Pink Dot 13 🏳️‍🌈 (Livestreamed)

The livestream was hosted by Pam Oei and Harris. 

Pink Dot 13 was observed on 12 June. The 13th one. Livestreamed, of course. Gone are the days of huge crowds at public gatherings. Is it important to do this year after year? Yes. There's a need to have a continuous and consistent voice. Pink Dot Singapore has had a busy year. There have been anti-LGBTQIA sentiments, as well as seeing three brave individuals go up against the established norms to mount three separate legal challenges in court to Section 377A. 

It's a long and arduous journey ahead, but if the short-term end goal is to eradicate Section 377A, that's a plausible goal. It will be landmark, sadly. This archaic law has no meaning in today's world. The government's filmsy excuse that segments of society aren't ready to repeal 377A is simply, tacitly agreeing to social discrimination, and legalizing it. If our government really thinks the LGBTQIA community doesn't face discrimination in Singapore simply because people can get jobs and the law doesn't enforce Section 377A, then they're wearing rose-tinted lenses, to put it politely.

It's another virtual Pink Dot this year. 🏳️‍🌈 #Pride2021 I didn't bother with putting up fairy lights again. Hahaha. I really cannot deal with blinking lights or extra lights around the house. Plus my flat doesn't face the public, so there's no one to see what I do. There really isn't a point to make a statement when I know my stand. 🧐 

It's not difficult to show some love by signing up to light up virtually, tuned in to the livestream, doing watch parties (in tiny groups), taking some photos and making our stance clear, and our feelings known. I did find a multi-colored bow for the dog, found a pink top to wear, and grabbed some photos for social media.

Discrimination of any sort shouldn't be tolerated. Sexual preferences (unless deviantly so, say with underaged humans, corpses or animals) should never factor in how we judge another. There isn't one traditional heterosexual model of the concept of family. Even polygamy is still legally allowed and practiced in 58 out of nearly 200 sovereign states, and who are we to disapprove of that if that's what the society wants? We should get on with times. 

The pandemic is pushing out the ugly in many. Racism has always existed in Singapore, perhaps muted, and usually laughed away as a joke. Now, it has reared its head painfully high and loud above the veneer of 'racial harmony and tolerance'. As unsettling and upsetting these racist incidents are, I find that somewhat positive because it forces a national conversation, making people sit up and think, instead of sweeping it under the carpet yet again. The national newspapers are reluctant to take up issues of racism and people aren't encouraged to talk about it. Social media is truly an enabler in this sense. 

We could really use some kindness floating around. Are we so fixated on differences and how these differences form our prejudices? In an ideal society, no one should deem themselves superior to another; the strong ought to protect the weak and not pick them off or bully them. We must never acquiesce when it comes to standing up for fairness, justice and equality.