24th June 2023, saw the explosion of colours from all over the rainbow at Singapore’s iconic Hong Lim Park, although one colour burned brighter than most– pink.
Come the end of pride month, which falls in June annually, queer Singaporeans and allies alike flock to Hong Lim Park to participate in one of Singapore’s most significant pride events—aimed at providing queer Singaporeans with a safe space to let their hair down, a once-a-year opportunity to be their true, authentic selves. Pink Dot also serves as a great place for young queer individuals to find their safe space, and reach out to one of the many queer non-profits in Singapore aimed at providing aid to anyone who needs it.
This year marks a hallmark Pink Dot, the first since the repeal of Section 377A, a great leap forward in the fight towards equal rights for all Singaporeans, regardless of sexual or gender identity. With a focus on family, chosen or otherwise, this year’s Pink Dot welcomed more than its usual diverse crowd of all abilities, genders, races and sexualities.
This year, the queer community in Singapore highlighted and uplifted what makes us whole, our families. For many queer individuals, coming out can sometimes mean leaving people behind. More often than not, that can include family and friends, unaccepting of a so-called “deviant” lifestyle.
Choosing to celebrate families strikes a chord for many of us in the queer community, allowing us perhaps to grieve the bonds we left behind in pursuit of our authentic selves, and giving us the chance to cherish the new bridges we formed with the people who have chosen us as much as we have chosen them. To love, and be loved for your whole, authentic self. We celebrate those who stand by us, those who have reached out a helping hand and, those who have saved us a seat at the table when others would not.
With the decriminalisation and repeal of Section 377A, we can be reminded once again, that love is ultimately not a crime, and families can form in all shapes, sizes and colours. We hold space for those of us away from our families, who are still hiding their truth from parents, siblings or co-workers. We hold out hope that everyone can find their family, be it a ragtag band you choose, or repairing bonds with those you may have lost. In attendance this year, we saw a wide range of people coming out in support of their queer family members, from four-legged families to entire extended family units.
We celebrate acceptance, for family units made up of people who happened to find each other along the way, in university, a drag ball or simply on Tinder.
We remain thankful for the queer elders who paved the way, blazing the trail we get to walk this day.
We do not forget that it is love and family that brings us together, and it is those things we hold dear that help us keep fighting the good fight. Hopefully, seeing families celebrating identity together, can lean our society more towards acceptance, so that maybe one day, our queer friends and family will not have to mourn a burned bridge, over choosing to live their truth.
Even though we as a society still have a long way to go, this weekend’s celebration can give us hope that the spirit of the family still burns bright in the Singaporean queer community– and that there is a home for every one of us there.
