Semua Kita - all of us

In 2007, Gary also started the Bear Project, a social, sports and travel group largely geared toward the bear community. He explains how it got started and what "bears" are in the Singaporean / Asian context. They describe a couple of their overseas trips to Tainan and Taipei, participation at Pink Dot, as well as a memorable art auction fundraiser.

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In this episode of Semua Kita we meet Gary Lim and Kenneth Chee, probably best known for being the first gay couple, in 2012, to mount a constitutional challenge against Section 377A.

Before that, however, we hear about what it was likegrowing up gay on the island nation in the 80s and 90s. Sex education was very limited, there were no accessible materials in a time which predated the modern web, and there was almost no peer support. This meant that cruising was the main route by which gay men could meet. Gary and Kenneth describe their experiences in Plaza Singapura and Raffles City, how it felt scary and potentially exploitative, but it was in some ways a better time as it taught courage and confidence and even led to romance!

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#queer #LGBTQ #oralhistory #Singapore

In this episode of Semua Kita, Maitreya goes into the heyday of the Sunday gay scene: Music World in Siglap and the downtown clubs like Studebakers and Venom as well as the saunas like Spartacus and Raw. He recalls the regular police raids and how they eventually stopped and remembers China Square and the old shophouses where gay men would go cruising before it was redeveloped.

He also discusses the role of LGBTQ activism in Singapore, and recognizes the increasing importance of mental health in LGBTQ youth, noting the lack of social support for trans and non-binary members of the community as well as the lack of visibility of older LGBTQ people. In particular he discusses the constraints educators have in Singapore about addressing prejudice and responding to bullying.

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#queer #LGBTQ #oralhistory #Singapore

Maitreya's stage name was "Diva Paris" when he worked at the Boom Boom Room, initially at Bugis and then at China Square. He shares some of the stories of his time there.

More recently, Maitreya has been involved in LGBTQ visibility and organization, starting with the Pink picnic in the Botanic Gardens and moving onto Pink Dot. He observes how the community has changed from one which was small, oppressed but united to one which is larger, freer but more fragmented today. He talks about finding a place in Out in SG and how the scene itself has evolved with time.

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#queer #LGBTQ #oralhistory #Singapore

In this episode of Semua Kita we follow Maitreya's journey, from discovering that he was different at university, to exploring places like Fort Road, to visiting the Substation where he found community in People Like Us, to meeting others at Forbidden Fruit, to falling in love for the first time in Raffles Place.

He also talks about the Sunday night clubs and the occasional police raids they were subject to, and how to avoid them. Maitreya worked alongside Max Lim, bringing customers to Studebakers and managing the bar at Spartacus. His story tracks the development of the gay entertainment scene in Singapore in the 90s and early 2000s.

We apologise for the echo audible in this recording, Maitreya's stories are well worth the slight distraction

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Semua Kita continues our conversation with Christopher by exploring how the LGBTQ community has changed with time. What groups were available then and what groups are available now? Organizing quite a disparate group of people is challenging. What is the role of Pink Dot in this space, and does the focus which existed previously still exist in a changing world and a changing Singapore?

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In this episode of Semua Kita we hear about Christopher's experience of coming out as a trans man in the public realm. He describes "Some Reassembly Required" the unfinished film project which started that process, and some of the repercussions of being unprepared for that visibility. He also reflects on his advocacy journey, from personal causes to joining the organizing team of Pink Dot. But first, Christopher tells us about the importance of his experience at university in shaping himself.

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In the next series of episodes of Semua Kita we speak to Christopher Khor, arguably one of Singapore's most prominent trans activists. In this episode he tells us about his childhood and, in particular, how the court challenges to Section 377A in the mid 2010s opened up a public conversation on the LGBTQ community which had not happened before. In turn, this put Christopher on the course to self-discovery: finding the right words to describe who he knew himself to be allowed him to navigate school, family and religious belief.Other subscription, listening and following options here ⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita⁠ ⁠⁠#queer #LGBTQ #oralhistory #Singapore

Benni continues his thoughts on discrimination in Singapore, and whether terms like that are even useful. He advocates holding space for forgiveness and understanding because he feels that conflict is often driven by ignorance rather than malice and that differences can be bridged with pacifism and empathy.

In this episode of Semua Kita, Benni also considers what the greatest changes have been to the LGBTQ community in Singapore and asks what direction civil society is heading in? What does he feel should be the main focus now and how can this be achieved? He also talks about Pink Dot and the effect that the barriers have on participation and interaction between communities.

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In this episode of Semua Kita, Benni discusses the value of familial acceptance and, importantly, how it is expressed. The language used is significant and concepts which are well elaborated in Western thought may not have direct analogues in Tamil for instance. At the same time, different generations will adapt words in a way which makes sense to them.

In the second half of this episode, Benni reflects on how his upbringing in a multicultural society has made him intolerant of all forms of discrimination, not just that directed at the LGBTQ community. He talks about how he has not experienced much personal racial discrimination himself, but is aware of systemic examples.

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In this episode of Semua Kita Benni explains how an openly gay Indian Singaporean without a degree managed to build a career in a society obsessed with qualifications and a workplace lacking protections. He talks to us about his life after Action for AIDS, initially being in public relations, and then subsequently working for foreign representatives in Singapore, including the British High Commission, American Chamber of Commerce and the New Zealand High Commission. Was it just luck?

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One immutable part of many Singaporean men's lives is National Service. For Benni this was a mixed experience, starting with an episode of trauma. In this episode he tells us more.

After NS came the challenges of finding a job while also becoming more aware of his same sex attraction without actually acting on it or even knowing what being gay was, let alone whether it applied to him. Who could Benni ask in the early 90s?

Eventually Benni got involved with Action for AIDS. He describes what it was like being a volunteer and working with patients in the early days and how he eventually became AfA's administrator in the late 1990s, helping to run many of its programmes.

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In the next series of episodes of Semua Kita, we speak to Benedict Thambiah as he talks through his very varied experiences of being Singaporean. We start with aconversation of being born in the late 60s, growing up in Singapore in a kampung, and then moving to an HDB estate as a child.

First, however, Benni talks about the important relationships in his life: family, his partner, work and close friends are important to him and give everything context. He reflects on how this changes with time.

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In the previous episodes of Semua Kita, Dominic and Nigel spoke of how they took their duties as guardians of the web portal for the LGBTQ community very seriously. Here, they elaborate their experience of on-line websites being centres of community building, and observe what the effect of the mainstreaming of the LGBTQ culture in Singapore has had. Trevvy was a self-professed side hustle, albeit one which was important, how did it eventually fade away? With such a storied history, what are Nigel and Dominic's fondest memories of running Sgboy and Trevvy? From the perspective of people who have been there, what challenges does the LGBTQ community in Singapore face today? And where do Nigel and Dominic think the future lies?

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In this episode of Semua Kita, Nigel and Dominic reflect on the growth of Sgboy, both in terms of its on-line services as well as in the real world. We also learn about how they saw activism, and the role that Sgboy played, beyond overt programmes like Trevvy Youth and sexual health awareness, in helping to bring people together to forge a community. This sometimes involved brushes with the authorities, but the precipitant came from a surprising source.

Almost since its inception, Sgboy had a component of real world meetups. Nigel and Dominic tell us more.

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In this first episode of Season 3 we speak to Nigel and Dominic who, in the late 90s, set up and ran the iconic website Sgboy. Their forum pages were a lifeline for young gay Singaporeans coming out for the first time as a place to meet, ask questions and find answers.

Before Sgboy was set up, what were the early days of the internet like for gay Singaporeans?

What was the motivation for a young NS man and JC student to set up a website for other young gay men, and how did they go about doing it?

Sgboy offered a service which was youth led and youth run, but where did reliable sources of information come from and how was it administered?

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#queer #LGBTQ #oralhistory #Singapore

Welcome back to Semua Kita, a podcast about queer lives in Singapore from the 1980s until the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 2023.

In season 3 we hear from even more LGBTQ Singaporeans about what it was like growing up in Singapore and discovering who you are.

We hear about virtual spaces where people could meet, where friendships could be made and where love could be found.

And we learn what diversity means in the island city and how important a sense of belonging is Singaporeans, no matter your background.

There are their stories. These are our stories. These are stories of all of us.

#queer #lgbtq #singapore #oralhistory

In this last episode of Season 2, Stuart reflects on a lifetime of being gay in Singapore and how a new generation of LGBTQ Singaporeans is stepping into the limelight. He talks about how Singaporean culture is generally more open than societies in the West and therefore not intrinsically prejudiced, and how it is important to build coalitions in order to bring about change. While no longer in the thick of it, Stuart continues to be engaged on the side lines, in the hope of building an more inclusive Singapore which involves not just queer people, but everyone who lives on the island.

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In this episode Stuart talks to us about discrimination in general and its relationship to the decriminalisation process and other legal change. He explains that the advocacy had had an effect, even if it was indirectly, and how confrontational politics does not work in Singapore. How does this affect the advocacy around workplace discrimination and marriage equality? First, however, he discusses what was the next big challenge: same sex parent adoption rights.

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At the turn of the century opportunities arose through which legal and constitutional challenges to Section 377A, the law which criminalized homosexuality, could be made. There was not much optimism that any of these would be successful. In this episode Stuart explains how he thinks parliamentary change works and how an oficial review of the Penal Code led to the galvanizing of the community through a petition process. It was also the start of a series of legal challenges to the law. At the same time what seemed like an organized movement awoke more conservative elements within society…

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The offices at fridae.com served as the venue where many of the initial ideas for Pink Dot coalesced. Stuart tells us more about these early meetings. Over its time, fridae.com faced many different challenges and Stuart learned much about how to run a business through all the difficulties. For personal reasons he needed to exit the company. In this episode he tells us why. He also reflects on the nature of LGBTQ activism in Singapore.

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We heard previously how the Nation Party began as a means of generating additional financial support for fridae.com. In 2001 the first event had proven to be such a success it spawned a succession of other parties throughout the year. It grew so large that it attracted participants from all walks of life as well as people from around Asia and beyond. It changed how people saw themselves, and allowed them to experience what it was like to be out and proud. Its eventual ban raised the stakes for the community. Stuart conjectures why this happened.

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#queer #LGBTQ #oralhistory #Singapore

In this episode, Stuart talks about setting up fridae.com, the background against which the idea for this web portal was formed, its role as a social enterprise and its timing with challenges like the Asian financial crisis and how it leveraged the rise of the internet. He discusses its importance as a way of creating a community when people were still fearful of reaching out to others like them.

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In many ways, Stuart Koe is an "OG" or Original Gay. As a change-maker, he had a front row seat at what was taking place in Singapore's LGBTQ community around the turn of the millennium, particularly with his leadership roles in Action for AIDS, fridae.com, the Nation Parties, the review of the Penal Code and even Pink Dot. In the next series of episodes of Semua Kita, Stuart tells us many of his stories and how the experiences shaped his perspective of life and activism in Singapore.

In this episode he answers the question, "Is Singapore a good place to be gay?" In his opinion, the biggest fear of coming out is parental disapproval rather than societal violence. He also talks about his not always positive experience in an elite school.

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June agreed to be interviewed by Semua Kita while at the ILGA Conference in Nepal in 2025. In this episode she talks about how her work in Singapore for the trans community has created opportunities like that for her to travel and meet other activists. She also discusses her philosophy that services provided to the transgender community should not be funded by the community, and explores the strategies she uses to minimize financial barriers to accessing counselling and other offerings.

Amidst the many LGBTQ non-profits in Singapore, June feels that, in some ways, the T Project is an outlier as it services those with lower socioeconomic status when compared to other charitable groups. In particular, this seems to be most pronounced in the ivory tower of academia. Here June discusses the importance of Intersectionality.

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What does success mean for the T Project? In this episode we hear about the services which the T Project now offers beyond the shelter, including counselling services and the hosting of community events. June goes into some of the hurdles which were overcome, including navigating Singapore's company registration system which tends to be unsupportive of LGBTQ organizations.

She also lets us know what's ahead for the T Project and for herself, particularly as trans identities themselves expand, including non-binary and others, and when greater employment opportunities for the community now exist. Collaboration with other trans organizations is essential to fill the information gap created by these new possibilities.

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June reluctantly gave up sex work after 20 years. In this episode she talks about why she decided to move on. She also details her path into the T Project and the Alicia community centre, and what she learned along the way. There were many challenges for a "sex worker of 20 years with only 'O'-levels" to set up a shelter for homeless trans sex workers without savings, but June also understood what her strengths were, especially as a speaker, which she used to great effect to get the space furnished and stocked with food. For a long time she was lived off her own savings, but there were rewards too, including several ministerial visits.

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In this episode of Semua Kita, June tells us about the many choices she made: to choose familial love, to choose sex work, to choose not to have a relationship. She describes the hierarchy of the brothels where she worked, her relationship to other sex workers and her clients from office workers in shirts and ties to migrant workers. For her, sex work was a lucrative career and one which she misses, even the clients with unusual requests.

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⁠#queer #LGBTQ #oralhistory #Singapore

In the next few episodes of Semua Kita we speak to June Chua. She is a well-known trans activist who founded a shelter for homeless trans women in Singapore called the T Project. In this episode she tells us about growing up as a non-gender conforming child, but how she was never aware of this until she got to secondary school. There, being called names like "bapok" and "ah-kwa" became moments of clarity.

How does a transwoman find out more about what it means to be transgender? By visiting the one place where transwomen would congregate in large numbers: Singapore's red light districts. In this episode June tells us how she learned much from her sisters and mamas at Changi Point and Desker Road and eventually followed their path in to sex work.

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Gary worked for Max for a few years, including setting up events in Batam, creating networks between other queer businesses and building platforms for other marginalized groups within the queer community in Singapore. In this episode of Semua Kita he tells us why he eventually felt a need to move on and what his regrets in doing so were.

From it's heyday around the turn of the millennium, queer nightlife in Singapore seems to be on a gradual decline. What are the reasons for this? How did the repeal of 377A affect the community? Most importantly, what did Garry learn about building inclusion through nightlife, entertainment and social events? Can parties also be activism?

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In the previous episode of Semua Kita, we heard how coming out and connecting with a gay community was an adventure, but how did Garry also manage this while doing his national service? First, however, he shares where he sourced the outfits which gave him the edge while clubbing on a Sunday night.In episodes 6 to 8 this season we spoke to Max Lim who ran many gay spaces in Singapore. Garry worked for Max and here he tells us how this happened. That opportunity became his entry point into event and talent management for Max's budding gay entertainment empire.What tasks did Garry do for Max? Garry tells us about Raw, Max's then new sauna on Ann Siang Hill, and compares it to the rest of Singapore's sauna scene at the time.Other subscription, listening and following options here: ⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita⁠ ⁠⁠#queer #LGBTQ #oralhistory #singapore

In this episode of Semua Kita we hear more about Garry's first boy crush, how he gradually came to the realization that he was gay and what exploring a relationship with someone who was an equal novice was like.Eventually, Garry found a new chosen family in a bar in Chinatown called Niche, where he observed how the community organized itself into one providing care and support under the glamorous lights of Singapore's drag nightlife. The ability to draw from local entertainment styles like getai gave drag here its own unique style. But first, to makes sense of his unfamiliar feelings, a teenage Garry turned to the then new internet for answers. Other subscription, listening and following options here: ⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita⁠ ⁠⁠#queer #LGBTQ #oralhistory #singapore

In the next few episodes of Semua Kita we sit down with Garry Moss, a well-known figure on the gay scene in Singapore and an organizer of many groups and events. How did he get to where he is? In this podcast he tells us about his childhood, and his experience of feeling like an outsider, not because of his sexuality, but because he is Eurasian, an ethnic minority on the island. This sense of difference allowed him to build his own community of "outcasts".Garry also talks to us about his first experiences as a young man, and the spaces where he could explore being gay on-line, including Bianca's Closet, the Blowing Wind fora and Internet Relay Chat (IRC). It was where he found his people who would eventually become his friends in real life as well.Other subscription, listening and following options here: ⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita⁠ ⁠⁠#queer #LGBTQ #oralhistory #singapore

In this final episode with Vanessa, we talk about how she managed her work-life balance, particularly when the fires of youth die down in the face of tasks which never end. She tells us about the increasing diversity of the queer community in the wake of the decriminalization of homosexuality and how the dream of a more inclusive society had led to new initiatives. How does political change happen in Singapore? Who gets drawn to activism and volunteering?

Vanessa also reflects on the assumption of conformity predicating social cohesion. Is assimilation the way to achieve the Singapore dream? How can the diversity of objectives of other advocacy groups which leads to tensions be navigated? What are her hopes for the future?

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In this episode of Semua Kita, Vanessa tells us about the changes which have taken place since she has been with Project X. In particular, she identifies generational differences in the trans rights struggle and how the emphasis has moved from gender recognition to gender identity.

She also talks about the work that Project X does, both serving the immediate needs of its clients while also working for long term social and legal change.

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Over the last few episodes we heard from Selena about her role in Project X. In the next few episodes we speak to Vanessa Ho who runs the advocacy and support group for sex workers in Singapore and explore her reflections on organizing and activism on the island.

In this episode Vanessa talks to us about her journey into the organization, and how her experiences of marginalization as a queer women fostered an empathy with the experiences of sex workers. She further explores the ideas of meritocracy and privilege in Singapore and what this means for those living on the edge.

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In the final of this series of episodes featuring Selina, we hear about how she discovered a new direction working for Project X, a non-profit providing social, emotional and health services to people in the sex industry in Singapore.

Now that Selina is in a more stable position, she has also had the opportunity to look back on her life, reflect on what she has achieved, and plan for the years to come. She also tells us what it is like when the roles are reversed and she has been a client.

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What happens when love gets in the way of work? Is the decision always either / or? In this episode Selena tells us about her experience of this situation and the choices she had to make.

In the late 2000s, Selena decided to both travel and work in the United States of America. As she explains, for a Singaporean, it was an eye-opening time for her living in a different country and meeting a wide range of people.

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In this episode of Semua Kita, Selena tells us more about her process of transition, what finally made her decide to go for top surgery, and the career path she decided to follow after that. In particular she talks about running her own business in the 2000s and what it took to attract clients.

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In the next few episodes of Semua Kita we hear from Selena, a transwoman and former sex worker, about her experience of being queer in Singapore. She tells us about how shenavigated being different in a place with dominant gender norms, what options for work and life she felt were open to her and whether she regrets the path she followed.

In this episode she tells us about some of the challenges she faced as a gender non-conforming person who still felt obliged to live up to familial and societal expectations, particularly in school and in national service.

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In the last of our series of episodes featuring Max Lim, we hear more about the closure of his sauna, the complete change he made to his life when that happened and how he found a new purpose after that. He shares some of the memories of his brief stint at a drag cabaret in New York and how he has found companionship in his later years.

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In this episode of Semua Kita, Max talks to us about the challenges he faced with tempremental venues and greedy landlords. We hear more about how he moved into venues of his own, including his sauna Spartacus and its successors, Stroke and the legendary Raw located on Ann Siang Hill which also hosted regular cabaret shows.

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In the next series of episodes we speak to Max Lim, serial entrepreneur, Sunday night gay club promoter and, amongst other venues, the founder of Singapore's first gay sauna, Spartacus in South Bridge Road.

Here, however, we hear about what it was like growing up in a kampung in Hougang then discovering his same sex attraction. How did he meet other like-minded men when he didn't know what the word "gay" even meant? We learn how this led to the setting up of his first nightclub.

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In the last of this series of episodes featuring Russell Heng, he talks to us about the tensions which arose between his duties in the workplace and his role as a gay activist. What happens when these objectives are framed as clashing? How does one make the choice between integrity and survival?

As someone who has been an active participant in civil society, Russell's interests are not limited to LGBTQ people but to other marginalized groups including transient workers. He talks about how it is possible to channel indignation into a force for good.

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It is the new millennium and as Russell describes it, it was a time of great change for the LGBTQ community in Singapore. Not only was the community visibly larger and better connected, there was increased interest from academia to document the changes which were taking place.

This opening up of the public realm was reflected in the arts and even in the political sphere, creating a space for greater personal expression. Permission was finally given for "Lest The Demons Get To Me" to be staged.

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In this episode of Semua Kita we hear about the decision to register People Like Us as a society and the hurdles faced in the process. Registration was important in order to give the group validity and to keep it legal, but it was also a declaration of existence to the authorities and put the ten responsible people who were listed on the form in a vulnerable position. What concerns about an LGBTQ social group did the Registry of Societies have?

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In this episode Russell tells us how he navigated his working life as an out gay man. He reflects on how financial independence shielded him from many of the worst aspects of homophobia.Beyond his professional life, however, Russell was starting to meet other gay people. This served as the basis of a budding community and was important when the Rascals incident occurred. It facilitated an organized response to the actions of the police. But how did he meet other people in the first place?Other subscription, listening and following options here: https://bit.ly/m/semuakita #queer #LGBTQ #oralhistory #singapore

Russell Heng has lived many lives in Singapore but is probably most well known as one of the key members of People Like Us, and the playwright of the ground-breaking work "Lest The Demons Get To Me" a play which explored the clash of cultures in a modernizing and cosmopolitan city. In this episode we hear from Russell about his life as a Teochew boy growing up in the 60s and 70s, his experiences at school, and the realization that he was not like anyone else. Other subscription, listening and following options here: https://bit.ly/m/semuakita #lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore

Welcome back to Semua Kita, a podcast about queer lives in Singapore from the 80s until the decriminalization of homosexuality in 2023.Season 2 features interviews with even more LGBTQ Singaporeans as we talk about our childhoods and growing up on the island.How did we find each other in the days before the internet and apps? How did we navigate our lives in a relatively conservative environment?

Join us as we explore places in Singapore where queer people would live, work, meet, dance, connect and build a community. Hear about how hearts were broken and love was found from people who were there.These are their stories. These are our stories. These are stories of all of us.

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In this episode, the final one of this season of Semua Kita, Lip Sin tells us about the early Pink Dots. We also hear about the Bear Project, at the time one of the largest LGBTQ groups in Singapore. It reflected the new diversity in the queer community in which multiple different identities were encompassed by the LGBTQ umbrella. These groups were an essential contribution to the success of Pink Dot. He also tells us about the early anxieties he had about the authorities as one of the organizers of the event, what it was like working with the police, having to deal with safety concerns in the wake of the Orlando shooting and how the messaging of Pink Dot was also tweaked with time. Other subscription, listening and following options here: ⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita #lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore

As Lip Sin tells us, the retention of Section 377A after the penal code review in 2006 was a setback to the LGBTQ community in Singapore, but it also set in motion conversations about how to respond, and an exploration of what other means were available to the community to actively seek its repeal. At the same time, Speakers' Corner in Hong Lim Park became available as a place for speeches and demonstrations, including a LGBTQ Pride-type event. Pink Dot emerged in this context. Lip Sin tells us about the influences and principles which literally shaped the idea of a pink dot. Other subscription, listening and following options here: ⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita

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In this episode of Semua Kita we discuss the penal code review of 2006 which led to the removal of Section 377 but the retention of Section 377A which specifically targeted the gay community. The rising tide of hatred this unleashed, channelled through the advent of social media, transformed the web from a place of safety to one of harm for many LGBTQ Singaporeans. Yet, as Lip Sin tells us, this also galvanized the community in Singapore, leading to the submission of a Parliamentary petition and a debate which aimed to repeal this law the following year. Unfortunately, it was unsuccessful, but the conversation it precipitated was an important stepping stone for change. Other subscription, listening and following options here: ⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita #lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore

In this episode of Semua Kita, Lip Sin talks to us about Fridae.com, the Nation Parties and their place in Singapore's queer history. He describes their impact on the LGBTQ community here, and how their banning led to the formation of IndigNation. The mid 2000s also saw a change in the political climate for these Singaporeans who were increasingly marginalized. Other subscription, listening and following options here: ⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita #lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore

As an active member of most of Singapore's modern queer groups since the 90s, including being part of many of the groups and events we have heard mentioned in the course of these episodes, like ATLUS, Nation Party, Fridae.com, IndigNation, Pelangi Pride Centre, Oogachaga and more, Choo Lip Sin has had a front row seat in observing how the LGBTQ+ community has grown in the last three decades. In this episode we step back in time to hear about how on-line connections like bulletin boards and internet relay chat in the early days of the internet brought the community of largely English-speaking gay and bi- men together in the mid 90s. We hear about groups like Men After Work (MAW), HongLimPark.com, SGBoy and Blowing Wind. This coincided with the more open governing style of the then Prime Minister, Goh Chok Tong which led to the blossoming of spaces for self-expression from karaoke bars to saunas, and the flowering of queer theatre in Singapore in what seemed like a short-lived golden age for the LGBTQ scene here. He describes how that changed in the mid 2000s, and why Section 377A then became the focus for activism when it had not been that significant in the decade before. Other subscription, listening and following options here: ⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita #lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore

In this episode of Semua Kita, we continue our conversation with Miak, this time to understand his personal journey of coming out. He tells us how he found a gay community which strengthened his affinity for LGBTQ activism, and how he was eventually drawn to Christianity which led to his current involvement with the Free Community Church, an LGBTQ-affirming church in Singapore. Other subscription, listening and following options here: ⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita #lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore

One of the key events of IndigNation was the Pink Picnic, so named because LGBTQ people could gather in the Botanic Gardens on National Day. In this episode Miak tells us about what was, in many ways, a precursor to Pink Dot. As has been mentioned, IndigNation was organized in response to the banning of Nation, a circuit party which was held on Sentosa. Miak talks about gay and lesbian advocacy in that period as a time of pragmatic resistance, but it was also a time at which the government itself was becoming more pragmatic. As the community diversified and the interests of individual members of PLU diverged, many new groups and events sprang up which in turn led to the eventual closure of PLU. Miak explains how this happened. Other subscription, listening and following options here: ⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita #lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore

Miak Siew is well known as the currrent executive pastor of the Free Community Church, but he has been involved with gay and lesbian advocacy in Singapore for over a quarter century. In that time he has been a member of groups we have already heard about, like People Like Us, and participated in many of the on-line spaces which have been mentioned, like SigNel, Sintercom and Blowing Wind. In this episode he gives us an overview of the gay liberation movement in Singapore from the late 90s. Miak was particularly instrumental in putting together IndigNation and describes the kinds of events which were held over this early Pride festival, focusing on how it navigated the vagaries of Singapore's decency laws at the time. He tells us about the first Pink Run and the anxiety he went through as its organizer. Other subscription, listening and following options here: ⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita #lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore

In this episode of Semua Kita we delve into Eileena's personal story, including the process of self-realisation, coming out and then finding a role as both counsellor and activist. First, however, she tells us about how she realised that she was a lesbian. Eileena tells us how she got into counselling, specifically for the LGBTQ community in Singapore. She describes some of the situations her patients and their families encountered. Eileena speaks about her role in People Like Us, what she learned about whether the queer community was ready for change and how disagreements in how women's interests were represented eventually led to her stepping down from the group. Singapore sits at the crossroads of different cultures. How relevant are lessons learned elsewhere to local queer activists and, conversely, what can the authorities learn about how to respond to competing demands? How important is it for the queer community in Singapore to know our own history? Other subscription, listening and following options here: ⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita #lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore

In this episode we talk to Eileena about her experience of LGBTQ activism, in particular how it has changed under different leadership, and with the increasing expectations of successive generations of Singaporeans. Before that, however, Eileena tells us more about Pelangi Pride Centre, the free queer library, how it was set up and how it still manages to operate with absolutely no budget, relying instead on the kindness of donors. Operating such services like Pelangi Pride Centre, and more generally any kind of LGBTQ activism, is often only possible with the approval of the prevailing government and its leadership. What is Eileena's experience of this? We heard about Eileena's occasional brushes with authority, how does she feel those conversations have changed in today's environment? Other subscription, listening and following options here: ⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita #lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore

Please note: this episode mentions suicide. In previous episodes of Semua Kita, we heard about the importance of SigNeL, the Yahoo group which introduced many LGBTQ Singaporeans to each other for the first time in the 90s. But this on-line space catered mainly to gay men; what about lesbians? In this episode we talk to Eileena Lee who set up Red Queen, initially as a virtual bulletin board, and then as in-person events. The burgeoning community eventually led to the establishment of the women's counselling service Looking Glass and the Pelangi Pride Centre which continues to this day. RedQuEEn! tried to bring women with different perspectives at very different points in their journey of self-understanding together. Where were some of the friction points? Looking Glass was one of the first counselling groups for women in Singapore, which grew out of these early on-line spaces. How did it get started? In what areas were the users of Looking Glass looking for help? Pelangi Pride Centre, which we have heard about in previous episodes, had also started up initially as a queer library. It remains an important physical space for LGBTQ people to meet. RedQuEEn! today, continues in different forms on social networks while Pelangi Pride Centre is flourishing. What does Eileena see as the future of all of the groups she set up? Other subscription, listening and following options here: ⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita #lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore

In this episode of Semua Kita, instead of discussing the past, Bryan reflects on his experience of queer activism in Singapore over the last few decades and the lessons he has learned. In the wake of the decriminalization of homosexuality, where does he think he can contribute going forward, particularly in terms of organizational growth? Sustainable organizations need to adapt and be reenergized in order to survive, but this can be hamstrung by the burnout of people who lead them. How has an organization like Oogachaga avoided this? The hierarchical nature of many Asian societies means that deference to a "leader" is common and that the responsibility for decision-making on behalf of a group is often passed to an individual. What other issues might limit the longevity of social activist groups? Other subscription, listening and following options here: ⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita #lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore

In this episode of Semua Kita we talk to Bryan about his experiences in challenging Section 377A, the law which criminalized homosexuality in Singapore. He tells us about his early involvement, from drumming up signatures for a parliamentary petition to review the penal code, to the wildly successful fundraiser for the initial challenge to the law. Becoming one of the named litigants himself, however, was a huge leap. What led to this point and precipitated his step up to being a public face of the legal challenge and its multiple appeals? What were the costs, and was it worth it? Other subscription, listening and following options here: ⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita #lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore

In this episode we hear how Bryan, increasingly becoming one of the public faces of Oogachaga, felt the need to be more visible in order to better represent the organization. We hear about the event, organized by Clarence Singham, which precipitated his coming out to the press. Bryan was also a regular in the army at the time, and he describes the experience he had revealing his sexuality there, knowing that his work and social lives were incompatible. He says, "People don't come from a bad place, they just come from a very clueless space." Other subscription, listening and following options here: ⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita #lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore

As we heard in a previous episode, Bryan Choong was one of the plaintiffs in the constitutional challenge to Section 377A, the law which criminalized homosexuality in Singapore. In fact, he is probably better known for his role in the development of Oogachaga, the counselling service and one of Singapore's oldest registered queer organizations. In this episode of Semua Kita, we speak to him for an insider's view into the early days of Oogachaga: from its humble beginnings as an underground support group, meeting in participants' bedrooms, to its expansion into a telephone hotline and chatrooms, to where it is today.

Other subscription, listening and following options here: ⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita #lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore

In this episode of Semua Kita we continue our conversation with Roy as he pivoted away from being on the committee of Pink Dot, to mounting a constitutional challenge to Section 377A. We explore why he felt that there was a good chance of success. Now that Section 377A has been repealed, what does Roy think about the future of queer freedoms in Singapore? Other subscription, listening and following options here: ⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita #lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore

In this episode of Semua Kita we continue our conversation with Roy as he talks about how he went from being only peripherally involved with Singapore's growing queer community, to taking a central place as one of its most visible activists and a founder of Pink Dot, Singapore's annual LGBTQ event. Pink Dot was successful from the start, but faced ongoing criticism of complicity with governmental tokenism and its own lack of activism, particularly with its decision to downplay the protest aspect of the event and not mention Section 377A, the law which criminalized homosexuality in Singapore. Why did this change? Other subscription, listening and following options here: ⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita #lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore

Many people know Roy as the recorder of Singapore's modern LGBTQ history, in this episode of Semua Kita he discusses what his motivations are, how he was influenced by activism taking place in other Asian countries and what helped keep his commitment to history going. But Roy was much more than an observer, he was also a participant in Singapore's gay social spaces. When law enforcement became more permissive in the late 90s, were there any changes to the mainstream and alternative places where people could meet? Encountering those like themselves allowed gay people to talk about their shared experiences and their increasing indignation at the unfair treatment they had in society. Other subscription, listening and following options here: ⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita #lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore

In the last episode of Semua Kita, we heard how, in the early 80s, access to information about being gay in Singapore was limited. The Hite Report was important in introducing the idea of homosexuality to a curious audience. But her studies were based in the United States. How relevant was this to Roy, and of what significance was it? Hong Lim Park then became a place where Roy could explore these feelings further, as a place for both physical contact and forming human connection. It was where gay men could meet, but it was put in jeopardy when the police started raiding it and other spaces. HIV and AIDS and the ensuing entrapment operations transformed how gay men found safety there. Roy was overseas at the height of the raids, but he was always drawn back. Other subscription, listening and following options here: ⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita #lgbtq #queer #oralhistory #singapore

In this episode of Semua Kita we speak to Roy Tan, a towering figure who is intimately associated with Singaporean gay history, whether as its unofficial chronologist, a founder of Pink Dot, or a litigant in the legal challenges to the decriminalization of Section 377A. But what was it like being a teenager in Singapore in the 1970s when it felt like you were the only gay on the island? Roy tells us more. Other subscription, listening and following options here: ⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita #queer #LGBTQ #oralhistory #singapore

In this episode of Semua Kita, our last with Alex, he reflects on decades of gay liberation in Singapore, and why our experience is so unique in Southeast Asia. But first, Alex remembers a brief foray into running a sauna in Singapore… Other subscription, listening and following options here: ⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita #queer #LGBTQ #oralhistory #singapore

In this episode of Semua Kita, Alex talks about Nation, a circuit party which started in Singapore in 2000, and its eventual closure, an event which was momentous in many ways, not the least of which was because it birthed two Singaporean queer rights organizations which are active today: IndigNation and Pink Dot. Alex also reflects that activism can and should take many dispersed forms. Other subscription, listening and following options here: ⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita #queer #LGBTQ #oralhistory #singapore

With the disbanding of PLU and the Sunday Fora, LGBTQ Singaporeans found other places to meet. In the 90s a novel space opened up on line with the increasing availability of internet relay chat (IRC). Alex explains some of the surprises he encountered, including discovering more about the anonymous people hosting community chatgroups. For those who wanted to meet face to face, opportunities existed in private homes, and one of these, the Forbidden Fruit self-help group, proved to be a powerful place which enabled the sharing of personal stories, in a way which PLU had not. Alex tells us more. Other subscription, listening and following options here: ⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita #queer #LGBTQ #oralhistory #singapore

In the last episode Alex told us about the establishment of PLU and its public meetings at the Substation. In this episode we hear about how its growth meant that it could no longer remain an underground organization. What were the next steps and how did setbacks clarify the direction of the growing movement? "Semua Kita - all of us" is a podcast featuring oral histories of the LGBTQ community in Singapore, from the 1980s until decriminalization in 2022. Other subscription, listening and following options here: https://bit.ly/m/semuakita #queer #LGBTQ #oralhistory #singapore

In this episode we speak to Alex Au, widely acknowledged as the godfather of the gay liberation movement in Singapore. Here he tells us about what gay life was like in the late 80s and early 90s, and how a police raid on a gay disco led to the formation of one of Singapore's seminal LGBTQ organizations, People Like Us, more commonly referred to as PLU. "Semua Kita - all of us" is a podcast featuring oral histories of the LGBTQ community in Singapore, from the 1980s until decriminalization in 2022. Other subscription, listening and following options here: ⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita #queer #LGBTQ #oralhistory #singapore

Semua Kita - "all of us" - is a podcast featuring oral histories of the LGBTQ community in Singapore, from the 1980s until decriminalization in 2022. If you're interested in stories of queer activism in the Lion City, then you are in the right place. Learn about the time before the repeal of Section 377A, of the social groups that existed before Pink Dot, and of the in-person and on-line spaces which led to the formation of a Singaporean queer community. Listen to what challenges they faced, and how they overcame them, in the voices of the people who were there. This season, join us on our journey as we hear queer Singaporeans tell us what it was like to find their chosen family on this sunny island set in the sea. These are their stories. These are our stories. These are stories of all of us.

Other subscription, listening and following options here: ⁠https://bit.ly/m/semuakita #queer #LGBTQ #oralhistory #singapore