To all Town Hall attendees!
We thank you for showing up and supporting our campaign for Repeal. Over 800 people joined us last Sunday 30 September 2018 and we hope everyone was emboldened by the stories shared and the connections made on the day.
Unfortunately we were unable to tackle all of the issues raised during the Q&A session due to lack of time. Some Slido questions deserve the light of day, and we’d like to tackle them now:
Why is it 90% men on the panel today?
We apologise for failing to present a panel that fully represents the diverse spectrum of people that make up the LGBTQ+ community. A more representative panel would have been better equipped to speak on issues felt keenly among marginalised groups within the LGBTQ+ community.
If and when we host another event we will do our best to include more diverse voices across races, ages, genders, abilities, gender identities and sexual orientations in the speaker line-up.
As an upcoming teacher, are there any avenues that I - as well as my peers - can go to learn about how to talk about LGBTQ+ issues?
We acknowledge we are not the best people to answer this question. There are structural barriers that make inclusive sex and sexuality education challenging. We can point teachers to the following:
A resource exploring the incidence for homophobic and transphobic bullying in Asia, by UNESCO.
An FAQs on Sexuality from the Health Promotion Board (HPB) and resources on Coming Out from Oogachaga that be useful when talking to students.
Students clubs and networks are a helpful resource for understanding the needs of young people. You can start by contacting the Inter-University LGBT Network.
If you have stories teaching LGBTQ+ issues in the education system or you are a teacher who wants to share your story (details below).
For LGBTQ+ civil servants, doctors and other professionals, how can we help? Some are bound by their organisations to keep mum or to themselves.
We anticipate that each sector or organisation will require a tailored approach. A useful starting point may be to engage one or more of the existing networks that are thriving for LGBTQ+ professionals in Singapore.
You can contact the following networks:
Financial services
Law
Energy
Tech
If you’d like to engage with any of these networks drop us a line we’ll make the connection (contact details below).
The need for mental health and social support services for LGBTQ+ in Singapore was a hot topic in the queue for questions. Here’s a quick rundown of some available services:
For lesbian, bisexual and queer women contact: Bravespace
For LGBTQ+ counselling contact: Oogachaga
For transgender support (including homelessness) contact: T Project
For LGBTQ+ youth issues contact:
For cases of sexual assault - regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and sex characteristics - contact the Sexual Assault Care Center.
In closing, we are grateful and relieved that last Sunday’s Town Hall was a success without incident. We are equally humbled that there is a lot of work left for us to do.
We urge everyone who participated in the Town Hall to keep the conversation going on S377A by:
Sharing your stories with Ready4Repeal via email or Facebook.
Signing up as a Ready4Repeal volunteer.
Share your stories with your local MP. We have heard from LGBTQ and straight allies who have already contacted their MPs since the weekend. Find your local MP now.
The road to repeal needs a plurality of voices. Moving forward we will do our best to ensure that every voice calling for repeal is heard loudly and clearly.