24/06/2023

Pink Dot 2023

PINK DOT 15: CELEBRATING ALL FAMILIES

Thousands gathered for the fifteenth edition of Pink Dot at Hong Lim Park, and the first to take place following the historic repeal of Section 377A in 2022. The event culminated in a night-time formation with the word “Family” lighting up the night in the colours of the rainbow. 

“Since repeal, we have heard countless conversations about the need to protect ‘family values’ from the LGBTQ+ community. What are you protecting families from? We have families and love them too,” said Pink Dot SG spokesperson Clement Tan. “LGBTQ+ people are often minorities within our own families and often face rejection by the very people who are meant to support us. When we strive to form our own versions of family, we encounter obstacles because we do not fit the mould of a traditional nuclear family. We are told that our bonds are not worthy of recognition and that we do not belong here. It was thus so beautiful to see families – biological and chosen, ally and queer – coming together at Pink Dot to take a stand for a more inclusive Singapore, one which celebrates and supports all families regardless of what they look like.”

Elaborating on Pink Dot’s direction after repeal advocacy, he said: “Our advocacy will always reflect the community’s most pressing needs. Research shows that the community is most concerned about issues such as bullying and harassment, barriers to starting families, as well as barriers to buying homes. This year’s theme is a response not only to damaging anti-family narrative, but reflects a real concern shared by LGBTQ+ people and allies alike.” The findings are part of a study commissioned by Pink Dot in partnership with Milieu Insight, and will be released in full later this year.


Supporters of LGBTQ community gather at first Pink Dot event after 377A repeal
The crowd at Pink Dot formed the word "family" in rainbow colours on Jun 24, 2023. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)

At the first Pink Dot event after Singapore repealed Section 377A - a colonial-era law that criminalised gay sex - the mood was one of celebration, said participants and the organiser. Thousands turned up at Hong Lim Park on Saturday (Jun 24) to support the LGBTQ community. Like in previous years, many came with picnic mats, food and their pets.

A participant who was attending Pink Dot for the second time said that while the event appeared the same, she felt very different this time. "Last year when I was here, I felt very stressed out ... I think because we were fighting for the repeal," said the 18-year-old who identifies as gender fluid and only wanted to be known as Gwen. "(This year), the atmosphere is a lot calmer, peaceful."

Pink Dot, which started in 2009, had in the past advocated for the repeal of Section 377A. Parliament passed legislation last November to repeal the law. At the same time, the House passed amendments to the Singapore Constitution to protect the definition of marriage against legal challenge, making it clear that same-sex marriage was not on the cards after the repeal. This came after hours of debate over two days, during which Members of Parliament supported repealing 377A but also raised concerns about protecting traditional family structures and values.

Thousands throng Hong Lim Park to celebrate first Pink Dot SG rally since Section 377A repeal
The night ended with attendees getting together in a light-up formation spelling out the word “family”. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY

Hong Lim Park was again decked in pink as thousands celebrated the first Pink Dot SG rally since the repeal of Section 377A, the law that criminalised gay sex.

Saturday’s rally, the annual event’s 15th iteration, sought to celebrate the families of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people and to invite the public to take a stand in envisioning a Singapore for all families. Attendees wearing various shades of pink began streaming in at around 4pm. They laid out picnic mats on the grass, with some waving pink and rainbow flags as performers took to the stage.

Similar to past rallies, they had to show a photo identification to confirm that they are Singaporeans or permanent residents. Foreigners are not allowed to take part in Speakers’ Corner events, which includes the Pink Dot rally. Attendees’ bags were also searched for security reasons. The night ended with attendees, who were encouraged to bring pink torches, getting together in a light-up formation to spell out the word “family”.


PINK DOT 15: A SINGAPORE FOR ALL FAMILIES

Pink Dot, Singapore’s landmark LGBTQ+ rally, returns to Hong Lim Park on 24 June 2023 with a night-time formation and mainstays like the Pink Dot Concert, speeches and community tents. The fifteenth edition – the first since the repeal of Section 377A – seeks to showcase and celebrate the families of LGBTQ+ people in all their diversity and affirm that they too, deserve a place in Singapore.

“Family should be a source of love, safety and comfort. However, LGBTQ+ people experience so much rejection and hurt, not only from family members who may struggle to accept us, but from segments of society who espouse harmful messages that pit us against ‘family values’,” said Pink Dot SG Spokesperson, Clement Tan. “The idea that LGBTQ+ people are a threat to families is preposterous. We have families too, and we love them and stand by them every day. These messages not only drive a wedge within Singapore society, they also divide households by turning family members against each other.”

In a campaign video featuring non-traditional families, Pink Dot sends the message that families are not defined by what they look like, but rather by the love we hold, the sacrifices we make, and the bonds we choose to forge. It welcomes all families to attend the event.


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 first 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

Pink Dot SG is a non-profit movement started by a group of disparate individuals. Dr Roy Tan, a medical practitioner with a passionate interest in archiving the history of Singapore's LGBT community, wanted to take advantage of the liberalisation, with effect from 1 September 2008, of rules governing activities that could be conducted at Speakers’ Corner, Hong Lim Park. He initially registered with the National Parks Board to stage a traditional pride parade on Saturday, 15 November 2008. The LGBT community's immediate response to the idea of a pride parade held in Singapore was less than encouraging. Tan’s promotion of the event on SiGNeL, a local LGBT mailing list, largely drew a blank. Slightly frustrated, he resolved to conduct a one-man pride parade with himself as the only person marching if it boiled down to that as he was determined to set a precedent that would facilitate the organisation of such events in the future. There was a real fear amongst closeted individuals that participating in a parade would be indirectly outing themselves to the world, especially with the intense media coverage that such a groundbreaking development in the conservative republic was expected to attract. Moreover, a pride parade was traditionally a form of protest and Singaporeans had become conditioned to being averse to protest marches after decades of authoritarian rule. As such, other community activists were concerned that the event might not gain the larger mainstream public acceptance that was its aim. Pink Dot SG evolved in the ensuing months out of brainstorming discussions by key stakeholders, rustled up by Tan with the help of his friend Dominic Chua.

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.


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