Singapore Gay Oriental Man
Sexual Morality Oppression
I am walking along Orchard Road to the nearest bus stop after a midnite show at Orchard Cineplex. Suddenly someone comes from behind and hurls obscenities at me. The person grabs my bony arm and throws me to the ground. He laughs at me and calls me 'A FAG!'. In the dim lights, I can see a golden necklace with a cross hanging around his bull neck. The Chinese man stands almost 6 feet tall and wears a pair of polo shirt and khaki pants. I can't move my hands. I must have fractured them when I was using them to break the fall just now. No one comes to my rescue. The few people around us are oblivious to what is going on. No help. No commotion. Only the cruel laughter in the night. People are ignoring my cry for help. After the whole ordeal, I am left here to die…
He starts to walk towards me. He kicks my stomach many times. I wail in pain. I try to kick him with my legs but it is useless. He turns me around and sits on top of my waify body. He pulls my pants down. I am fighting for my life. I am bleeding. He punches me in my face until I feel numbness. Numbness to pain. I feel a sharp pain down my spine. He does not stop. He keeps pushing in...
I have been fighting all my life, for survival, for equal treatment like my heterosexual (straight) friends. I am a Poof, Fag, Faggot, Ah Kwa.. what have you. Yes. I am GAY.
Everyday gay people in Singapore, like me, are mistreated and discriminated against. Focus on Family Singapore says we come from broken family etc. Small Christian groups say they treat us as human beings but condemn our 'homosexual lifestyle'. At one time, there was a big banner outside one Church that says 'Homosexuals Can Change'. It was removed after many months of lobbying and oppositions. The Government sees us as the Pink People with the Pink Dollars. 'Don't ask; Don't Tell' is the way to go. We are not supposed to lobby for equal rights. We are to remain silent. We are told that public backlash will happen if we start to ask for more rights.
All we want to do is to stop the unequal treatment and discrimination faced by my gay friends, brothers and lesbian sisters. Is it too much to ask? Religious groups hide behind the veils and use religious teachings as excuses for their unreasonable actions. Prejudices and fascism are the norm here. The Penal Code 377 does not do us any good either. Gay sex is a criminal act and against the law of nature. Who is the victim here, may I ask? Citizens' private sex lives are to be restricted. Consensual sexual activities among mature adults such as oral sex are a criminal offence. This is a 'progressive, modern, secular' Singapore we are living in today.
When we get too vocal and our gay movements become visible, we are told not to push too far and too much. We are seen as a black sheep in the society's need to procreate. Sex is wrong if it is not to breed future generations. Pre-marital sex, the use of condoms are all discouraged. Abstinence from casual sex is the only way to go as we are told. No one remembers to mention that every gay person is a human being and has every rights to lead her/his own life the way she/he wants just like the straight gal/guy. Why should we gay people be discriminated against because of our sexuality? We demand to be treated equally. No more; no less. 'Every Singaporean matters' and so is every gay Singaporean.
Everyday gay Singaporeans are still fighting for equality.
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