In exactly one month, on 18 June 2011, Singaporeans will, for
Message from the organisers of Pink Dot:
In exactly one month, on 18 June 2011, Singaporeans will, for the third year running, gather at Hong Lim Park to form a human pink dot in support of thebelief that everyone deserves the freedom to love.
Organised by a pool of Singaporean volunteers, Pink Dot campaigns for diversity, inclusiveness, and works to foster understanding for the basic human need to love and beloved, regardless of oneʼs sexual orientation.
This year, Pink Dot 2011 is fronted by the DIM SUM DOLLIES (picture, right, top), the comedy trio comprising Emma Yong, Pam Oei and Selena Tan. Festivities begin at 4.30pm with a dynamic line-up including performances by Dave Tan of local indie band Electrico, Broadway Beng Sebastian Tan and dance group Voguelicious.
A campaign video (picture, right, centre), conceptualised and directed by award-winning filmmaker Boo Junfeng (Sandcastle, Cannes 2010), can be seen here: youtu.be/FrIB5Ojbqns. Already, the video has garnered more than 34,000 views within 36 hours of its May 17 launch.
Boo, 28, said: “The social stigma that LGBT people carry is often overlooked when we talk about homosexuality. The freedom to love and the comfort of being yourself, things many LGBT people hope to have, are often taken for granted by straight people. Beyond the event on June 18, I hope the video will continue to empower and inspire empathy for LGBT people”.
Pink Dot spokesperson Paerin Choa said: “We believe that Pink Dot 2011 will take another step towards a more inclusive and cohesive Singapore. Past events have seen people from different walks of life come together for this event – young, old, straight, gay, families and friends. It is extremely heartwarming to know that Singaporeans believe in building a more tolerant and harmonious society.”
Please SAVE THE DATE:
WHAT: PINK DOT 2011
WHERE: Hong Lim Park
WHEN: Saturday, June 18, 2011
WHAT TO WEAR: Of course, PINK!
TIMINGS: Activities commence 4.30pm, Concert begins at 5pm, Dot is formed at 6pm
*Please note: According to the park's terms and conditions, only Singaporeans and Permanent Residents may participate at events held at Hong Lim Park. However, foreigners are most welcome to watch and observe.
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Reader's Comments
*Please note: According to the park's terms and conditions, only Singaporeans and Permanent Residents may participate at the events held at Hong Lim Park. However, foreigners are most welcome to watch and observe.
Say I'm coming in from Hong Kong to be in this event; what are the parameters of ' not being able ' to participate? ' most welcome to watch and observe; can I say anything ?
"only citizens and permanent residents of Singapore take part in the demonstration and the organiser must not allow any person who is neither a citizen nor a permanent resident of Singapore to take part in the demonstration;"
From http://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/docs/speakers_terms_n_conditions.pdf
It means foreigners can't form the "dot".
Even better, the video hopefully reach across the 29 neighboring Asian cities on stigma and discrimination. The video has set another higher level of quality message on stigma and discrimination. The video possibly could be shared and viewed at the AIDS Conference in Busan, Korea in August to help de stigma and hope for us living with HIV with hope and rights.
But the beginning with the young people is very well and important. Congratulations!
But, "If only gay people could stop feeling guilty about being different" statement in the video? Seriously?
Nonetheless, well done!
very hard to police but for the organisers welfare if ur not a citizen or pr, just observe the dot forming without being involved and all should be well.
The video is wonderful! Thank you for giving us the opportunity to view it.
With All The Love 4m India :-)
The exclusion of "foreigners" is............so silly.
I have lived/worked in "communist countries" in Asia for the past 20 years, three countries, and I can not imagine any of those three countries in all their political craziness, devising such a silly rule that would exclude "foreigners" as SG has done here for this event.
"The park is the only place in Singapore where such an event can be held."
And that was only made possible because of the SDP's civil disobedience campaign, which ironically, many Singaporeans including LGBT ones think that they should be punished for.
It's why I am asking if it is not appropriate to have Vincent Wijeysinghe as the key speaker this year.
He's also our first openly gay politician.
Too bad I'll only be moving to Singapore in July....
"only citizens and permanent residents of Singapore take part in the demonstration and the organiser must not allow any person who is neither a citizen nor a permanent resident of Singapore to take part in the demonstration;"
What kind of a crappy "rule" is that???? Singapore and its sill laws....
I doubt the government understand the meaning of equal human right there.
Yup... I don't want to detract from the Pink Dot activity, but it's very hard to overlook such words, which underline Singapore's unequal and unwelcoming policies. Once a police state, always a police state, eh?
Well, good luck, Pink Dot people. I do So hope that not a single foreigner or non-resident becomes involved in the Pink Dot, because of course that would be Dreadfully Illegal and terrible and awful and could lead to the collapse of Singaporean society, the ushering in of true democracy and civil rights, the collapse of traditional family values, the sky falling in, the end of life as we know it, and... errr... actually, I'm not entirely sure of What Singapore's government is afraid of, but hope nothing so terrible and dreadful as a foreigner or a non-permanent resident getting involved happens. Because that would be awful, obviously...
good luck pink dot people more power.
my father's friends says that my father was homophobic until i came into this world!!!!
What a pity it cant be shown on local public television also.
Some day such a video will be shown publicly on TV, and someday there will be no need to. I have absolute confidence in that. Keep at it!
Best wishes Singapore.
"What kind of a crappy "rule" is that???? Singapore and its sill laws...."
It's rooted in the xenophobia, usually opportunistic, that is a mainstay of Singapore's political culture.
Good job guys!
You guys are paving paths for the future LGBT generation in the country, to be able to be proud of who they are and not worry about how others see them. Keep doing what you guys are doing and I am sure that in the years to come, hundreds or even thousands will come thanking you guys for doing what you are doing.
http://video.sina.com.cn/v/b/52576689-1956630570.html
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