Pink Dot 10
The annual lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) rally, Pink Dot, marked its 10th anniversary at Hong Lim Park on Saturday, July 21, 2018.
Over the past decade, though, Pink Dot has come a long a way since it first started back in 2009.
In its first year, there were just 2,500 participants
2009 - The first time Pink Dot was organised, it drew an estimated 2,500 participants
2010 - The second time saw 4,000 people turning up for the event
2011 - At the rally, more than 10,000 participants turned up for the event, more than twice the number in 2010
2012 - This year was the first time Pink Dot was held at night, and some 15,000 people turned up for the event
2013 - As many as 21,000 showed up for the event, and they started spilling out of the main park area
2014 - In total, 26,000 people showed up to form the dot, in quite a prettily-coordinated light-up sequence
2015 - This time, a record of 28,000 people showed up for the Let Love Shine
2016 - This year saw Pink Dot briefly return to its original daytime format where the torch lights were replaced with placards written with messages of support
2017 - This year saw significant changes to the organisation of the Dot. Nevertheless, more than 20,000 people attended, with Pink Dot theming its event for the year as “Against All Odds”
2018 - Preceding the dot light-up was the light-up of the year’s theme: “We Are Ready”. What will next year bring for Pink Dot?
read moreSingapore’s Pink Dot marks 10 years of calling for LGBT rights
People attend Pink Dot 10 at Hong Lim Park in Singapore on 21 July 2018. Source: Instagram @Geekywhale via Pink Dot
LARGE crowds of Singaporeans have again gathered calling for the advancement of rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people in the wealthy city-state.
Pink Dot SG – an LGBTQ event first held in the Southeast Asian nation in 2009 and which has sparked similar events around the region – celebrated its tenth year on Saturday at so-called Speaker’s Corner at Hong Lim Park, the only place it is legal to hold a public demonstration in Singapore.
The theme of Pink Dot 10 was “We Are Ready”, with activists and community members issuing 10 declarations about the need to provide equal rights for LGBTQ people in the nation’s schools, workplaces and in the healthcare system.
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Pink Dot celebrates 10th edition
Pink Dot 2018's light-up formation this year says "We Are Ready". (foto: Fann Sim)
Hong Lim Park was covered in large swathes of pink on Saturday (Jul 21) as supporters turned up for the 10th edition of the annual lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender & queer (LGBTQ) rally Pink Dot.
While mostly attended by young Singaporeans, older folks like 70-yr-old Frankie Kwok & his family were seen among the sea of pink attendees.
"I am a pioneer so I am supporting a lot of my young friends for equal rights ... It's only good that everybody can live in harmony regardless of whatever gender they are or whatever they choose to be," said Mr Kwok, who has attended every Pink Dot event since 2009.
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Pink Dot celebrates its 10th year
A photo exhibition featuring LGBTQ individuals is also on display at the Intermission Bar in Golden Mile Tower, displaying portraits of 150 individuals in Singapore.
The exhibition titled Out in Singapore was shot by prominent Singaporean photographer Leslie Kee.
Among the notable names featured includes director Glen Goei, 55, as well as founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew's grandson, Mr Li Huanwu, 31, general manager, and his partner, Mr Yi Rui Heng, 27, veterinarian. Mr Li's father is Mr Lee Hsien Yang, the younger son of the late Mr Lee.
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Singapore’s rare gem for LGBT community shines brighter than ever
Pink Dot: Singapore’s rare gem for LGBT community shines brighter than ever
In protest-averse Singapore, where civil society activists rejoice when their events draw more than 500 people, the annual Pink Dot gay pride rally has become a stand-out affair for its ever-swelling crowds.
Now in its 10th edition, this year’s rally to be held on Saturday afternoon is expected to once again pull in a crowd of more than 20,000 people comprising the country’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community as well as many of their straight allies.
As in previous years, the event will be held in Speakers’ Corner, the country’s sole free speech park and the only place where authorities say Pink Dot can be held.
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PINK DOT 10: AN OUTREACH OF LOVE AND COMPASSION ACROSS ALL BARRIERS
Singapore’s largest LGBTQ-affirming movement, Pink Dot SG, today marked a momentous 10 years with a strong, confident statement to the country. Emblazoned across a sea of pink lights created by thousands of Singaporeans and Permanent Residents were three simple yet powerful words – We Are Ready – a clarion call for inclusion, diversity and equality.
Pink Dot 10 was both a celebration and a sneak peek into the movement’s future. The inaugural PinkFest that took place over three weeks prior to Pink Dot today, saw over 20 LGBTQ-themed events created and curated by businesses, companies and individuals. Hundreds of people – LGBTQ and straight – attended these events in a strong show of support for the community.
Adding to this, and for the second year running, the Red Dot For Pink Dot initiative saw strong support among local businesses. 113 sponsors came onboard this year.
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5 Moments At Pink Dot 10 That Show How Far Singapore Has Come
And then there are the changemakers sparking important conversations about sexuality, simply by being out and proud. Take this photo of Lee Kuan Yew’s grandson Li Huanwu and his boyfriend at Pink Dot, which has been making the rounds online.
While the photo has received the usual criticism among more conservative quarters, it also serves as a poignant reminder that LGBTQ people are everywhere – even in Singapore’s first family of politics.
And if the Lee family of Oxley Road can accept their gay son, surely the Lee families of Tampines and Jurong West can, too.
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Dear Straight People July 22 at 11:18 AM
The gay grandson of Lee Kuan Yew, Li Huanwu and his boyfriend Yirui, were among the thousands of attendees at Pink Dot 2018!
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Pink Dot SG
Supporting the freedom to Love
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Pink Dot SG Like This Page · 22 May
ARE YOU READY? #WeAreReady #PinkDot10 — with Nick Ling and Sharon Au.
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Pink Dot 2018 enlists Sezairi, Tabitha Nauser, .gif and more for live performances
The annual Pink Dot gathering in support of the LGBTQ community in Singapore is set to return for its 10th year this coming weekend. This year, a varied line-up of local artists will perform at a free concert at the gathering on 21 July to support the freedom to love.
Some performers, like Tabitha Nauser, Hirzi and The Apex Project, will be returning to the Pink Dot stage, while Sezairi, .gif, Sobs, MAS1A & Ragga Waka, Subhas, Paper Citizen, Andreas Chua, Vanda Miss Joaqium, Randolf Arriola, Mantravine and DJ KFC make their debut.
The Pink Dot Concert 2018 will take place at Hong Lim Park from 6pm onwards. Entry is free, although the event is only open to Singaporeans and PRs. For entry, attendees are reminded to bring along their ICs, 11Bs, passports, or Student EZ-Link cards for identification.
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Pink Dot 2018
Started in 2009, Pink Dot is an annual, non-profit gay event in Singapore where participants gather to form a giant pink dot to show support for the LGBT community and to celebrate our diversity and the freedom to love.
In 2018, Dot is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 21st, at Hong Lim Park, starting from 3pm. Visit Pink Dot’s Facebook page for the latest updates. ONLY Singaporeans and Permanent Residents are permitted to attend Pink Dot. This was due to recent changes Singapore’s Public Order rules on general assembly. More information can be found here.
If you’re not a Singaporean citizen or Permanent Resident, please do not attempt to participate, as both you and the organisers would be breaking the Public Order rules.
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Pink Dot 2018 to be held on 21 July
Attendees of Pink Dot 2017 seen gathered at Hong Lim Park on 1 July last year. (PHOTO: Associated Press)
This year’s Pink Dot celebration will be held on 21 July at Hong Lim Park, said its organisers in a Facebook post on Sunday (21 January).
The date for this year’s event will coincide with Racial Harmony Day, an annual occasion during which schools reflect on Singapore’s racial and cultural heritage.
The Pink Dot rally, which supports Singapore’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, has been held annually since 2009.
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Li Huanwu updated his profile picture. Yesterday at 10:04
No call to social action this year -- I'll be more selfish: it's the day before my birthday (it's also the day after Magnus' birthday).
Be there. (And grab a drink when you stop by.)
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Pink Dot SG Like This Page · July 22, 2018 · Edited
Gerald IG @Geekywhale — with Kuangli Li, Heng Yirui, Li Huanwu and Ian Lau at Hong Lim Park.
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Lee Kuan Yew’s gay grandson publicly comes out of the closet
Singapore’s founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew’s grandson, Li Huanwu, publicly came out of the closet earlier this month. Both Huanwu and his boyfriend, Yirui Heng, were featured in the Out in Singapore platform, which aims to foster acceptance and support for “LGBTQ persons who wish to come out to family, friends and peers in the community.”
Huanwu and his partner can be seen with their arms around each other in portraits shot for Out in Singapore. The son of Lee Hsien Yang, 31-year-old Huanwu works as a general manager while his 27-year-old partner is a fellow Singaporean who works as a veterinarian.
While Huanwu has not publicly come out of the closet on such a scale in the past, he has urged Singaporeans to support Pink Dot over the past two years. Last year, Huanwu publicly appealed for members of the LGBT community and straight allies to attend the event in a show of solidarity.
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Pink Dot SG
Aerial photograph of the inaugural Pink Dot event held on Saturday, 16 May 2009 at Hong Lim Park.
Pink Dot SG, (more commonly referred to simply as Pink Dot) was held on Saturday, 16 May 2009.
It was Singapore's historic, first open air LGBT-supportive event. It established a record for the greatest number of participants to turn up for any congregation at Speakers' Corner, Hong Lim Park since the latter's inception.
The landmark gathering was accorded extensive coverage in the international and local media. In the years to come, similar eponymous events based on the original concept, values and messaging of Pink Dot would be held in cities all around the world.
Pink Dot SG
The LGBT community converging at Hong Lim Park in Singapore for Pink Dot SG in 2014
Pink Dot SG, known exonymously as Pink Dot, is an event that has occurred annually since 2009 in support of the LGBT community in Singapore. Attendees of Pink Dot events gather to form a "pink dot" to show support for inclusiveness, diversity and the freedom to love in the country. Pink Dot events typically include concert performances and booths sponsored by organizations that support the LGBT community and cause in addition to the event's name-brand formation.
The success of Pink Dot in Singapore has inspired similar events in several other countries, leading to the event to become known as Pink Dot SG — SG being an initialism for Singapore. It has been held each year in Singapore from 2009 to 2019 at the Speakers' Corner in Hong Lim Park on a Saturday in the months of May, June or July. The 2020 and 2021 editions were held as online livestreams, in view of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The 2022 edition was held in-person once again in June.
In September 2008, the rules governing activities conducted at Singapore's Speakers' Corner at Hong Lim Park were relaxed, allowing demonstrations organised by Singaporeans to be held at the park, providing that all participants are either citizens or permanent residents. This allowed the first Pink Dot SG event to take place at the Speakers' Corner on 16 May 2009. A total of nine Pink Dot events have been held in Singapore, occurring annually on Saturdays in May, June or July. Many organisations around the world modeled LGBT events after the Pink Dot concept, often borrowing the "Pink Dot" prefix. For distinction, the Singapore events became known as Pink Dot SG. The design of the Pink Dot SG mascot "Pinkie", a personification of the pink dot, was provided by graphic designer Soh Ee Shaun.
Pink Dot SG
Straits Times article dated 25 September 2008
The novel concept of forming a giant pink dot itself, never before employed in any LGBT-supportive event in the world, was the brainchild of Pink Dot organising committee member and Fridae's Chinese section editor Choo Lip Sin. However, it must be mentioned that the first activist-inspired public gathering of people dressed in pink was organised by Miak Siew and took place 1 year earlier, in 2007, during the Pink Picnic held at the Botanic Gardens during the third year of IndigNation, Singapore's LGBT pride month. Also, Bian Tan was the first person to suggest on SiGNeL that a gathering of people togged out in pink would have more broad-based appeal than a gay pride parade. The rationale was that a mixed crowd of both straight and LGBT participants dressed the same way to support a cause would circumvent the problem of outing oneself as it would mean that just because one was seen at the event, this would not necessarily signify that one was gay. The design of the Pink Dot mascot, affectionately named "Pinkie", was later provided pro bono by straight graphic designer Soh Ee Shaun. Soh's help was solicited by Dominic Chua, a personal friend of his. The crafting of the PR-friendly slogan "Support the Freedom to Love", which was a concerted attempt to move away from using the word "rights" and which later gained widespread currency both locally and internationally, was the work of Ash Lim. Dr Stuart Koe, CEO of Fridae.com, generously agreed to making his immensely popular and socially responsible LGBT portal Pink Dot's first corporate sponsor. Koe provided website information technology, creative, marketing and logistics support, the use of the Fridae office for meetings, and at least $2,000 to get the inaugural event off the ground.
Prior to September 2008, Pink Dot would have been an illegal event, with the police regarding it as a form of demonstration in violation of the rules governing the use of the Speakers' Corner. For 8 years since its inception in 2000, users of Speakers' Corner were required to register themselves at the police post and were prohibited from employing any audio amplification equipment or conducting themselves in a manner which may be deemed a public protest or demonstration. The status quo changed on 1 September 2008 when the Government decided to relax the rules to allow for protests, demonstrations and self-powered sound systems, all made permissible by just a simple online registration with the National Parks Board (NParks). However, this newfound right was secured through years of effort by activists to open up political space and to persuade Singaporeans to accept the idea of peaceful protests. It took arrests, fines and prison sentences suffered by activists, in particular Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) leader Dr Chee Soon Juan. Chee made a decision in 1999 to risk imprisonment by embarking on a long-drawn campaign of civil disobedience to bring the government to bear for its refusal to honour its citizens' rights to free speech and assembly.
related:
Pink Dot 2021
Pink Dot 2020
Pink Dot 2019
Pink Dot 2018
The Great Barricade @ Pink Dot 2017
Pink Dot 2016 @ Hong Lim Park
Pink Dot 2015
Pink Dots @ Hong Lim Park 2014
Pink Dots @ Hong Lim Park 2013
Pink Dot 2012
Pink Dot 2020
Pink Dot 2019
Pink Dot 2018
The Great Barricade @ Pink Dot 2017
Pink Dot 2016 @ Hong Lim Park
Pink Dot 2015
Pink Dots @ Hong Lim Park 2014
Pink Dots @ Hong Lim Park 2013
Pink Dot 2012
Pink Dot 2009
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