Avsnitt
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In this episode, the final one of this season of Semua Kita, Lip Sin tells us about the early Pink Dots. We also hear about the Bear Project, at the time one of the largest LGBTQ groups in Singapore. It reflected the new diversity in the queer community in which multiple different identities were encompassed by the LGBTQ umbrella. These groups were an essential contribution to the success of Pink Dot.He also tells us about the early anxieties he had about the authorities as one of the organizers of the event, what it was like working with the police, having to deal with safety concerns in the wake of the Orlando shooting and how the messaging of Pink Dot was also tweaked with time.Other subscription, listening and following options here: https://bit.ly/m/semuakita#lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore
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As Lip Sin tells us, the retention of Section 377A after the penal code review in 2006 was a setback to the LGBTQ community in Singapore, but it also set in motion conversations about how to respond, and an exploration of what other means were available to the community to actively seek its repeal.At the same time, Speakers' Corner in Hong Lim Park became available as a place for speeches and demonstrations, including a LGBTQ Pride-type event. Pink Dot emerged in this context. Lip Sin tells us about the influences and principles which literally shaped the idea of a pink dot.Other subscription, listening and following options here: https://bit.ly/m/semuakita
#lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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In this episode of Semua Kita we discuss the penal code review of 2006 which led to the removal of Section 377 but the retention of Section 377A which specifically targeted the gay community. The rising tide of hatred this unleashed, channelled through the advent of social media, transformed the web from a place of safety to one of harm for many LGBTQ Singaporeans.Yet, as Lip Sin tells us, this also galvanized the community in Singapore, leading to the submission of a Parliamentary petition and a debate which aimed to repeal this law the following year. Unfortunately, it was unsuccessful, but the conversation it precipitated was an important stepping stone for change.Other subscription, listening and following options here: https://bit.ly/m/semuakita#lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore
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In this episode of Semua Kita, Lip Sin talks to us about Fridae.com, the Nation Parties and their place in Singapore's queer history. He describes their impact on the LGBTQ community here, and how their banning led to the formation of IndigNation. The mid 2000s also saw a change in the political climate for these Singaporeans who were increasingly marginalized.Other subscription, listening and following options here: https://bit.ly/m/semuakita#lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore
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As an active member of most of Singapore's modern queer groups since the 90s, including being part of many of the groups and events we have heard mentioned in the course of these episodes, like ATLUS, Nation Party, Fridae.com, IndigNation, Pelangi Pride Centre, Oogachaga and more, Choo Lip Sin has had a front row seat in observing how the LGBTQ+ community has grown in the last three decades.In this episode we step back in time to hear about how on-line connections like bulletin boards and internet relay chat in the early days of the internet brought the community of largely English-speaking gay and bi- men together in the mid 90s. We hear about groups like Men After Work (MAW), HongLimPark.com, SGBoy and Blowing Wind. This coincided with the more open governing style of the then Prime Minister, Goh Chok Tong which led to the blossoming of spaces for self-expression from karaoke bars to saunas, and the flowering of queer theatre in Singapore in what seemed like a short-lived golden age for the LGBTQ scene here.He describes how that changed in the mid 2000s, and why Section 377A then became the focus for activism when it had not been that significant in the decade before.Other subscription, listening and following options here: https://bit.ly/m/semuakita#lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore
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In this episode of Semua Kita, we continue our conversation with Miak, this time to understand his personal journey of coming out. He tells us how he found a gay community which strengthened his affinity for LGBTQ activism, and how he was eventually drawn to Christianity which led to his current involvement with the Free Community Church, an LGBTQ-affirming church in Singapore.Other subscription, listening and following options here: https://bit.ly/m/semuakita#lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore
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One of the key events of IndigNation was the Pink Picnic, so named because LGBTQ people could gather in the Botanic Gardens on National Day. In this episode Miak tells us about what was, in many ways, a precursor to Pink Dot.As has been mentioned, IndigNation was organized in response to the banning of Nation, a circuit party which was held on Sentosa. Miak talks about gay and lesbian advocacy in that period as a time of pragmatic resistance, but it was also a time at which the government itself was becoming more pragmatic.As the community diversified and the interests of individual members of PLU diverged, many new groups and events sprang up which in turn led to the eventual closure of PLU. Miak explains how this happened.Other subscription, listening and following options here: https://bit.ly/m/semuakita#lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore
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Miak Siew is well known as the currrent executive pastor of the Free Community Church, but he has been involved with gay and lesbian advocacy in Singapore for over a quarter century. In that time he has been a member of groups we have already heard about, like People Like Us, and participated in many of the on-line spaces which have been mentioned, like SigNel, Sintercom and Blowing Wind. In this episode he gives us an overview of the gay liberation movement in Singapore from the late 90s.Miak was particularly instrumental in putting together IndigNation and describes the kinds of events which were held over this early Pride festival, focusing on how it navigated the vagaries of Singapore's decency laws at the time. He tells us about the first Pink Run and the anxiety he went through as its organizer.Other subscription, listening and following options here: https://bit.ly/m/semuakita#lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore
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In this episode of Semua Kita we delve into Eileena's personal story, including the process of self-realisation, coming out and then finding a role as both counsellor and activist. First, however, she tells us about how she realised that she was a lesbian.Eileena tells us how she got into counselling, specifically for the LGBTQ community in Singapore. She describes some of the situations her patients and their families encountered.Eileena speaks about her role in People Like Us, what she learned about whether the queer community was ready for change and how disagreements in how women's interests were represented eventually led to her stepping down from the group.Singapore sits at the crossroads of different cultures. How relevant are lessons learned elsewhere to local queer activists and, conversely, what can the authorities learn about how to respond to competing demands? How important is it for the queer community in Singapore to know our own history?Other subscription, listening and following options here: https://bit.ly/m/semuakita#lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore
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In this episode we talk to Eileena about her experience of LGBTQ activism, in particular how it has changed under different leadership, and with the increasing expectations of successive generations of Singaporeans.Before that, however, Eileena tells us more about Pelangi Pride Centre, the free queer library, how it was set up and how it still manages to operate with absolutely no budget, relying instead on the kindness of donors.Operating such services like Pelangi Pride Centre, and more generally any kind of LGBTQ activism, is often only possible with the approval of the prevailing government and its leadership. What is Eileena's experience of this?We heard about Eileena's occasional brushes with authority, how does she feel those conversations have changed in today's environment?Other subscription, listening and following options here: https://bit.ly/m/semuakita#lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore
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Please note: this episode mentions suicide.In previous episodes of Semua Kita, we heard about the importance of SigNeL, the Yahoo group which introduced many LGBTQ Singaporeans to each other for the first time in the 90s. But this on-line space catered mainly to gay men; what about lesbians? In this episode we talk to Eileena Lee who set up Red Queen, initially as a virtual bulletin board, and then as in-person events. The burgeoning community eventually led to the establishment of the women's counselling service Looking Glass and the Pelangi Pride Centre which continues to this day.RedQuEEn! tried to bring women with different perspectives at very different points in their journey of self-understanding together. Where were some of the friction points? Looking Glass was one of the first counselling groups for women in Singapore, which grew out of these early on-line spaces. How did it get started? In what areas were the users of Looking Glass looking for help?Pelangi Pride Centre, which we have heard about in previous episodes, had also started up initially as a queer library. It remains an important physical space for LGBTQ people to meet.RedQuEEn! today, continues in different forms on social networks while Pelangi Pride Centre is flourishing. What does Eileena see as the future of all of the groups she set up?Other subscription, listening and following options here: https://bit.ly/m/semuakita#lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore
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In this episode of Semua Kita, instead of discussing the past, Bryan reflects on his experience of queer activism in Singapore over the last few decades and the lessons he has learned. In the wake of the decriminalization of homosexuality, where does he think he can contribute going forward, particularly in terms of organizational growth?Sustainable organizations need to adapt and be reenergized in order to survive, but this can be hamstrung by the burnout of people who lead them. How has an organization like Oogachaga avoided this?The hierarchical nature of many Asian societies means that deference to a "leader" is common and that the responsibility for decision-making on behalf of a group is often passed to an individual. What other issues might limit the longevity of social activist groups?Other subscription, listening and following options here: https://bit.ly/m/semuakita#lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore
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In this episode of Semua Kita we talk to Bryan about his experiences in challenging Section 377A, the law which criminalized homosexuality in Singapore. He tells us about his early involvement, from drumming up signatures for a parliamentary petition to review the penal code, to the wildly successful fundraiser for the initial challenge to the law.Becoming one of the named litigants himself, however, was a huge leap. What led to this point and precipitated his step up to being a public face of the legal challenge and its multiple appeals? What were the costs, and was it worth it?Other subscription, listening and following options here: https://bit.ly/m/semuakita#lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore
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In this episode we hear how Bryan, increasingly becoming one of the public faces of Oogachaga, felt the need to be more visible in order to better represent the organization. We hear about the event, organized by Clarence Singham, which precipitated his coming out to the press. Bryan was also a regular in the army at the time, and he describes the experience he had revealing his sexuality there, knowing that his work and social lives were incompatible. He says, "People don't come from a bad place, they just come from a very clueless space."Other subscription, listening and following options here: https://bit.ly/m/semuakita#lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore
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As we heard in a previous episode, Bryan Choong was one of the plaintiffs in the constitutional challenge to Section 377A, the law which criminalized homosexuality in Singapore. In fact, he is probably better known for his role in the development of Oogachaga, the counselling service and one of Singapore's oldest registered queer organizations. In this episode of Semua Kita, we speak to him for an insider's view into the early days of Oogachaga: from its humble beginnings as an underground support group, meeting in participants' bedrooms, to its expansion into a telephone hotline and chatrooms, to where it is today.
Other subscription, listening and following options here: https://bit.ly/m/semuakita#lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore
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In this episode of Semua Kita we continue our conversation with Roy as he pivoted away from being on the committee of Pink Dot, to mounting a constitutional challenge to Section 377A. We explore why he felt that there was a good chance of success.Now that Section 377A has been repealed, what does Roy think about the future of queer freedoms in Singapore?Other subscription, listening and following options here: https://bit.ly/m/semuakita#lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore
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In this episode of Semua Kita we continue our conversation with Roy as he talks about how he went from being only peripherally involved with Singapore's growing queer community, to taking a central place as one of its most visible activists and a founder of Pink Dot, Singapore's annual LGBTQ event.Pink Dot was successful from the start, but faced ongoing criticism of complicity with governmental tokenism and its own lack of activism, particularly with its decision to downplay the protest aspect of the event and not mention Section 377A, the law which criminalized homosexuality in Singapore. Why did this change?Other subscription, listening and following options here: https://bit.ly/m/semuakita#lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore
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Many people know Roy as the recorder of Singapore's modern LGBTQ history, in this episode of Semua Kita he discusses what his motivations are, how he was influenced by activism taking place in other Asian countries and what helped keep his commitment to history going.But Roy was much more than an observer, he was also a participant in Singapore's gay social spaces. When law enforcement became more permissive in the late 90s, were there any changes to the mainstream and alternative places where people could meet?Encountering those like themselves allowed gay people to talk about their shared experiences and their increasing indignation at the unfair treatment they had in society. Other subscription, listening and following options here: https://bit.ly/m/semuakita#lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore
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In the last episode of Semua Kita, we heard how, in the early 80s, access to information about being gay in Singapore was limited. The Hite Report was important in introducing the idea of homosexuality to a curious audience. But her studies were based in the United States. How relevant was this to Roy, and of what significance was it?Hong Lim Park then became a place where Roy could explore these feelings further, as a place for both physical contact and forming human connection. It was where gay men could meet, but it was put in jeopardy when the police started raiding it and other spaces. HIV and AIDS and the ensuing entrapment operations transformed how gay men found safety there. Roy was overseas at the height of the raids, but he was always drawn back.Other subscription, listening and following options here: https://bit.ly/m/semuakita#lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore
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In this episode of Semua Kita we speak to Roy Tan, a towering figure who is intimately associated with Singaporean gay history, whether as its unofficial chronologist, a founder of Pink Dot, or a litigant in the legal challenges to the decriminalization of Section 377A.But what was it like being a teenager in Singapore in the 1970s when it felt like you were the only gay on the island? Roy tells us more.Other subscription, listening and following options here: https://bit.ly/m/semuakita#queer #LGBTQ #oralhistory #singapore
- Visa fler
