Pink Dot Event Discussion (2007 to Present Day) (compiled)

[Vometra]

Well, then they just have to be consistent in applying their laws isn't it?

Make sure they restrict all foreign participation and sponsorship of all domestic issues, economical and religious issues included.

Edited April 4, 2017 by Vometra

[Guest Bonfire]

“Our position is that we will make the decision. If we are wrong, we will take it on the chin and our people will know whether the decision is being exercised properly or improperly. And if we keep making decisions improperly, any government will face the consequences.”

 

Very well-said. In case of improper decision, panel of inquiry should be set up, and proper process of arbitration, be it in court or otherwise, shall take its course. Any decision the commissioner made can be subjected to scrutiny by the public or the court. Let's keep this in mind.

[Vometra]

We had several committees of inquiry remember, including one for the Little India riot and MRT disruptions in 2011 ... ahem

[heliumduck]

 

[Guest Duh]

From the sponsors, I realised many F&B bosses love support pinkdot.

[Cube3]

On 07/04/2017 at 11:03 PM, heliumduck said:

 

 

We should pay attention to who these sponsors are and where possible, give them a leg up! Support our supporters

[yoyo74]

51 minutes ago, Cube3 said:

 

We should pay attention to who these sponsors are and where possible, give them a leg up! Support our supporters

Yes support the supporters that help our LGBTQ community. Let us buy what they sell so that their business continue to boom and continue support our cause.

[doncoin]

Yes. Support businesses that support the community. 

[Guest Cache noe baw]

Not that i doewan sarpork dem. More den half the bizes, i donch eben noe wad dey sallying. 

[Guest Riz Row]

Why canch dey be biznezezzz rike fishball sellerz, hokkienmee stallz, chai taukway sellerz, even froot stallz, haiz! Riddat no too compricated for meee

[Guest pink]

The surprising support for Pink Dot

Mar 28, 2017 05.00PM | Bertha Henson

 

by Bertha Henson

I GAVE my students an assignment on Hong Lim Park’s Speakers’ Corner recently, and almost all of the 60 undergraduates referred to the restriction on foreign participation laid down last year.

This, they said, was bound to handicap the yearly Pink Dot movement given that most of its sponsors had been foreign Multinational corporations. These companies would now have to apply for a permit to take part or sponsor the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) movement. They can forget it given what Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam has said: “In general, if it relates to controversial social or political issues, which really are a matter for Singaporeans, then it is unlikely the foreigners will get a permit.”

Many referred to the G’s allergy to foreign involvement in domestic issues and agreed that it was right that non-Singaporeans should keep out of potentially contentious matters that should be for citizens to resolve. But several also saw this as a move to placate the anti-LGBT movement, prevent a different lifestyle from taking root here and keeping the traditional family unit as the basic building block of society.

None thought that local businesses would step up to the plate, even though they noted that unlike foreign companies, these Singapore-owned businesses do not need to apply for a permit.

Why? The usual ideas were thrown up. Chief among them: Local businesses would be too “frightened” to be associated with something the G doesn’t seem in favour of, even if they identified with the LGBT cause. A second one was that local businesses were conservative and did not want to be seen as endorsing an alternative lifestyle.

 

But a report in ST over the weekend has overturned the conventional wisdom. Some 50 companies have pledged support and there’s still four months to go before the event takes place. The organisers said that 70 per cent of the target had been met, and they haven’t even started raising funds officially.

One student wondered why local businesses were stepping in only now. Last year, of the 18 sponsors, only five were local. Perhaps, it was because the foreign companies had been in the forefront all along and there was no lack of funds? Some suggested that these sponsors were small, millennial-owned technology and media companies which would be more open-minded about lifestyle choices.

If the G had wished to squeeze the oxygen out of the Pink Dot balloon by the restriction, it has failed. Pink Dot doesn’t look like a foreign adventure anymore and the LGBT community would probably be heartened by local support. One student even thought that it could be a G attempt to gauge the level of local support for the LGBT cause.

It’s not clear if the companies have to make their sponsorship “public” or whether they can go un-named. Just think: 50 banners emblazoned with company name and logo, which is rather more than what a typical charity can muster in terms of support.

A student said that it’s a sign of people becoming more tolerant and accepting of different mores although it’s doubtful that the Wear White contingent would agree. They would point to the 2014 survey in which 78.2 per cent (see chart below) of respondents think that homosexuality is wrong. Now that’s a huge survey with more than 4,000 respondents, although it’s rather odd that while so many are against homosexuality, not as many think that same-sex marriage or a gay couple adopting a child is wrong too.

 

The Prime Minister himself put forth the G’s position in February in an interview with Stephen Sackur of BBC’s HARDTalk who asked about the possibility of repealing Section 377A which criminalised homosexual acts. Mr Lee Hsien Loong said he didn’t think a conservative Singapore would agree. It is also not the G’s role to lead society in changing social attitudes. He acknowledged that it was a vexed issue which still drew protests even in Western democracies.

What’s the chance that the pro-traditional family movement would react to Pink Dot this year? Given that there is no foreign bogeyman to flog, will we be looking at a culture war? Will it be a row with religious overtones?

Maybe, we shouldn’t be too worried about a potential clash of cultures, so long as it’s done peacefully with neither side presuming to impose its convictions on the other. The trouble with Singapore is that it has never had to grapple with competing, for want of a better word, ideologies – whether politically, socially or culturally. The emphasis is on conformity and moving together harmoniously in lock-step. We see a ripple as a potential tsunami and immediately build dams to prevent flooding.

We don’t see it as civil society in action.

I somehow think that the G should have heeded its own advice and not intervene in the organisation of Pink Dot. (Yes, yes, I know it’s about foreign influence, not Pink Dot per se). It should have let things evolve naturally rather than prompting people (or local companies) to make a stand.

Now, others will too.

 

http://themiddleground.sg/2017/03/28/surprising-support-pink-dot/

[Guest resonate]

 

Why some causes resonate

Carol Soon For The Straits Times

APR 8, 2017, 5:00 AM SGT

 

Amendments to the Public Order Act now bar foreigners from using assemblies and processions in Singapore to promote political causes. In announcing the change to the law in Parliament on Monday, Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam highlighted media reports of 50 Singapore companies funding the annual Pink Dot event as an example of how Singaporeans can support a cause without foreign funding.

 

Pink Dot, which began in 2009 to promote understanding and acceptance for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, had previously relied on support from multinational corporations. But last year, the Government said it would "take steps to make it clear that foreign entities should not fund, support or influence" events held at Speakers' Corner, like Pink Dot. This worried the organisers, but the 50 Singapore sponsors have surpassed last year's 18 sponsors, and they reportedly raised 70 per cent of the 2016 sponsorship amount even before official fund raising began.

 

Pink Dot has been controversial. Publicity for the event has largely taken place on social media and, in recent years, religious conservatives have come out to campaign against it online. For instance, a group of Muslims started a Wear White movement in 2014, which received support from segments of the Christian community. Mr Shanmugam had said on Monday that the matter is one for "Singaporeans, Singapore companies and Singapore entities to discuss without involvement of foreign culture wars".

 

Attendance at Pink Dot has increased from 2,500 people in 2009 to an estimated 28,000 by 2015, according to media reports. Clearly, the event has gained resonance with some members of Singapore society, even though as a whole, we are still conservative in our views on homosexuality. An Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) survey conducted in 2013 with more than 4,000 respondents found that more than seven in 10 felt that sexual relations between two adults of the same sex and gay marriage were always wrong or almost always wrong, though it would be interesting to take the pulse again four years on.

 

What, then, explains the support for Pink Dot? In a book on civil society that I co-edited with my IPS colleague Gillian Koh, I presented findings from my research on Internet-enabled Singapore campaigns from 2012 to 2014. They ran the gamut from those dealing with bread-and-butter issues (for example, "Say No to 6.9 Million People") and human rights issues (the Singapore Anti-Mandatory Death Penalty Campaign) to those that responded to specific incidents ("Sticker Lady Petition"). Why do some resonate with Singaporeans and gain traction in local and foreign media, while others fade into oblivion?

 

First, how messages are framed - or how specific dimensions of an issue or event are highlighted to the public - matters. Research in media studies, political science and sociology demonstrates how framing shapes people's assessment and opinion of an issue by focusing their attention on specific aspects of the issue.

 

The themes of equality and inclusiveness dominate Pink Dot's messaging, and the values of love, respect and friendship appeal to individuals with different social identities and from varying stages of life, said the writer. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

 

Various studies have shown that campaigns which enjoy greater success - usually measured by participation numbers - tend to have messages that their target audience can identify with. In communication and cultural studies, this connection is called "frame alignment", where the movement's goals and values are linked to those of its target audience.

 

• 2.5K

  Number of people who attended Pink Dot in 2009.

  28k

  Estimated number of people who attended Pink Dot in 201In the case of Pink Dot, the organisers have been consistent in drumming one key message over the years - that Pink Dot is for "everyone, straight and gay, who supports the belief that everyone deserves the freedom to love" and it "stands for an open, inclusive society within our Red Dot (Singapore)". The themes of equality and inclusiveness dominate the messaging, and the values of love, respect and friendship appeal to individuals with different social identities and from varying stages of life.

The message is reinforced by the messenger: The support expressed by those from different segments of Singapore society and by local companies also undermines the argument that Pink Dot merely promotes "Western values", which supposedly prioritise individual choices over societal and familial responsibilities.

 

Second, linked to the above, the ability to communicate an issue in a way that speaks to different audiences is key. This task is more challenging when the public is not homogeneous. It is important to understand the primal instincts and emotions that affect people's responses to an issue, and consider if the values advocated connect with those held by the public. In this sense, individuals and groups running public communications campaigns that seek to change attitudes and behaviours can take a leaf out of Pink Dot's book.

 

Beyond the communications insights that Pink Dot offers, it provides a stark and timely reminder of the precarity of social harmony in Singapore. To different people, Pink Dot means different things - supporting gay rights, demonstrating solidarity with the LGBT community, and upholding the values of non-discrimination that many Singaporeans identify with. This accounts for the diverse mix of people who turn up each year, from LGBT individuals to heterosexuals, from the young to the old, and from singles to the married with children in tow. At the same time, there are those with deep religious convictions or traditional family values who feel strongly that Pink Dot threatens Singapore's social fabric.

 

Views on Pink Dot are clearly polarised and any consensus is unlikely, given that some religions are categorically against homosexuality. But on a similar note, some religions also practise religious exclusivism - that their faith is the one true faith - and yet, they have found a way to co-exist in our multicultural society. Can Singapore's tradition of multiculturalism extend to these contentious issues?

 

Given the growing diversity of Singapore society, it is likely that all families are already a mixed bag of religious believers and non-believers. My family, for instance, has devout Buddhists, Catholics, Protestants, Taoists, Hindus and those who profess no faith. We may not agree all the time, but our differences are subsumed under our respect and acceptance of one another's beliefs and values.

 

A study conducted by my colleagues from IPS on protecting the public space in the face of growing cultural and religious pluralism in Singapore recommends the sharing of personal stories that emphasise common identities. This will help us extend our empathy to those beyond our family and friendship circles. Peaceful and respectful diversity is what makes Singapore uniquely Singapore. Let us not take the diversity for granted, let us hold on to it, and let us continue to build on the diversity.

---

• The writer is a senior research fellow from the arts, culture and media research cluster of the Institute of Policy Studies.

http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/why-some-causes-resonate

[Guest Netizens]

Bertha Henson is a Catholic and she did admit in the past that she is not in favour of LGBT people. 

 

I have never liked reading her politically correct "journal" through their website called - The Middleground.  As the name suggested, her view is neither here nor there, in their news, and she preferred to play on the safe side of reporting news which is basically nothing new. Her website simply summarized an event of the day, which every main stream news have already reported.  She was an ex editor of Straits Times and she hated netizens by calling them names of all sorts, like zombies, haters, blood thirsty people...etc.

 

One think to take note of, she was supposed to set up the website to be in critical opinions towards the govt policies but turned out to be PAP apologists at times or most of the time.  She was opened about hating Worker's Party to the core and have nothing good to say about them even if WP did all the right thing.

 

The above is my observation about BH and I have stopped patronising THE MIDDLE GROUND as the result of the above. 

[Vometra]

Mothership, Middleground, all sama sama lah. Gahment apologist pretending to be neutral, and in the case of Mothership, cringingly trying to be hip and youthful.

[Guest 海螺。]

Bertha henson kinda looks like a lesbian. You mean she don't like women that way? Oh cummon..... i don't believe it!!! 

[jerseyboys]

I am trying to revive interest in PD2017. Here are 3 articles from this month which talk about Pink Dot...Interesting how each article has a different perspective...

(1) http://popspoken.com/issues/2017/05/pink-dot-restrictions-politicians-neutral-wrong-side-history
                                                            
(2) https://asiancorrespondent.com/2017/05/singapore-lgbt-rally-pink-dot-smashes-local-sponsorship-target/#tIxyPyPtF8eUuDlp.97
                                                                     
(3) http://mothership.sg/2017/05/marriage-defenders-call-for-boycott-of-spore-companies-supporting-pink-dot-backfires-instantly/
                                                             

[jerseyboys]

Sad that some companies or individuals are playing Third-World-Politics in a First-World-Society like Singapore...
                                                                             
https://mustsharenews.com/lgbt-facebook-shaming/

[Vometra]

http://www.theindependent.sg/change-in-rule-on-foreigners-presence-in-speakers-corners-events/

 

Coming from a gahment that calls its citizens xenophobic for questioning its open legs policy.

The entire country is overrun by foreigners, national institutions run by FTs, strategic assets sold to foreign companies, prease lah ...

For those xtians and homophobes who cheer this, dun cry when it's your turn ... typical divide and conquer, it's just an excuse to tighten the screws on sinkies until we are truly voiceless. Getting more and more despotic by the minute.

Edited May 15, 2017 by Vometra

[Guest Tourist]

So are they gonna arrest all the tourist that happen to turn up in that area?

[Vometra]

Just now, Guest Tourist said:

So are they gonna arrest all the tourist that happen to turn up in that area?

 

It's intimidation of the organizers, and appeasement of the religious white/right.

Whether or not it's actually implementable they dun really care ....

 

[Vometra]

http://mothership.sg/2017/05/pink-dot-announces-that-only-singaporeans-and-prs-will-be-permitted-to-attend-this-years-event/

 

"Participants will have to present their Identity Cards upon entry at the event grounds"

 

All the closet queens will flee liao. Expect far lower numbers this year ....

[jerseyboys]

during GE they engineer a GRC design to benefit them... 

 

during good times they engineer ST to print it on the front cover page to benefit them... 

 

the exploitation of our basic right to expression reminds me of Negro Slaves in America...trapped in slavery

 

Again this government has proven: "We are progressive to allow you to hold Pink Dot...but we are not yet inclusive... Give us a few years to grow up & hopefully by then...  we will one day give you gender equality".

[benedict5856]

I saw a news online, facebook. The Online citizen Sg

 

Only Singaporeans or PR can attend.

 

Foreigners CANNOT attend.

[Guest Tomato]

1 hour ago, Vometra said:

http://mothership.sg/2017/05/pink-dot-announces-that-only-singaporeans-and-prs-will-be-permitted-to-attend-this-years-event/

 

"Participants will have to present their Identity Cards upon entry at the event grounds"

 

All the closet queens will flee liao. Expect far lower numbers this year ....

 

And hence, this reflects the quality of the citizens of Singapore - fearing, afraid, spineless.

 

The government sees through its people.

[noswilnat90]

I don't understand the govt's rationale .. How is sexuality political?? Hmm.. Are we hiring a lot of PhD recently in the government? So philisophical.. 

[Marineboy]

With this kind of reception and change of rules recently regarding the event............ it's very dissapointing for the community indeed.

Perhaps it's better not to have one here at all...have it in another accepting country. The rest of the world would be more understanding.

If only 1k turn up.....it will be headline news  ...around the globe...good luck folks!

Well if 29k turns up.......we are entering interesting times.

 

Scanning of Ids would be a big turnoff for many i feel.

Then if turnout is poor shows foreign influence indeed was the force behind it. 

Edited May 15, 2017 by Marineboy

[Vometra]

I really hope that we can exceed last year's numbers and say a big fuck you to the gahment and the bigots. The local sponsors have done their part. It's up to us now.

[abang]

Well the government/police can scan my PINK IC upon entry.  I have done nothing wrong.  It is my right as a citizen to witness an event at Hong Lim Park.  Being gay is not a sickness and you think the police can afford to lock up 10000 screaming "intellectual, educated, well-dressed, well-behaved" gay men in lockup?  I'm over 50 so they cannot rotan me.

 

I am definitely going to PINK DOT this year and I saw a beautiful Pink T-shirt today.  I will buy it and wear it to the event.

[Hemnes]

That's the spirit!

[Guest Wear Pink]

17 minutes ago, abang said:

Well the government/police can scan my PINK IC upon entry.  I have done nothing wrong.  It is my right as a citizen to witness an event at Hong Lim Park.  Being gay is not a sickness and you think the police can afford to lock up 10000 screaming "intellectual, educated, well-dressed, well-behaved" gay men in lockup?  I'm over 50 so they cannot rotan me.

 

I am definitely going to PINK DOT this year and I saw a beautiful Pink T-shirt today.  I will buy it and wear it to the event.

Where did you see the pink T-shirt?  I want to buy one and attend.  This year, the govt intention is to reduce the size of pinkdot event by restriction participants and sponsorship.  They and the Christian gang have been freaked out by our massive turnout in previous years.  Time to kick ass and prove the LGBT is not easily bullied.  Does that mean Ivan Heng's partner (if he is not a PR) cannot attend? They have been lovely couple who supported pinkdot for many year.

 

I suggest a new slogan for this year pink dot event:  LOVE THIS COUNTRY WHICH HATE US! and make it loud and clear internationally.  Better still, show the world the number of policemen at the scene scanning IC.   It is no different from massive killing of our dignity equivalent to Orlando shooting.  I hate this pretentious govt.

[robin]

I have never attended one nor see the need to attend one. But after reading the new regulations this morning, the anger within me just start to burn! 

[yoyo74]

This news will make many LGBT people very angry. We need to tell our government and the evil homophobic idiots that our LGBT citizens will not give in to their threats. We must attend this pink dot event to show that the majority of Singaporeans still cared for the LGBT minorities. If our numbers reduce too much in this pink dot, the homophobic extremist will definately say the majority of singaporeans dont want LGBT people around in Singapore and thus end up forcing our government to remove all the little space that we have.

 

If pink dot does not get enough support, our government will conveniently say that they listen to the wishes of majority of its citizen to ban all the LGBT people. All the gay clubs and sauna may even end up closing down and cruise area step up security patrol trying to catch gay people having fun. Those homophobics bigots will push the government to start to use Section 377A actively when they got enough support.

 

We must support pink dot event to let our government know what we think. If we are all closet up and dont dare to come out than we and our future generations of LGBT people will continue to suffer in the hands of the evil homophobic extremist.

Edited May 15, 2017 by yoyo74

[Guest Boyfriend]

Never been to Pink Dot before but this latest news convinced me to show up and be counted!

[Phil]

6 hours ago, Marineboy said:

...........

Perhaps it's better not to have one here at all...have it in another accepting country. The rest of the world would be more understanding.

.......................

Why not in Europe?

And I think they accept foreigners at the gay pride here...

[Guest 小a辣]

6 hours ago, abang said:

Well the government/police can scan my PINK IC upon entry.  I have done nothing wrong.  It is my right as a citizen to witness an event at Hong Lim Park.  Being gay is not a sickness and you think the police can afford to lock up 10000 screaming "intellectual, educated, well-dressed, well-behaved" gay men in lockup?  I'm over 50 so they cannot rotan me.

 

I am definitely going to PINK DOT this year and I saw a beautiful Pink T-shirt today.  I will buy it and wear it to the event.

They cannot rotan you because you are la oon-tay!

[Guest The Purge]

8 hours ago, benedict5856 said:

I saw a news online, facebook. The Online citizen Sg

 

Only Singaporeans or PR can attend.

 

Foreigners CANNOT attend.

 

Once they know exactly who are the members of lgbt in this country, the purge will begin. 

[Guest Guest]

1 hour ago, Guest The Purge said:

 

Once they know exactly who are the members of lgbt in this country, the purge will begin. 

Siao Lang

[abang]

The authorities may use restrictions to dissuade us from attending this annual event but we are a special breed, much more sophisticated than the minions can imagine.  We are definitely non-violent, peace-loving and very rational people.  We are not some silly religious irrational fanatics who siphoned millions of church donations to boost someone's non-existent singing career.     

 

Think of the presence of policemen and policewoman there as a form of security.  Think of them as our bodyguards to fend off all the "terrorists" on the other side of the fence.   

 

Just treat this event as a day of liberation, a day of homecoming, a day of celebration for ourselves.  We had gotten this recognition already as the naysayers are threatened by our existence.

 

The LGBTQI community here are all taxpayers and should deserve the same rights to housing, transport and social amenities.  Why should we be sidelined simply because we don't bloody fuck the opposite sex?  

 

The government should be thankful to us for NOT reproducing lower IQ and lower EQ children.  We have higher disposable income and can generate more sales to boost the local economy.  

 

At the very least, gay people have better dress-sense and mannerisms.  This will lead to a more gracious society and gives Singapore the upbeat look..

 

Pink Dot, ready or not, here WE come...

 

 

[Vometra]

10 hours ago, abang said:

Well the government/police can scan my PINK IC upon entry.

 

I dun think it's the police who will be checking the ICs.

It's the organisers doing it to prevent violations of the new rules.

They are completely justified of cos because the dumb asses are just looking for an excuse to penalise and crack down on us.

[Guest Sissy LHL]

Trying to hold their fake moral ground, the govt should apply the same law on the wear White campaign by scrutinising the number of foreign participants too.  If they want to restrict gay foreigners, they should also restrict foreigner wearing White in those full of agenda churches.

[Guest Shit]

4 hours ago, Guest The Purge said:

 

Once they know exactly who are the members of lgbt in this country, the purge will begin. 

I am proud, out and loud, I am borned gay and fearless, not like our PM whose ball (if any) is smaller than the size of a pea.

[Guest Fierté rose]

5 hours ago, Phil said:

Why not in Europe?

And I think they accept foreigners at the gay pride here...

You can pioneer a pinkdot event in your country.  Baby steps for a start.  Pinkdot here was started  before it went international.

[Guest Guest]

Are they trying to reduce the number of people attending this pink dot by asking to see IC upon entry?

[Phil]

4 hours ago, Guest Fierté rose said:

You can pioneer a pinkdot event in your country.  Baby steps for a start.  Pinkdot here was started  before it went international.

Well, we already have a "Gay Pride" here. But why not a "Singaporean" section?

[Guest No Pride in Sillypore]

1 hour ago, Phil said:

Well, we already have a "Gay Pride" here. But why not a "Singaporean" section?

Singapore Pinkdot was an accidental birth and the govt didn't quite take notice thinking it was a one-off event. As it grew stellar and stronger over the years, the Fundamentalist Christian were the one who make noise and our weak leader bought into  those tittle tattle     Gay Pride can never exist in Singapore because of the abssence of fundamental equality and basic Human Rights issues here.  It is a country that is moving towards supporting the wealthy and powerful and bullying the minority and the weak.  A country that is fake on all front for breeding corruptions, bullying, lying, penalising the poor more than the rich.

[benedict5856]

For past many years, i never attend pink dot. 

i find the event stupid, a waste of time.

But this year, i will attend, after i heard about the rules and regulations.

 

[Marineboy]

I sincerely hope non LGBT PRs n Citizens turn up to support the event thats the icing on the cake.

This means a lot to the community that non lgbt members of the public are there in numbers to support.

Looks like i will drag my BF there if need be..keke to be counted and not cowed. I basically dont like red n pink..i think purple might be a good alternate color!  ..

[Guest Guest]

What is it actually? Do they conduct orgies there? And where?

[yoyo74]

18 hours ago, Guest The Purge said:

 

Once they know exactly who are the members of lgbt in this country, the purge will begin. 

Dont anyhow spread fear, if they want to purge they gotta purge several 10 of thousands of people. This forum had long been spy on by extremist religious bigots. I am sure some of them will comment here to spread fear or say they not interested in this event and try to persuade others not to come for pink dot indirectly.

[mate69]

I firmly believe the latest rules will have exactly the opposite effect.

There will be an even higher turnout than previous years, due to the publicity.