'The Change We Want To See' :: Pink Dot 14 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ :: 2022

From todayonline updated on 19 June, 2022.

Pink Dot 14 is the first IRL event at Hong Lim Park in two years since pandemic restrictions lifted. I'm happy that they shifted the event to a 'day' version. No lights, no torches. It was just placards and a sea of pink visible in the final light of the day. The organizers and emcees started rounding up people at 6pm to hold placards, and at 7pm, it was the official time of marking the 'dot', so to speak. 

It was a busy Saturday for us and we didn't get to the venue till 6.15pm. That was perfectly fine because we were still in time! And the heat of the day had receded a little. There was a snaking but fast-moving queue to get into the venue since gathering regulations stipulated TraceTogether vaccination proof, SafeEntry, bag checks and of course, identity card checks.

We had friends who camped outside and set up picnic mats at the fringes because their identity cards didn't permit them to step inside the perimeter. Green hedges and metal barricades were of no blockage to their view though. And while they couldn't hold up placards, they could still enjoy the festivities and be there.   

Of course we hauled the dog along to this event because we knew she wouldn't be too frightened by the crowds. The heat was tolerable and she was hydrated with chilled water. It was 4.5-year-old Choya's first Pink Dot. It might well be the most crowded event that we've brought her to. She was fine with the humans; she was a tad overwhelmed by the loud speakers and music. So I brought her to the back where the community tents were, and away from the speakers. A few friends also stayed here with their dogs, so with company and less boom sounds, she stopped trembling and felt better. Good job, girl.

14 years on, I feel that Pink Dot's annual event ought to be attended by allies more than the LGBTQ+ community. Voices matter. Many voices will aid the flow of changes. It's about sending a strong message of support, and that we want the same changes the community wants. It's about according a country's citizens and residents fair and non-discriminatory treatment, as all secular first world nations should. 

The man and I wanted to be there, to be present. We were in town, and we wanted to make an effort to be at Hong Lim Park, to add to the numbers and hold up placards. We want to be visible, to make it known that we are allies to our LGBTQ+ friends, and not just within our social circles. We want the government to make the fair changes due to the LGBTQ+ community because it is only reasonable. Otherwise our laws are truly discriminatory to certain segments of society. I'm not sure how to exist in a society with far right viewpoints and my neighbor justifying his right in dictating how I live and what value system I should hold. We're no good stuck in our private social silos, and not being empathetic to the rest of the community. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️