around Botanic Gardens and Cluny Road Area.
Sat, 11 Aug 2007 11 am	Basketball 3-3 challenge Register with Adlus for limited slots.
Sat, 11 Aug 2007 2 pm	Adlus Singapore hunt A fun way to spend an afternoon
Sat, 11 Aug 2007 9:30 pm	Adlus 8th anniversary bash Join the Adlus boys and girls as they celebrate
Sat, 11 Aug 2007 3 pm	Hitting (on) Women A new play by Ovidia Yu
Sun, 12 Aug 2007 3 pm	Your relationships and you A forum cum workshop
Sun, 12 Aug 2007 7:30 pm	ContraDiction Poetry and more
Mon, 13 Aug 2007 7:30 pm	Contending with consent A talk - a legal case study from Hong Kong
Tue, 14 Aug 2007 8:00 pm	Voices Chinese songs for us

Ian McKellen speaks up against s.377A (Jul 28)

Ian McKellen, world-renowned actor both on stage and screen, has given the gay community of Singapore a video message, calling for the repeal of Section 377A of the Penal Code, which criminalises sexual contact between 2 men.

In the message, McKellen, recognised the world over for his role as Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, also expressed his support for Indignation, the GLBT pride season.

Transcript:

Hello, this is Ian McKellen. I’m speaking to you from Singapore where I’ve had the most wonderful time with the Royal Shakespeare Company working at the Esplanade Theatre for the Singapore Repertory Theatre. I knew very little about Singapore until I came here and I was immediately encaptured by the beauty of the place, the old buildings as well as the new, the old culture and the new, and the people, who were unfailingly friendly and helpful at every turn. And of course, being openly gay, I managed to meet a lot of gay people.

And then we come to the one thing I don’t like about Singapore, which is 377A. You know that law. It’s a British law, and why the hell you’ve not got rid of it, I’m not quite sure. Well, I am sure, because it’s taken us a long time in the United Kingdom and the rest of the world to deal with these old problems, these ancient attitudes which need to be removed if we’re going to be part of the 21st Century. So it’s very important that gay people, wherever they are, should identify themselves, stick up for themselves, represent themselves, modestly and positively, so the rest of the world knows that we’re here and we’re not going to go away. And we’re happy to be here.

And that’s why Indignation is so important. Have a wonderful time. I congratulate the organisers and I hope it’s a step, certainly in the right direction, but a positive step towards one day getting rid of 377A. And you know I’m on your side, and I send you all my love. Bye Bye.

Indignation 2007

Indignation 2007, Singapore's Pride Season will be held from 1 -15 August and will showcase the diversity of the GLBTQ communities. This is the third Indignation held in Singapore, with the first held in 2005. Go to http://www.plu.sg/society/?p=73 for more information on the programme (not yet up).