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Today newspaper (Singapore)
20 August 2003
Easier times for gays
But some are still worried about the law
by Lee Ching Wern
The past two months have been the most momentous in
history for the gay community in Singapore.
It began when Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong told Time
magazine that the Singapore Government allows gay people
to take up sensitive positions in the civil service.
The reaction was, in many ways, mild. Though there
was a flurry of letters to the press, only a few were
angry.
The issue was brought up again at PM Goh's National
Day Rally speech where he said he neither encourages
nor endorses the lifestyle, but gay people, too, need
to make a living, earning much applause from the audience.
It was no coincidence that this was happening.
Speaking at a panel discussion at the National University
of Singapore's 3rd International Convention of Asia
Scholars yesterday, academic and gay activist Russell
Heng said: "The interview with Time was a long-ranging
one about how Singapore needs to re-invent itself and
bring itself out of the economic downturn…
"Why did PM have to pick up on the gay issue? My take
is that he wanted to address an international audience
and he wanted to make this point."
With the Government working hard to project the image
of a country which is pro-diversity and space, the gay
community has seen some signs of a loosening up.
Most recently, Nation, a party organised by gay and
lesbian website Fridae.com, was held on Sentosa on National
Day, and drew a crowd of 5,000. That this event was
granted a licence on a date as symbolic as National
Day marks significant progress, he said.
The local media, which used to portray homosexuality
as "deviant behaviour" 10 years ago, has made a 180-degree
turn in its recent coverage of gay issues - newspapers
carries pro-gay articles and television talk-show programmes
discuss homosexuality openly.
"As one of my gay activist friends put it, 'I love
it when the propaganda machine is on our side!'," said
Dr Heng.
However, some gays are still concerned about the laws
on homosexual acts.
Dr Heng cited an incident that occurred three years
ago, when two men were arrested for having sex in a
sauna. They were charged under Section 377A of the Criminal
Procedure Code, which specifically outlaws sex between
men. They could have been jailed for up to two years.
The charges were reduced after gay activists pointed
out to lawyers and the police that Senior Minister Lee
Kuan Yew had said in an interview on American radio
that no one has been prosecuted for homosexuality for
the past 50 years and are not likely to be if they are
willing parties.
The men were fined $600 each for indecent behaviour.
In the interview, SM Lee had said: "If you have two
consenting adults, God bless both of them." But if a
man tries to turn a minor into a homosexual, the law
will be enforced, he said.
This is not to say that law enforcers are turning
a blind eye to places where there are homosexual activities.
But these days, the spot-checks are handled with some
sensitivity.
For instance, in June, there were three raids on two
gay clubs. Calling the operation "surgical", Dr Heng
said: "The police are very polite. They will come in
and say, 'We've got a complaint that you are playing
music from pirated CDs', or 'we're checking for drugs'.
They make it very clear they are not there to disrupt,
and it is over very quickly."
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