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.

SGAPORE GAY HISTORY: THE 2000S

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.

SGAPORE GAY HISTORY: 2000

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].

SGAPORE GAY HISTORY: THE 2010S

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. 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. 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.

LGBTQ: THE PODST TELLG SGAPORE'S HIDN GAY STORI

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].

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

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]. 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].