Every Singaporean should have the same basic rights. It’s the fundamental concept upon which Singaporean society is built upon. Chinese, Malay, Indian, Eurasian or whatever. No matter what your race or sex or religion is, you should be entitled to the same things others are. Somebody should tell that to those who attended the ‘Protect Singapore’ townhall.
Honestly, is it wrong that adding sexual orientation should be added to the list above?
For a ton of us liberal folk, the answer is of course no. The LGBTQ+ community deserves the same things us straight folk do.
I’d be the first to admit, I’m not down with teaching kids about fluid sexuality and all that, but for adults in the community, yeah I do believe they should have equal rights.
Tons of Singaporean Netizens view it the same way I do too.
Even somebody like Calvin Cheng chimed in to support the cause of giving the LGBTQ+ equal rights…or in this case, just repealing Section 377a.
That is unfortunately not the case for some Singaporeans, as it was shown at the recent ‘Protect Singapore’ townhall.
One does have to wonder though what exactly does Singapore needs to be protected from?
An influx of suddenly gays or bisexuals swarming into the country?
These people want Section 377a to stay unrepealed for no other reason than to deny the same basic rights they enjoy to others they deem unsuitable.
Isn’t that the very basis of discrimination?
The need to hide their bigotry behind not repealing Section 377a is hilarious.
Doubly so when you see that most of them say that they’re doing this for the kids.
Now here’s the exact wording on what Section 377a is from Singapore Statutes Online (which is a governmental website).
Is it just me or is there no mention at all of the law affecting kids, straight or married people? Why then are they so hard up at something that doesn’t even affect them in the least?
They’re fine with lesbians doing it, just not gay men?
Isn’t that hypocrisy? Or do they just hop on the bandwagon without even understanding what they’re up in arms about?
On the Protect Singapore organizers’ Facebook pages (here and here), the amount of hyperbole and self-congratulations going on destroyed my cringe meter. I honestly can’t believe that these people are so ensconced in their echo chamber that they believe that they’re in the right and speaking for the majority.
No, rather, I can’t believe these people think they’re speaking for me.
We we we we we.
We, the great majority.
That’s pretty assumptive isn’t it? You know what they say about assumptions, right?
Was there a poll done that I wasn’t privy to? Nobody sure as hell asked for my opinion. Or those of my family. Or those of my friends. Or their friends.
So how then is this the ‘majority’ of Singaporeans?
As a liberal Muslim, I’m actually saddened and disappointed (more than I thought I’d be) at the huge amount of comments against the LGBTQ+ community posted by accounts with Muslim names.
I’d honestly thought that Singaporean Muslims would be much more forward thinking and more accepting than the archaic ones living in the Middle East. After all, Singapore is an open and inclusive society and one that prides itself on racial harmony.
It turns out that’s not really true at all.
Some Singaporean Muslims are just as bigoted as those in Arab countries.
Thankfully, at least one local Muslim Netizen wasn’t swayed by religion or herd mentality.
He’s not the only one, but he’s the one with the comment I think succinctly describes the situation.
One does have to wonder though, how far will these people go?
Comments like this make me fear that there are actually hardcore extremist nutjobs among them that’d go to extreme lengths to make their point.
I mean who talks like that?
“…doesn’t mean we will not defend our values at the expense of our lives.”
That’s certainly not the thought pattern of somebody rational. It’s the thinking of an extremist zealot who doesn’t care about anything other than getting what they want. It’s my way or the highway thinking.
Hopefully, it’s just puffed up posturing online and not something worse.