Sin-Gay-Pore?

An expatriate acquaintance told me this: One-third of Singaporean males are gay.

Wow. Is that even possible? In a country so anal and homophobic, I couldn't fathom how he could get to such a conclusion.

The odd thing was I seem to learn a lot about Singapore from foreigners. Another expat told me about Raffles City, a big mall in town. He said, "Stand in the center of the atrium, look up, and see all those guys leaning against the railings of the different floors. They are all cruising." That was fascinating to me. I took his dare and indeed I saw guys just standing around. At first I thought they were waiting for friends, or just resting, tired from shopping. Until I walked past a white male in his 50's trying to pick up a 20-something. It was unmistakable, especially when he was blaring out in his Aussie accent about his sexual prowess. The boy, in all his Asian sensibilities was obviously cringing at being the center of attraction in what was supposed to be discreet.

It was also through foreigners that I learned a few more truths about Singaypore. I discovered that the 'Pink Dollar' is starting to gain prominence. Shops and services catering to the gay community are on the rise. They may be poor cousins to what you may find in Compton Street or Christopher Street. But the spirit is all there.

It is a spirit which I only started feeling when I first visited New York a few years back. I admit it. The word 'gay' to me was dirty. Something conditioned by environment more than a personal ethos. Then a friend guided me into world of the 'beautiful' men. Flashing lights, thumping house music, tight jeans, and gigantic muscles. Apparently no self respecting fpt gay man would dance with a shirt on. Sad to say, prior to that experience, I shared the same misconception as any straight Singaporean that gay men were mostly twinkies; thin, submissive and effeminate (the stereotype that some foreigners go for, much like how their straight counterparts choose their Asian mail order brides).

But these were men. Everything you would assume men should be...but more. Of course not everyone was body beautiful. But neither were they the odd outsider, they were regular people with regular lives. And they had their existence recognized as a community. Suddenly I could see 'gay' as power.

So perhaps what the expatriate acquaintance told me is true. One-third of Singaporean males are gay. And of course that is yet to cover Lesbians, Transgendered and Bisexuals. But one will never be able categorically confirm the truth of the statement. Can anyone really know what turns another person on, either emotionally or sexually if they don't tell you?

With the Prime Minister saying the Government is open to hiring openly gay individuals/foreigners into public service, the Pandora's box has been blasted sky wide. Even gay Singaporeans who chose to enjoy anonymity cannot remain hidden anymore.

How can they? When even their 'sympathizers' write to the dailies saying 'Hate the sin, Love the sinner'. How can they when people have resurrected the absolutely stupid and incorrect notion that AIDS is a gay disease. How can they when one church chose to put up a huge banner on the side of its exterior wall, visible from the above ground subway tracks, calling for confused gay individuals to change their ways through God. How can they when Church groups are now doing online and offline hate campaigns to lobby the Government to overturn their positioning. As a journalist noted over the weekend, since when has the Church persecuted its neighbors and er, its Prime Minister?

I never believed in politicizing the issue of identity. One needs to be allowed to be who one chooses to be sans discrimination. But in considering the Church's position, and in respecting its stand on how immoral gay people are, I am left with the following questions:

-What recourse does the Church suggest, since the very existence of homosexuality appears to be against the teachings of Christianity? Will a hate campaign solve the issue or further divide the camps?
-Would rounding every Gay man, woman, child, animal and insect and marooning them on an island help? I believe such an island would be called Mykonos.
-Since the existence of homosexuals in society is considered damaging to morality, does the Church prefer them dead? Or perhaps would they prefer compulsory re-programming and/or institutionalization?
-How would the Church propose to identify who is gay and by which criteria? By how creative their hairstyles are? Haven't we all learned from the Salem witch hunt? Or should Arthur Miller be made compulsory reading?
-What would the Church do if they discovered gay individuals within their ranks, or the ministerial leadership, or business heads, the media, etc. Replace them with less qualified people?

So what can you say about the Prime Minister if Singapore? He is realistic. You just cannot ignore or persecute the 'crime' of existence. But he is treading on thin ice. Surrounded by a ring of fundamentalists as neighbors, it won't be easy to affect change. Malaysia has already joined a coalition to remove gay rights. 'Nuff said.

Still the march is on. There are so many Singaporean gay websites, businesses, social groups that change is inevitable. There is incredible strength in a collective identity. And when the Singaporean 'Pink Dollar' gets more powerful, there is no stopping the need for a new social order. After all, Singapore is all about dollars and cents.

Perhaps when the need for acceptance is led by yet another Government campaign will things get better. They succeeded with the racial harmony campaign, why not a 'Love Your Neighbor' or a 'So What?' campaign?

Perhaps one day, Singapore will join the ranks of Europe, Australia and the Americas and have its own Pride Parade. God and perhaps even the Singapore Government knows its a real tourist dollar booster. A theater group is about to stage a play about it (surprising since the authorities passed it).

Perhaps one day life will imitate art.