Didnt our current SM said this in Times Magazine?
Q: How much is it a marketing problem as much as because
the perception that Singapore isnt somehow, Singapore is still
controlled from the top-down will hamper certain types of
foreigners from coming here and setting up a business. And if the
reality is different, your message isnt getting out there to a
sufficient degree."
Mr Goh: "Youve got to be realistic. I think the reality is
different from the word "boring" alone. But there are certain areas
which foreigners would like to do which we would not allow at this
stage. Those are the areas where as a government we are prepared to
look into."
Q: "Like what?"
Mr Goh: "The question of gay rights is an example. We have told
them its an offence because its in the criminal code and the
Muslims too will be against gays. But the government is not going
to chase you all over the place but dont flaunt your gay
rights."
Q: "No gay parades."
Mr Goh: "No gay parades. So thats a movement whereas had we been
more strict we say no, youre committing an offence."
Q: "Youre excluding a certain proportion of foreign talent."
Mr Goh: "Correct, exactly and then we employ you."
Q: "Excuse me?"
Mr Goh: "We would employ you so long as you declare yourself, I
mean, in certain positions in government. In the past, if we know
youre gay, we would not employ you but we just changed this
quietly. We know you are. Well employ you."
Q: "So you have a dont ask, dont tell."
Mr Goh: "No, in certain sensitive positions, you have to tell so
that if you tell, you are open about this, you cannot be
blackmailed. You follow what I mean? If you are working in a
sensitive position and youre trying to hide your sexual
preferences and instinct, I mean, you are born that way and of
course, if youre discovered by somebody else, then he can
blackmail you. You have to openly declare and people know youre
gay. Then, you cant be blackmailed."
Q: "Is that a publicly announced policy? That must not go down too
well for some."
Mr Goh: "So let it evolve and in time to
come, the population will understand that some people are born that
way. We are born this way and they are born that way but they are
like you and me."
Q: "Why not just change the criminal code?"
Mr Goh: "Its more than just the criminal code. Its actually the
values of the people. The heartlanders are still conservative. You
can call it double-standard but sometimes its double-standard.
They are conservative and for the Muslims, its religion, its not
the law. Islam openly says the religion is against gay
practice."
Q: "So this is also part of the process of opening up."
Mr Goh: "Its part of the process. This is a practical government
and when you understand more about social trends, about people, of
course, we are practical and we allow those things. Of course, if
we're ignorant, we can be quite narrow in our point of
view."
I did not cross the border promoting that gay sex and community are
fun and everyone should become gays, did I? 
And using the criminal code to argue against gays is like putting
the cart in front of the ox. Isn't it because of the
misunderstanding towards gays that such a discrimination became
widely accepted and form part of the criminal code?
And remember that these laws were inherited from UK, a country that
has already move ahead to decriminise gays decades ago, allow civil
partnership recently. Do why are we still stucked at where we
are?
Remember Indignation? Publicity of Indignation was done almost
entirely through the internet. There are newspaper reports on the
event, post-event reports, etc... Did the police stop any of these
activities? The police has moved from a extreme right position to a
more neutral position these days.
I will post some of the local internet articles (major newspaper)
that are gay-friendly tonight to illustrate that the society, media
and police has started their move toward neutrality.
But I do accept that any statements to encourage gay activities,
such as saunas, pubs and parties should be kept somewhere else (and
hence, my reluctance to talk about such issues all
along).
