Why Sgapore's gay sex law change is a double-edged sword for LGBTQ activists | CNN

Contents:

• SGAPORE GAY HISTORY
• SGAPORE GAY HISTORY: THE 2000S
• SGAPORE GAY HISTORY: 2000
• SGAPORE GAY HISTORY: THE 2010S
• LGBTQ: THE PODST TELLG SGAPORE'S HIDN GAY STORI
• WHY SGAPORE’S GAY SEX LAW CHANGE IS A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD FOR LGBTQ ACTIVISTS

SGAPORE GAY HISTORY

Moreover, wh male gay sex havg been crimalised for almost a century unr Sectn 377A of the Penal Co, procreatn beg culturally seen as an important aspect of one's duty to society and wh nsirable peer prsure to adhere to genr norms, there is much shame associated wh beg gay or transgenr.

We n retropolate om the culture of ntemporary Malays that there was probably much tolerance towards men who dulged surrept homosexual activy, as evinced by the absence of any vol or physil vlence agast such people, outsi of the amework of the imported Islamic socpolil system.

Effemate men are risively lled "bapok" (spelt "bap" Standard Malay) or "pondan" (see ma article: Sgapore gay termology), but apart om beg teased and regard ceteris parib as havg a lower stat than their more mascule unterparts, there is no hatred directed agast them, as is so often the suatn the Wt. Constance Mary Turnbull, her work A History of Morn Sgapore 1819-2005, noted that when the Brish started to import large numbers of Che oli soon after the lony's foundg, Haane boys were nantly brought as homosexual prostut for the ntured labourers whose numbers were to rise threefold the last thirty years of the 19th century[10]. Wh the crimalisatn of homosexual acts, there mt have been stanc where flagrant nsensual gay sex between lols seedy nocturnal venu met wh supprsn by the police, but crimal prosecutns were rare bee the thori were more ncerned wh homosexual prostutn targetg European clients whose morals they did not want rpted.

SGAPORE GAY HISTORY: THE 2000S

It is thought that the first plac where homosexual men, pecially Che oli, uld chance upon each other were the public toilets and back alleys near the lony's enomic heart - the btlg Sgapore River, predomantly along the right bank (lookg downstream) of Boat Quay (see ma article: Public toilets Sgapore: gay aspects). Unbeknownst to all, save the ele few who posssed a knowledge of Japane culture eher through edn or travel, homosexual sex sudnly beme legimate as was never crimalised Japan except for seven years (1872 to 1880) durg the Meiji Rtoratn when Japan diligently emulated many norms of Wtern stutns her effort to "mornise".

Wh the prospery that pnt polici of promotg foreign multatnal vtment brought while other regnal untri were mired the efficienci of import substutn and socialist enomics, those homosexuals, pecially the English-ted who uld afford air travel, were exposed to the liberalism of the Wt and the nascent gay movements there. The majory of gays, however, uld not afford ternatnal air travel the early 70's and were rtricted to stereotypil portrayals of themselv as effemate or cross-drsg salac dividuals, fed by the heavily-censored media who were prevented om pictg any posive imag of homosexuals whatsoever.

SGAPORE GAY HISTORY: 2000

Towards the end of the , reliable rmatn dissemated through the grapeve ma the gay populace aware of the sexualy of certa televisn producers, lol sportg superstars, pop idols, sons and nephews of misters and members of parliament, and even Government bet misters themselv. Gays were perceived of as somewhat of a threat to Asian valu some quarters of the Establishment and plats ma by members the straight public agast rampant cisg, pl the arrival of HIV Sgapore which ially affected maly men-who-have-sex-wh-men (MSM), led to the implementatn of police entrapment. " It also placed homosexualy on par wh btialy and paedophilia as far as unsirable material to be censored was ncerned - "pictorial illtratns of sex acts such as group sex, sadomasochistic acts, paedophiliac (sic) act, homosexualy, btialy and sex volvg children should not be allowed"[66].

SGAPORE GAY HISTORY: THE 2010S

In the years to e, Fridae (spired by man Friday om Daniel Defoe's novel Robson Csoe) would go a long way towards achievg s goal of 'empowerg gay Asia' by beg 'Asia’s leadg media & events group; the bs muny’s primary ndu to the Asian gay muny; and a rpected voice our advocy for equaly and eedom of choice. The rults, which showed that a majory of Sgaporeans uld accept a gay member of the fay, agree that oral sex between adults private should not be prohibed, and feel that employers should not discrimate agast homosexuals, were published on People Like Us' webse () and reported on tail by Agence France Prse[23], the South Cha Morng Post[24] and PlaOut[25].

When asked by a stunt durg the annual Pre-Universy Semar, held on Tuday, 30 May 2000, which was themed "Realisg the Renaissance Spir Sgapore" whether the ernment should relax s ntrols and allow the gay fom, Mister of State, Lim Swee Say, replied, "I do not believe that a sgle group of people Sgapore has the right to publicise s liftyle and impose on others. In September 2003, the 22-member Censorship Review Commtee, ma up of private sector and ernment reprentativ who had been appoted April 2002 to do a once--a- censorship review, announced that the censorship thori would relax their ban on gay-themed movi, plays, broadsts and publitns[185].

LGBTQ: THE PODST TELLG SGAPORE'S HIDN GAY STORI

On Monday night, 5 January 2004, durg the qutn-and-answer ssn after a speech to the Harvard Club, the then Deputy Prime Mister Lee Hsien Loong dited that a ban on gay activist groups, along wh other tert groups, may soon be lifted as the ernment planned to ease curbs on polil and social eedoms[194]. The distributor, Ftive Films which proposed an "M18" ratg (for viewers 18 or over) urged the Films Appeals Commtee to allow the g-of-age movie which follows the life of a 17-year-old boy who heads to Taipei search of his dream lover, only to fall love wh a popular olr gay man who do not believe love.

In September 2004, Manaze, a lol perdil which had prevly featured "homosexual" ntent[229], announced that the magaze would move om beg a ee pick-up ze to one that would only be sent to subscribers or available to rd-rryg members at selected outlets to lim s accs to the general public[230]. In September 2004, was reported on SiGNeL that the Media Development Authory (MDA) objected to the e of "rnchy pictur" on the SgBoy web portal's subscriptn-based HotBods sectn, the e of explic sexual language s Personals sectn, and required s webmaster to bar such ads as well as to shut down certa sectns of s bullet board due to s overt gay ntent[232], [233].

In late Febary 2005, "Rich Rhapsody", a Taiwane feel-good movie set Sgapore which als wh a mother's ncern over the sexual orientatn of her third son, opened Sgapore as well as Taipei after the Sgapore Censorship Board liberated for more than a month over the film's gay theme before agreeg to lower the ratg om a nservative R21 to an M18[257].

WHY SGAPORE’S GAY SEX LAW CHANGE IS A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD FOR LGBTQ ACTIVISTS

In March 2005, a group of members head by Gary Chan om the gay Christian support group, Safehaven, announced that they would be anisg "affect05 - Savg Liv, Transformg Mdsets, " a chary ncert to be held at the Jubilee Hall on 3 April 2005 aimed at promotg the msage of affirmg life and practicg zero tolerance for unsafe sex amongst MSM while raisg funds for Actn for Aids (AfA). However, their applitn to hold the fundraisg ncert was been turned down on Friday, 18 March 2005 by the Media Development Authory (MDA) which said, "Based on the reports about the duo's performanc the Uned Stat and the duo's webse, the duo their mil performance and their own example of beg a uple, to celebrate and promote a gay liftyle, " referrg to performers, Jason and Mar who were a relatnship although they have never been advertised as such.