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Is Singapore not ready to accept the LGBT community just yet?

We can agree that the view Singaporeans had towards the Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBT) community has changed drastically
over the past decade, especially with events such as Pink Dot SG,
supporting the belief that everyone deserves the freedom to love. ("About
Pink Dot SG) However, there are still many stigmas and controversies
surrounding the LGBT community in Singapore. According to Prime
Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore is still not ready for same-sex
marriage because the society is still conservative although it is changing
gradually. (Wong) Hence, Singapore is clearly still not ready to accept the
LGBT community.
The media is a very powerful tool that can change and influence how we
perceive and think about certain topics or issues. I believe that the
inadequate representation of the LGBT community in the Singapore media
has influenced us greatly and is one of the main reasons why
Singaporeans are still not ready to accept the LGBT community.
For example, when channel 5, a free-to-air station, aired an episode of a
home and dcor programme titled Find and Design which featured a gay
couple having a room transformed into a new nursery, they were fined
S$15,000 by the Media Development Authority (MDA). They took issue with
the presenter congratulating and acknowledging the gay couple and their
baby as a family unit in a way which normalizes their gay lifestyle and
unconventional family setup. ("MediaCorp Fined for Airing Show Featuring
Gay Couple")
Another example would be the famous and openly gay talk show host Ellen
DeGeneres, who had a 3-minute segment of her show The Ellen Show,
censored, as she condemned homophobia and spoke about the recent fatal
shooting of a 15-year-old gay student in school. ("Singapore TV Station Fined
S$15,000 For Showing A ''Normal'' Gay Family")
This is not the first time where the hosts show has been censored or cut our
completely, before airing on Singapore TV. In another episode of The Ellen
Show, a segment where President Obama addresses host DeGeneres
contributions to the LGBT community was cut entirely from the broadcast on
Channel 5. (Yip)
The main objectives of state censorship is to maintain social cohesion and
public order, to protect the national interest of Singapore, and also for the
protection of traditional Asian values and to safeguard the nation.
For example, the show Find and Design was fined as it was in breach of
the Free-to-Air TV Programme Code which disallows programmes that
promote, justify or glamourise gay lifestyles. ("MediaCorp Fined for Airing
Show Featuring Gay Couple") Any type of content related to the topic of

LGBT will be censored so as to protect the nation from these negative


influences.
A study by the institute of Policy Studies released at the start of 2014
found that 78.2 percent of Singaporeans felt that sexual relations between
same-sex adults is always or almost always wrong, and 72.9 percent of
them were against same-sex marriage. ("Wear White to Protest Singapore
Pink Gay Rally, Religious Groups Say")
Thus, the inadequate representation of the LGBT community in the Singapore
media due to the strict state censorship that is being constantly reinforced,
prevents audiences from being exposed and educated on such issues and
subsequently accepting the LGBT community.
Besides being censored frequently, there is also very little portrayal of the
LGBT community in the Singapore media. And when there is, they are
almost always depicted in a very offensive and defamatory way, either as
promiscuous, desperate, or a sissy.
For example, in 1992, Channel 8 released a drama titled A bright future,
which starred a handsome, masculine protagonist called Yufeng, who was
the love interest of another man named Ken, a stereotypically effeminate
gay man. However, in the following weeks after the release of the series,
numerous letters of complaint were received by SBC and it spawned
several articles in the Chinese press. This also caused the station to put
off gay subplots for many years. (Xiao and Toh)
Another example would be the Singapore movie Army Daze, where a
soldier named Kenny was portrayed as another stereotypically effeminate
Eurasian youth. In the movie, he was usually made fun of on how he
manages to feminize any situation he is in. ("Army Daze") This showed
that gay characters are often created as the subject of ridicule and
laughter, and not to be taken seriously.
In order to provide the public access to a wide range of content while at
the same time protect the young from undesirable materials, the Board of
Film Censors Classification Guidelines is introduced.
According to the guidelines, any films that portray, as a main theme,
same-sex marriages or parenting will fall under the R21 rating, but
subjected to strict review. ("BOARD OF FILM CENSORS CLASSIFICATION
GUIDELINES") Such as acclaimed director Royston Tans short film,
Anniversary, which explored gay relationships, sexy, orgy and drugs,
received an R21 rating. (Tan)
Even though homosexual contents are allowed to be screened under the
Board of Film Censors Classification Guideline, it can only be done so if the
content is limited, does not promote homosexual lifestyles and if it does
not depict homosexuality in a positive way. This results in any media
portrayal of the LGBT community to almost always be negative.

The Singapore media has already influenced the public greatly towards
their perception of the LGBT community, however, the Singapore law
implemented towards the LGBT community further influenced
Singaporeans into believing that LGBT community in Singapore is not
accepted. For example, under the law, same-sex sexual activity for male is
illegal, same-ex marriages is not recognized, and adoption of children by
same-sex couples is illegal. No anti-discrimination protections for LGBT
status has been put in place. Prior to 2003, homosexuals were even
barred from being employed in sensitive positions within the Singapore
Civil Service. ("LGBT Rights in Singapore")
Besides the Singapore law and media classification guidelines,
discrimination towards the LGBT community also exists in Singapore
Armed Forces (SAF). Although SAF does not regard homosexuality as a
disease or mental illness, it is obliged to treat gay servicemen who declare
their sexual orientation differently as homosexuality and
transsexuality are conditions listed in a Directory of Diseases published
by the SAF. ("Gay Men in The Singapore Armed Forces")
Why is Singaporeans still not ready to accept the LGBT community?
I strongly believe one of the main reasons that the LGBT community is still
not being accepted is because of the strict state censorship being
constantly reinforced in Singapore media, the negative media portrayal of
the LGBT community and not to forget the laws put in place to try and ban
most if not all forms of homosexual behaviors. This shows that the LGBT
community is constantly being put in a bad light and is not being
characterized truthfully and fairly and this in turn causes the public to
possibly instill a sense of hatred or prejudice towards the LGBT
community.
If it seems that the Singapore media and government is not ready to
accept the LGBT community, why should the Singaporeans?

Works Cited
"About Pink Dot SG". Pink Dot Sg., 2016. Web. 1 Nov. 2016.
http://pinkdot.sg/about-pink-dot/
"Army Daze". Viki. Web. 2 Nov. 2016.
https://www.viki.com/movies/30472c-army-daze?locale=en
"BOARD OF FILM CENSORS CLASSIFICATION GUIDELINES". IMDA., 2016.
Web. 2
Nov. 2016.
https://www.imda.gov.sg/~/media/imda/files/regulation licensing and
consultations/content and standards classification/video
games/classification_guidelines_15072011.pdf?la=en
"Gay Men in The Singapore Armed Forces". Sporelgbtpedia.shoutwiki.com.
Web. 2 Nov.
2016.
http://sporelgbtpedia.shoutwiki.com/wiki/Gay_men_in_the_Singapore
_Armed_Forces
"LGBT Rights in Singapore". Equaldex.com. Web. 2 Nov. 2016.
http://www.equaldex.com/region/singapore
"MediaCorp Fined for Airing Show Featuring Gay Couple".
News.asiaone.com., 2008.
Web. 1 Nov. 2016.
http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest+News/Showbiz/Story/A1Story
20080425-61734.html
"Singapore TV Station Fined S$15,000 For Showing A ''Normal'' Gay
Family".
Fridae.asia., 2008. Web. 1 Nov. 2016.
http://www.fridae.asia/gay-news/2008/04/25/2047.singapore-tvstation-fined-s-15000-for-showing-a-normal-gay-family

Tan, Sylvia. "Royston Tan's Gay Short Film Anniversary Gets R21 Rating".
Fridae.asia., 2009.
Web. 2 Nov. 2016.
http://www.fridae.asia/gay-news/2009/11/13/9337.royston-tans-gayshort-film-anniversary-gets-r21-rating
"Wear White to Protest Singapore Pink Gay Rally, Religious Groups Say".
Reuters., 2014.
Web. 2 Nov. 2016.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-singapore-protestsidUSKBN0EY0SB20140623
Wong, Siew Ying. The Straits Times., 2015. Web. 1 Nov. 2016.
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapore-not-ready-forsame-sex-marriage-as-society-is-still-conservative-pm-lee
Xiao, Yan and Diana Toh. "Issues in Queer Identity". 50 Years of Singapore
Television An Exhibition., 2013. Web. 2 Nov. 2016.
https://sgtv50.wordpress.com/issues-in-queer-identity/
Yip, Wai Yee. "Singapore Cuts Obamas LGBT Comments On Ellen". The
Straits Times.,
2016. Web. 1 Nov. 2016.
http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/entertainment/singapore-cutsobamas-lgbt-comments-on-ellen-0

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