Fridae

Although the Indignation festival features a more compact schedule compared to recent years, it will for the first time feature a mini film festival showcasing five films – Yossi and Jagger (Israel, 2002), Eating Out 3 (US, 2009), Transproofed (US, 2009), Drifting Flowers (Taiwan, 2008) and Threshold (R21) (Singapore, 2009) – from Aug 10-12. Threshold is an award-winning short film based on a true life incident of police entrapment of a gay man for drug possession by Singaporean director Loo Zihan. It won the "Best Script" award at the inaugural Singapore Short Film Awards (SSFA) on Jan 31, 2010.

Fridae will host a forum "Conversations about HIV acceptance in Singapore’s LGBT community" on Aug 12 to discuss what it takes for Singapore's LGBT community to build acceptance of HIV positive members within our community.

Organisers of the well known Pink Dot campaign will make an appearance for the first time at Indignation at a 'town hall' meeting on Aug 14 to hear from the community about what they want to see at Pink Dot 2011.

Also for the first time at Indignation, a Religions and Sexualities symposium will be held on Aug 15. Dr Andrew Yip of the University of Nottingham and Mrs S.T. Ponni (M.Phil, India) will share their research and knowledge about religious faiths and the diverse attitudes towards sexuality, and Hinduism and Transgenderism respectively.

Indignation 6 events
All events are open to free public admission unless otherwise stated. Events marked private require prior registration. The following is subject to change. Click on to indignationsg.wordpress.com for the FULL schedule of events, registration details and latest updates.

1 Aug, Sunday
IndigNation Opening Act: Rooftop Access @ My Art Space, 21 Tanjong Pagar Rd, #04-01, 7-9pm
(Due to space constraint, this is an ‘invitation only’ event.)

Rooftop Access is a showcase of contemporary artworks done by 8 of Singapore’s brightest LGBT artists, who will represent themes closely related to the LGBT community. Via photography, installation, paintings and mixed media works, Kelvin Atmadibrata, Marla Bendini, Aiman Hakim, Andrew Robert Ng, Peenut, Ezzam Rahman, Tara Tan and Samuel Woo will share with us their artistic vision for the community. Joining them are 4 renown Malaysian artists Jerome Kugan, Boh Jun Kit, Pang Kee Teik and Shieko, who will be sharing with us their artistic perspectives from across the causeway. So, come under one roof to support the creations of our young talents! The exhibition runs till 10 August and is open daily from 10am to 10pm.

1-15 Aug
SGRainbow: I Wish A Wish
After the crowning of a new Ambassador last July, SGRainbow presents to you I Wish A Wish, a youth-initiated campaign in collaboration with Unique Vandalism. This campaign empowers youths by letting them voice out their views and thoughts as being part of the GLBT community. Who knows, your wish might come true. So, find out more about the campaign HERE.

5 Aug, Thursday 
5 Degrees presents... More details to come.

5-15 Aug
"February 25, 1986. Philippines" @ Utterly Art, 229A South Bridge Road
New York-based Filipino painter Dominic Mañgila presents a group of paintings that depict events that had led to Ferdinand Marcos leaving the Malacanang Palace and conceding to Corazon Aquino as the President of the Philippines on February 25, 1986. Mañgila’s artistic process involves the construction of Philippine history paintings through an amalgamation of research and collection of historical records; juxtaposition, alteration and appropriation of photographic images that represent an historic event; and internalization of a witness’ assumed and imagined interiority of mind and invasion of the witness’ privacy of experience.

7 Aug, Saturday
Come make friends! @ The Mind Cafe, 68 Boat Quay, 7-10pm
For the first time IndigNation is bringing more fun and interaction into our festival. If you like playing board games and want to meet like-minded GLBTS (S=straight) people, come along to this event at The Mind Cafe. Get to know one another and develop long lasting friendships within the community. There is a limited capacity of 25 persons and cost $30 per pax for a sumptuous buffet dinner and interactive games. Email pluadmin@gmail.com to reserve your place now! Don’t miss this opportunity to widen your circle of friends!

9 Aug, Monday
Pink Picnic @ Botanica Gardens
Partake in our annual and non-official ritual of gathering all things pink and litter them onto the strawberry fields as you wait for the F16s to swoosh across the sky. Bring a pink brolly to show your pride!

10-12 Aug
IndigNation Pride Film Festival @ Sinema Old School, 11B Mt Sophia

10 Aug
7-8.50pm: Yossi and Jagger (tbc) + Film Discussion
9-10.50pm: Eating Out 3 (tbc) + Transproofed (tbc)

11 Aug
7-8.50pm: Drifting Flowers (tbc)
9-10.50pm: Eating Out 3 (tbc) + Threshold (R21)

12 Aug
7-8.50pm: Drifting Flowers (tbc)
9-10.50pm: Yossi and Jagger (tbc) + Threshold (R21)

Tickets at $10 will be on sale from Friday 30 July. The programme is subject to change.

12 Aug, Thursday 
Fridae Forum: Conversations about HIV acceptance in Singapore’s LGBT community, 7-9pm@72-13
Living Together is a community movement founded on the simple premise, “we’re already living together”. Regardless of whether you are HIV negative, positive, or unknown HIV status, we already live amongst one another, a part of our shared community. HIV touches all of us, whether personally, or as friends, family and lovers, so why should we talk about “breaking down barriers” when there are none? With Living Together, we believe in the power of positivity. We are building a social movement to promote Living Together as a reality as we move forward. Click here to RSVP (Login required).

14 Aug, Saturday
Pink Dot Townhall, 3-5pm@72-13
Pink Dot started out as a grassroots initiative at a town hall meeting, where a group of people gathered to discuss the possibility of organising a Hong Lim Park event in support of LGBT Singaporeans. What transpired were 2 consecutive years of social campaigns that have reached thousands of Singaporeans, straight and gay. This year at IndigNation, we want to know how successful have the campaigns been. What else can be done to make the event more meaningful and what do we hope to see in Pink Dot 2011? We invite you to put on your pink-tinted glasses for an afternoon of crystal ball gazing at the Pink Dot Town Hall.

14 Aug, Saturday
Believe by OC Women and Sayoni, 6-9pm @ 72-13, $10 (recommended donation)
OC Women, in conjunction with Sayoni, presents a three-part series for queer women/women who love women
BE(e): Believe | Beloved | Beyond
The bumblebee was never designed for flight. But miraculously, against all odds it does fly! Queer women today face many unique challenges in their lives – despite all odds, how do we overcome them and live happy, independent and free? Come and fly with us, and hear from other women. Exchange experiences on how to cope with challenges in our lives, our relationships, and plan for the future. Believe - Being and Believing in our selves, is the first in the BE(e) trilogy; Beloved takes place on 9 October and Beyond is on 4 December. BE(e) Special: sign up for all three sessions as a package, for a special rate of $25!

15 Aug, Sunday 
VolunQueers Out & About Guided Tour: Sentosa Reef & Cliff Walk, 8am@ Seah Im Food Centre (next to Harbour Front MRT)
What are gastropods and sargassum? Where can you see wild carnivorous pitcher plants in Singapore? What else is there at Sentosa apart from cable cars a casino? Following on from last year’s “I’m a VolunQueer!” forum and the fully-booked nature walk at Sungai Buloh Wetland Reserve, Bian Tan, an experienced volunteer nature guide, will conduct a guided walk of the last remaining natural coastline on Sentosa, that includes a coral reef, coastal forest and colourful sandstone cliffs. Prepare to see amazing biodiversity given this location is at the doorstep of the third busiest port in the world! More details at

15 Aug, Sunday 
Rascal Symposium: Religions and Sexualities, 4-6pm@72-13
Dr Andrew Yip (Assoc Prof, Nottingham): In this talk, I wish to share some selective reflections from my empirical research in the United Kingdom, on two areas: (i) young adults of six religious faiths and the diverse attitudes towards sexuality, and (ii) the lives of lesbian, gay, and bisexual who are also Muslims, Christians, and Buddhists.
Mrs S.T. Ponni (M.Phil, India): Hinduism and Transgenderism are related with respect to a personal identity via institutional norms and values in India. A sociological approach is used to understand how transgenders obtain and exchange information on issues concerning their everyday lives in this digital revolution world. On the whole, this talk charts the social survival map of transgender people in a conservative India.

15 Aug, Sunday 
ContraDiction SIX, 7-9pm@72-13
Our annual queer literary reading is back! Curated and hosted by Ng Yi-Sheng, this year’s edition will feature writers such as poet Joel Tan, fiction writer O Thiam Chin, songwriter Amanda Tee and (hetero) guest stars Bani Haykal and Michaela Therese.