| The Age, Australia
August 14, 2004
Singapore - the new mecca for Asia's
pink dollar
Once staid Singapore seems ready to take over from Bangkok
as Asia's gay party town, reports Connie Levett.
It's 1am in Singapore and thousands of glistening bodies
in red and white designer jocks, the national colours,
are just getting started as Asia's biggest gay festival
shakes preconceptions about the straight-laced city
state.
"I've never seen anything like this in Singapore.
It's got an atmosphere like Ibiza, Spain," says
Ravin, a banker who left Singapore for London 13 years
ago. "When I left there were a couple of small
bars, but it was all kept very quiet."
No longer. Singapore has discovered the pink tourist
dollar and, as Asia's traditional gay capital Bangkok
suffers from enforced early closing hours, police drug
raids and urine tests, the party people are looking
elsewhere.
From the dance floor of the Nation04 party - the festival's
biggest - John, a flight attendant based in Hong Kong,
said: "This is not the Sydney mardi gras - not
as wild, not as many outside programs - but I'm glad
about what they are doing here."
Even with the techno music and laser shows, the open-air
party at the Sentosa musical fountain amphitheatre last
weekend was a distinctly Singaporean affair.
Many wore the suggested dress code of red and white,
the national colours, to show support for Singapore's
national birthday. As one Hong Kong tourist put it:
"It's Singapore: tell them to do it and they will."
Homosexual acts are still illegal in Singapore but
this new season of tolerance may be driven by pragmatism.
The long-weekend festival, with a party on each of the
three nights, attracted 8000 revellers and is predicted
to bring $S10 million ($A8.2 million) into the local
economy. Partygoers were split evenly between locals
and visitors.
Independent analysis of last year's event shows gay
tourists spent $S1000 a day, four times the tourist
average.
Griffith University's associate professor of business,
William Case, has followed the shift with interest.
"What's important in Singapore is economic success,"
he said.
"The Government has seen studies that suggest
societies that apply tolerance tend to be more creative.
There may also be gains to be made from having a vibrant
arts community in attracting expats and in getting international
companies to base themselves there."
However, Nation04 organiser Stuart Koe said it's not
just economic, and points to a change in social attitudes.
"Five years ago when we planned the first party,
a lot of people said, 'it won't work, you'll get shut
down, the Government won't allow it', there was a lot
of self-censorship."
Five years on, "people are feeling more empowered
and confident and more willing to take risks,"
Mr Koe said.
Despite this success and a warmer Government attitude
- it has announced it will hire openly gay people in
the civil service and the Singapore tourism board has
discreetly promoted the event - Nation04 rated no mention
in the Government-controlled mainstream press.
Mr Koe was unfazed by the media blackout. "We
effect change just by being. Once we get society to
accept us we accomplish more than by lobbying to get
the law changed," he said.
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