Awareness of gay issues in S'pore: A political perspective

last SG · 2005-08-01T21:17:38+00:00

Thread closed as requested by thread starter

earthlings73 SG

It was unfortunate that the earlier thread on gay issues had degenerated into a flame wars between the Christians and non-Christians, which detracts us from seeing the more fundamental issue we were discussing.

I had started this new thread, in hope that the discussion will revolve around gay issues in our country, without going into religion.

Whether you are pro-gay or anti-gay, please do not venture into the discussion on theology. Thank you for your co-operation.

earthlings73 SG

Comes August, when the Nation celebrates our own 40th anniversary, gays from different walks of lifes, co-incidentally organised closed-forums to discuss gay issues.

I do hope that these events will go smoothly as planned.

This year, there'll be no Nation Party in Singapore. Instead, there'll be IndigNation, a collection of events to celebrate Pride Month.

IndigNation is a gay community response to the unreasonable ban on parties for gays and lesbians and heavy censorship of publications serving this community. The events in the IndigNation calendar are contributed by various organisers to Singapore's Pride Month. It is a demonstration of the initiative and spirit of grass-roots civil society that the authorities say they want to encourage, but then go out of their way to suppress.

earthlings73 SG

Event 1

Cerita Budak-Budak (Children's stories)
by Martin Loh

Martin Loh, openly gay artist known for his male erotic and Peranakan paintings, enters the genre of book illustrations for the first time. Martin's work - colourful, naive fantasies - was used to illustrate the book Malaysian Children's Favourite Stories, and will be exhibited as a part of IndigNation.

earthlings73 SG

Event 2

Same-Sex Love In Classical Chinese Literature (Mandarin)
by Dr Tan Chong Kee
Dr Tan Chong Kee, who has conducted extensive research into Chinese civilization, challenges the notion that same-sex love is contrary to Asian culture. He traces and explores various ancient classical Chinese texts on same-sex love to demonstrate that same-sex love has been an integral part and parcel of Asian life.

earthlings73 SG

Event 3

Contra/Diction A Night With Gay Poets

It is time we recognized that gay people make significant contributions to life and society in Singapore. Much of our arts scene would come to a standstill if not for these gay men and women. And yet many of our most talented performers have had to remain closeted or ambiguous for fear of having their livelihoods threatened.

But things are changing. Come for a night of poetry where some of our openly gay and upcoming poets read you the beautiful words they have penned birthed from within the ecstatic, the agonies and even the mundanities of their lives and discuss with you how their sexual orientation impacts their works as poets. Wine and snacks will be served.

earthlings73 SG

Event 4

Art exhibition: Solitary Desire
Ong Jenn Long and Steve Chua
Solitary Desire is a 2-artist exhibition, featuring works by Ong Jenn Long and Steve Chua, both young, emerging talents.

Ong's works gives a sense of mystery, evoking the audiences imagination through the clever execution of light and shadows. The seductive visual style of his works tempts the audience to examine the subject closer and leaves it entirely to their interpretation.

Chua's graphic design background is significant in his works as they reflect modern day consumerism and the effect of commercials. His intention is, in Chua's words, to "focus and deal with the notion of desire / image / identity", and the effect of consumerism upon the self.

iveco SG

Hmm, why is it that so many artists are gay/lesbian and vice versa? I find it quite intriguing. Rolling Eyes

earthlings73 SG

Event 5

Where Queens Ruled!
A History of Gay Venues in Singapore
By Russell Heng

Today we head to the internet and a cluster of clubs, saunas and Maxwell Market to be with one another. But where did gay men and lesbians go before? What was gay life like 40 years ago? Where exactly did queens go to reign? Come and hear activist, academic and out gay man Russell Heng share his walk through gay history in Singapore.

earthlings73 SG

Event 6

A Safehaven Forum

Sex and the Christian Gay Person

In a world where there are so few models and much suppression of open discussion, it is pretty hard to figure out just how Christian gay and lesbian persons should live as sexual beings? Is only sex after marriage permissible? But we aren't allowed to marry! How do I re-connect with my body, which I have rejected all these years? I feel guilty each time I feel sexual. Is sexual experimentation acceptable? And then what about relationship models is monogamy the only option? What about recreational sex for the single gay person? If sex is not just for procreation, why not just recreate? Come and hear our panel of straight and gay persons (which include a retired bishop and a newly married gay man) share their views and answer your questions.

earthlings73 SG

Event 7

Exploring Paul, Homosexuality and the Romans
An Intensive Workshop on Biblical Interpretation

by Center for Reflexive Theology
The issue of what St. Paul taught about homosexuality has become one of the most divisive theological issues of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The Center for Reflexive Theology (CRT) is pleased to announce a series of lay workshops on methods of Biblical interpretation using Pauls statements on homosexuality in Romans. We will start with a textual analysis of Romans in August exploring what the text of Romans itself says. In following months, the CRT workshops will focus on an historical analysis of ideas and concepts that influenced St Paul, followed by a contemporary reading of Paul and ending the series with a summary of various approaches to Pauls view of homosexuality. The objective of the workshops is not to defend or speak against homosexuality but to explore how to approach an ancient text so that it can remain relevant to the 21st century. Come and be enriched.

Atobe SG

How do you intend to approach the 'GAY' issue from a 'Political Perspective' when the very core of the subject is about 'VALUES', 'MORALES' and about 'MORALITY' - all of which are social and religious issues ?

Is being 'GAY' a sickness of the mind itself, a birth defect, a medical condition ?

Is there any 'POLITICAL VALUES' in being 'GAY' ?

Will being 'Gay' impact the POLITICS of societies - other then causing disruption in the value systems between groups, classes, and communities ?

Is there any 'VALUES' - at all - in being 'GAY' ?

earthlings73 SG

Event 8

The Inaugural Quarterly Forum

40 Years of Independence: The National and The Personal
by Alex Au

Singapore was born from contention. Our short period in Malaysia 1963-1965 was marked by racial tensions and riots. Has this made our society oversensitive to contentious social issues and identity politics? Do we overreact to differences of opinion? Does our history warp our perception of cosmopolitanism that we only see ethnic cosmopolitanism and no other dimension, rendering us blind to the social forces of the future?

About the Quarterly Forum: This is not a forum about being gay. Its a forum about being Singaporean and what gay and lesbians have to say about nationhood in matters important to both straight and gay people, issues that burn our Singaporean hearts. It is about building a place we can call home.

earthlings73 SG

Event 9

Theatre production: Boys

'Boys' is a new Chinese-English bi-lingual theatre project by Richard Chua, after Lover's Words - a play about heterosexuals in a homosexual society. This is an extension of Richard Chua's belief that life should be led honestly and truthfully. In his quest to further meditate on love between people (in this case, between 3 boys of twenty-something), he has embarked on this project to push his collaborators to work in a space where they have nowhere to go, but to clean. Cleaning is an essential task that will bring these boys to the next phase of eternity. The story is about love. Love that seems to be defined differently by different people, with different perspectives, resulting in different outcomes. Each boy has a love story to tell. This original production is growing as rehearsals get underway. Picture notes will be made and archived on a website to chart each boy's journey before the season opens.

earthlings73 SG

Event 10

SixXX! - The Sixth Annual Adlus Bash

IndigNation closes with a party. Not Nation but IndigNation with Adlus SixXXX!

Adlus is Singapores lgbtq outdoors and sports group promises and Xciting Xtreme Xperience at their annual Adlus bash. Not hotbod beefed up body is needed for this party (though it would be nice) just come in your berms, let your hair down and have a great time amongst friends. Keep that night free! As the Adlus anniversary is a private by-invitation only event please write to Nick for an invitation.

pikamaster SG

Originally posted by earthlings73:
[b]A Safehaven Forum

Sex and the Christian Gay Person

In a world where there are so few models and much suppression of open discussion, it is pretty hard to figure out just how Christian gay and lesbian persons should live as sexual beings? Is only sex after marriage permissible? But we aren't allowed to marry! How do I re-connect with my body, which I have rejected all these years? I feel guilty each time I feel sexual. Is sexual experimentation acceptable? And then what about relationship models is monogamy the only option? What about recreational sex for the single gay person? If sex is not just for procreation, why not just recreate? Come and hear our panel of straight and gay persons (which include a retired bishop and a newly married gay man) share their views and answer your questions.

[/b]

earthlings,

I really wish to refrain from commenting on the issue of gay sex. However, I do have to say that Safehaven has got a few things definitely wrong. Even if the Bible has no definite words against homo-sex, it definitely speaks out against recreational sex and sex before marriage, and yes, definitely against polygamy, even for heterosexuals. Thus, unless Christian uniques (to use the more politcally correct term) are not meant to follow the instructions of the Bible, which strangely enough means rejecting Christianity as a religious belief, then I suggest that you ignore this entire forum.

FYI, recreational or casual sex is the alrgest spreader of AIDS in developed countries, including Singapore.

well-wishes,
the pikamaster

Atobe SG

Is this a thread for your declared intention to discuss the topic of 'Gay Issues - from a POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE ?

Or is this a cheap approach to advertise the 'news and events' in deference to your own leanings towards 'GAY ISSUES' ?

earthlings73 SG

Psychologists studying personality has demonstrated that human personalities can be described using the big-5 model: Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, (argh.. Cant remember the other 2)..

gays have constantly demostrated a higher level of Creativity, which is linked to Openness..

I have a gay friend doing his Phd who suggested that Cognitive Dissonance might be the core to this heightened level of Creativity..

earthlings73 SG

Gd afternoon pikamaster,

To be honest, I'm not very sure of their stand.. I guess they are just bringing up certain issues.. As far as I know, they also support Monogamy within the gay community.. Hence, they might conclude with a Monogamy stand.. This is especially when they invited straights to participate in this forum..

Personally, being a non-christian, I will not participate in that discussion myself.. But I find the quarterly foum rather interesting..

earthlings73 SG

My first thot of these events:

1) The gay community is a pretty diverse entity. There are many other groups ard searching for meanings in life through other means. But here, we see a wide range of activities catering to the Arts, Religions and even Sports.

2) I fear a backlash in a certain way. Is this the best way to show our Indignant? At the end of the day, who cares about the Nation party when we can't even have sex without being criminalised? But then, application for PLU had been rejected for no less than 3 times, maybe this is the only way moving forth. To reach other gays, to educate other gays about issues related to us. And hopefully, to help spread to message of Monogamy..

3) Yah, where's AFA? Laughing

oxford mushroom SG

Originally posted by Atobe:

[b]Is this a thread for your declared intention to discuss the topic of 'Gay Issues - from a POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE ?

Or is this a cheap approach to advertise the 'news and events' in deference to your own leanings towards 'GAY ISSUES' ? [/b]

Just reported all the above events to the authorities...they are monitoring