Available in Print

I Will Survive: Personal gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender stories in Singapore is now available as a print book, in 2 different covers, in addition to the ebook format.

You can purchase your copy through the online webstore (free delivery to addresses in Singapore) or at the BooksActually store in Tiong Bahru, Singapore.

You can also find copies at Books Kinokuniya stores in Singapore, or make enquiries at the Information Counter, quoting “I Will Survive by Leow Yangfa“.

For a full list of locations, click here.

I Will Survive this June

June is often recognised as lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender (LGBT) Pride month, to commemorate the Stonewall riots – regarded by many as the birth of the modern LGBT-rights movement – which occurred at the end of June 1969. It also marks the start of summer in the northern hemisphere, heralding warmer weather and longer days. Many cities therefore organise Pride events in June to recognize and celebrate the impact and contributions of LGBT communities. In Singapore, Pink Dot - a large-scale public event  – will be held on 29 June at Hong Lim Park.

This June, I Will Survive celebrates LGBT Pride with the following activities:

I Will Survive in Family Service Centres is a month-long appeal to crowd-source funds to purchase copies of the book to be sent to Family Service Centres (FSCs), which are community-based social service centres staffed by professional social workers and counsellors. To date, funds have been raised to send books to all 42 FSCs, and additional funds pledged will go towards purchasing copies for counselling departments in universities, polytechnics and junior colleges. This professional outreach programme is carried out in collaboration with Oogachaga Counselling & Support.

I Will Survive in the Community is an intimate and interactive reading session to be held on 15 June, Saturday afternoon. There will be guests reading excerpts from the book, followed by Q & A with the editor. A small number of copies of the book will be available for sale, and some are available for loan from the library. This event is hosted by Pelangi Pride Centre, and requires prior registration. Admission is free, and places are limited, so click on the link to register now!

I Will Survive in Fridae Shop sees readers across LGBT Asia and the world being able to purchase copies of the book – in either pink or white covers – through the online portal. Look out for an online promotion in the last week of June…

I Will Survive at Pink Dot will see copies of the book being made available, free of charge, at Pink Dot in Hong Lim Park on 29 June. Details of who will be eligible for free copies will be made known soon!

Happy LGBT Pride!

I Will Survive in Family Service Centres

I WILL SURVIVE: THE BOOK

“I Will Survive: Personal gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender stories in Singapore” is the title of a book I edited, and published by Math Paper Press in April 2013.

It all started 4 years ago when I heard that a young gay man I knew killed himself a few days before his own birthday. He had bipolar disorder, and was also having relationship problems.

I decided that I would stop feeling helpless and went about collecting personal stories of how people managed to overcome challenges in their life.

The result is a collection of real-life experiences of love, grace, faith, dignity and courage from 21 ordinary gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in Singapore who have survived extraordinary circumstances.

FAMILY SERVICE CENTRES

Family Service Centres, commonly known as FSCs, are community-based social service agencies staffed by professional social workers and counsellors. They run a range of services, including counselling, information and referral, and community support programmes. There are approximately 40 FSCs spread out across Singapore, serving residents regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, ability and hopefully, sexual orientation too.

THE IMPACT

Presently in Singapore, Section 377A of the Penal Code criminalises consensual sex between adult men. A separate campaign has been launched to raise funds for a constitutional challenge to this law.

Based on a local survey done recently, levels of homophobia and transphobia are also worryingly high.

This means that on the one hand, while FSC professionals cannot be seen as endorsing homosexuality since it is illegal, they are also well-placed to provide help and support for the LGBT clients who approach them.

FUNDS NEEDED

As a social worker myself, I know the importance of social service professionals having the right skills to do their work, as well as sufficient awareness and exposure to their clients’ issues and realities, in order to work with and empower them.

June is traditionally LGBT Pride Month worldwide, and in Singapore, we will be coming together to celebrate the freedom to love at Pink Dot on 29 June 2013.

To mark the occasion, I would like to raise funds to send a copy of the book “I Will Survive” to each of the FSCs, as well as the respective professional bodies for social workers, counsellors and psychologists in Singapore.

The crowd-sourced target of USD$1,000 (approximately SGD$1,200) will go towards paying for the purchase of the book from the publisher, as well as local postage and packing. This is the breakdown:

• A copy of the book costs SGD$ 22.
• A padded envelope costs SGD$ 1.40.
• Local postage for the book costs SGD$ 1.50.
• This adds up to SGD$ 24.90 (approximately USD$ 20) per book.

The currency used in this campaign is in USD because Indiegogo does not process SGD.

The total figure has been rounded up, taking into account the 4% fee that Indiegogo will be deducting from the amount raised. Here’s the link to the crowd-sourcing campaign.

Any surplus money raised from the campaign will be donated to non-profit LGBT causes in Singapore.

OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP

If you’re not able to donate to this campaign, it’s OK too. You’ve already done a lot by reading so far, so perhaps you can also help by promoting this through the various social media share tools available.

Thank you so much for your support.

Book launch in video

On 17 May 2013, to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia & Transphobia, we launched the book at the showroom of the publisher, Math Paper Press.

Here are some videos that capture the welcome address, as well as readings of excerpts by Tania De Rozario, Rev Miak Siew & Ng Yi-Sheng.

Special thanks to Roy Tan for filming and editing.

Tania De Rozario, award-winning writer & visual artist, reads Tarry’s story “I remember him.”

Rev Miak Siew, Singapore’s first ordained openly-gay Christian minister, reads Rev Yap Kim Hao’s story “The wounded healer.”

Ng Yi-Sheng, freelance writer & artist, reads Lester’s story “My hopes & dreams.”

International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) 2013

What is IDAHO?

It stands for International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, which is marked on 17 May every year, to commemorate the World Health Organisation’s decision to remove homosexuality from the list of mental disorders in 1990.

In Singapore, it will be marked by the book launch of I Will Survive: Personal gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender stories in Singapore.

The UN Human Rights Office released the following video message to mark IDAHO 2013.  The video includes cameo appearances by UN Secretary-General and High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay. The UN’s message: LGBT rights are human rights. Together we will build a world that is free and equal. You are not alone.

So what are homophobia and transphobia?

Homophobia refers to a person’s fear, hostility or disgust towards homosexuality, and a prejudiced view that lesbians and gay men are wrong, illegal, sick, immoral or sinful. Simply put, it is a discriminatory, anti-gay point of view that is usually based in ignorance and hate. Likewise, transphobia is the term used to describe similar negative attitudes toward transgender people.

Like sexism, racism and xenophobia, homophobia and transphobia have no place in our world in the 21st century.

Homophobia and transphobia can result in a person’s avoidance of being associated with lesbians, gay men and transgender people, for fear of being perceived as lesbian, gay or transgender themselves. This person could be non-gay or non-transgender.

Some everyday international examples of homophobia and transphobia include:

• Students being called names and bullied by their peers in school, for behaving differently.
• Women getting raped so that they can be “corrected” and stop becoming lesbian.
• People voting to stop same-sex couples from having the right to be married.
• Police action against gay and lesbian activists.
• Being deprived of your rights because you have a different gender identity.
• People objecting to transgender women taking part in the Miss Universe pageant.
• Media depictions of gay or transgender people, which perpetuates negative stereotypes; or censorship of positive portrayals of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people.
• Having legislation that criminalises consensual sex between adult men.

Book Launch on 17 May

BooksActually
p r e s e n t s

「 I WILL SURVIVE :
Personal Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Stories in Singapore 」
edited by Leow Yangfa

: LAUNCH :
17th May 2013, Friday
7.30pm at Math Paper Press
(№ 62 Neil Road)

Join us at 62 Neil Road on 17 May to mark the International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia (IDAHO).   Join the Facebook event page here.

This event will feature excerpt readings by special guests, question & answer, and a book signing session with the editor.

: SPECIAL GUESTS :

~ Ovidia Yu, award-winning novelist, short-story writer and playwright. Among her many works are The Woman in a Tree on the Hill, Three Fat Virgins, Hitting (On) Women, and Miss Moorthy Investigates.

~ Tania De Rozario, award-winning writer and visual artist, whose latest collection of poetry Tender Delirium has just been published by Math Paper Press.

~ Leona Lo, who published her autobiography From Leonard to Leona, A Singapore Transsexual’s Journey to Womanhood in 2007 . This was staged as The Ah Kua Show in Singapore in 2009, & in New York a year later.

~ Ng Yi-Sheng, freelance writer & visual arts administrator. His publications include a collection of coming out stories SQ21: Singapore Queers in the 21st Century, GASPP: a Gay Anthology of Singapore Poetry and Prose.

~ Miak Siew, Singapore’s first fully-ordained & openly-gay pastor, who serves at the LGBT-affirmative Free Community Church.

∞

: ABOUT THE BOOK :

What is it like to be gay and experience bullying in school or National Service ? How do you deal with being rejected by your family and religious group because of your sexual orientation ? How are women’s experiences different or similar to men’s ? What does one go through in an abusive same-sex relationship, or when one loses a partner to suicide ? What does a transgender man or woman go through in Singapore ? When you have been diagnosed with a life-long illness, how do you continue living ?

This collection brings together real-life experiences of love, grace, faith, dignity and courage from 21 ordinary gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in Singapore who have survived extraordinary circumstances.

We will live. We will thrive. We will survive.

∞

: ABOUT THE EDITOR :

Leow Yangfa has spent most of his adult life involved in social services, including a previous job in a statutory organisation, and volunteer work with an HIV/ AIDS group in Singapore and a charity for the homeless in London. He is professionally trained in social policy and social work.

I Will Survive 377A

I survived bullying.

Kenny, 17 years old, identifies as a bisexual teen, and is comfortable in his relationships with men as well as women. He is a student at a local polytechnic. After he came out to his friends in secondary school he was called names like “faggot,” and was even groped by another boy in class and humiliated in front of others. You can read Kenny’s story here.

Zakaria works as a civil servant in a government statutory board. He is 24 years old and grew up in a Malay-Muslim family. When he was in National Service, he was teased because of his effeminate behaviour, and was even sexually harassed while he was sleeping in his bunk bed. You can read Zakaria’s story here.

I survived religious oppression.

Mohd Ashraff is 37 years old. He works as a counsellor, and lives with his partner. When he was younger, he struggled with being gay and being Muslim. As he grew older, he has since learnt to reconcile his sexuality with his faith. You can read Ashraff’s story here.

I survived addiction.

Bradley was born in the United States of America and has lived for many years in Singapore, where he works as an English teacher. He is in his early 40s. While trying to deal with his loneliness and other personal issues, he resorted to recreational drug use and excessive drinking. He has since recovered, and keeps himself busy with work and volunteering. You can read Bradley’s story here.

I survived depression.

Lance is in his forties. He works as a consultant and often has to travel overseas for his job. While in National Service, he was diagnosed with bipolar depression, and over the years he’s had to be admitted into hospital several times and has even attempted suicide on a few occasions. His condition has since stabilised, and he’s worked in different jobs where his employers knew about his illness. You can read Lance’s story here.

I survived physical violence.

Wee Lee, 29 years old, works as a marketing executive, and has been in a relationship with his current boyfriend for many years. When he was younger, he was in a 4-year relationship with another guy who inflicted emotional, psychological and physical abuse on him. This included making belittling comments, preventing him from seeing his friends, slapping him in public, pushing him down an escalator, hitting him with bamboo poles and stabbing him with a knife. You can read Wee Lee’s story here.

I survived HIV.

Lester is 21 years old, and a student at a local university. He lives in an HDB flat with his parents and sister. As a teenager, he was constantly harassed by an older male sexual partner, and the police had to be involved. When he was 18, he became infected with HIV. He has now completed his university studies and working in his first full-time job. You can read Lester’s story here.

I survived suicide.

Tarry, in his mid-thirties, works in the IT industry. He likes to keep up-to-date with his electronic gadgets. Ten years ago, he received news that his then-boyfriend had jumped out of his flat and killed himself just before his birthday, without any explanation. Tarry is now working overseas and has a new partner, and regularly returns to see his family and friends in Singapore. You can read Tarry’s story here.

We have survived all this.

We will survive 377A.

*        *        *

If you’re still unclear about what is 377A, read this article on SgWiki for a start, as well as others by Yawning Bread and Fridae.

377A: Engagement or Withdrawal?

In 2007, I was travelling on the Benjamin Sheares Bridge as I read the news about the unsuccessful repeal of Section 377A. To my left was the magnificent Singapore skyline. I thought to myself, what a beautiful country, and yet I felt like a second-class citizen. What was the point of me holding a pink identity card? I was on the verge of leaving the country. Eventually, I chose to stay on and did whatever I could.

As I was preparing for the affidavit in support of the constitutional challenge in January this year, I found this 2009 article in the Journal of Counseling Psychology. It’s titled “Balancing Dangers: GLBT Experience in a Time of Anti GLBT Legislation”. The article describes and explains clearly the feelings I had back in 2007. It must also be quite applicable for many of my friends right now, after hearing the High Court judgment on the evening of 9 April 2013.

The journal article was about a research study on how American LGBT individuals felt about initiatives that challenged LGBT rights. Two clusters of responses resonated with me most:

• “Initiatives lead to constant painful reminders that I’m seen as less than human by our government and public laws”; and

• “The irrationality of anti-GLBT initiatives and movements is baffling, painful, and scary; we are not who they say we are.”

The article ended with the participants talking about balancing between engagement and withdrawal. Participants described experiencing tension, because engagement to fight homophobic sentiments or movements could result in increased hurt, fear, and anger, but withdrawal could result in continued invisibility and discrimination.

It is important for us to embrace what we are feeling and understand how the latest development in Singapore affects us emotionally and psychologically. How this may translate into a fight or flight response from us. It is only natural for some to have passing thoughts of just wanting to pack up and leave the country, just like I had those same thoughts back in 2007. It is also understandable that many are worked up and angry.

What is more crucial is we recognise that this is a bump in the road, continue to do what we can and get ourselves better informed and organised. For those who do not have a chance to be directly involved, do not feel disempowered because there is plenty of work left to be done. You too can play a part.

Start by telling your personal story to your closest straight allies and explain how you are affected by Section 377A.

Start by telling your clueless LGBT friends about Section 377A.

Start by reminding your angry LGBT friends not to give up.

In life, we do not always get to use the road we paved, but we can still do it for others.

*        *        *

The original version of this article was posted on Facebook by Bryan Choong, who is centre manager of Oogachaga Counselling and Support, a counselling and personal development organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender  and questioning (LGBTQ) individuals

To read more about Section 377A of the Penal Code in Singapore, here are some links:

Penal Code (Chapter 224), Section 377A: Outrages on decency

SgWiki article

Where are we now?

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The following is the draft of an op-ed piece which was published in the first issue of Element magazine. To read the full article, as well as a feature story on 3 HIV-positive gay men, download the first issue of … Continue reading →