Singapore holds momentous LGBTQ march after gay sex ban lifted
“At the end of the day, the most valuable thing is family,” a Pink Dot organiser said.
Singapore’s annual Pink Dot rally saw massive crowds gather to stand in solidarity with LGBTQ+ rights.
On Saturday (24 June), the Pink Dot rally took place for the first time since the decriminalisation of gay sex last year.
Thousands congregated at Hong Lim Park, TIME reported. The park is the only legal protest site in the country of 5.7 million.
Section 377A of the penal code was repealed last November. The colonial-era law criminalised consensual sex between two men.
Though Section 377A had not been enforced since 2007, its looming presence was still a threat to the LGBTQ+ community.
As well as a demonstration of pride and solidarity, this year’s rally was underscored with continued protest.
This year’s Pink Dot theme was ‘Celebrating All Families.’ It acted as a protest against the government’s position that granting LGBTQ+ citizens greater liberties threatens the “traditional family.”
“Our families are equally valid and deserving of a place in Singapore.”
Pink Dot has been taking place since 2009 but grown increasingly political as campaigners push for LGBTQ+ rights.
Clement Tan, a spokesperson for Pink Dot, noted the Section 377A repeal was a “step in the right direction,” but not the end of their struggle.
“This year, we want to send the message that our families are equally valid and deserving of a place in Singapore,” Tan told TIME.
“Our approach from year to year has shifted but our mission has always remained the same: to bring LGBTQ+ persons closer to their families, friends, and communities, and to stand against discrimination, whatever form it might take.”
“At the end of the day, the most valuable thing is family,” Phuong says. “Every gay or lesbian [couple], they have the same equal right to build their own family just as the straight couple.”