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