22 year old Elijah Tay, is no stranger to the local activist scene, having started at a young age of 14, when Elijah stepped forward to amplify the voices of fellow LGBTQ+ people in Singapore. Over the last 8 years, Elijah has become a leading voice in the local activism scene fighting against injustice and unequal treatments for workers and the marginalised.
Elijah’s family, just like majority families, was depoliticised and used to think that the government was taking care of the citizens. The truth was far from what we all see and hear and experience today. Currently studying Sociology in NTU, education played a part in helping Elijah see the bigger picture and the injustice faced by many within our society and world out there. They hope to fight for a just society for everyone, through class struggle and organising with and for the masses.
Path to Activism
Elijah first saw how activists in Singapore could come together to do more for the people they are fighting for when Pink Dot Sg, a non-profit movement, started by a group of individuals who care deeply about the place that LGBTQ Singaporeans call home, came together and as a group for everyone, tackling sexuality- and gender-based discrimination , with a mission to bring LGBTQ Singaporeans closer to their family and friends.
Activism Work
Elijah founded My Queer Story in 2018 , so as to share stories and to create awareness of the discrimination that the queer community faces. They didn’t stop there, they co- founded several movements and civil groups to fight the rights of the marginalised.
One such group is the NTU Financial Aid and Friends , a group of students campaigning to improve NTU’s financial aid system, in which they successfully campaigned for improvements to NTU’s financial aid system announced in Feb 2024.
However, it is unfortunate that neither NTU Student Union nor NTU, in their statements, made mention of these brave students who stood up for one another to champion students’ rights. It was netizens who bring the due credit to the real warriors behind this successful campaign, not the keyboard one. It makes one wonder where all the education and humility went to after so much studying.
They also founded other groups with like-minded students across the different schools such as Students for Palestine, and Students for Migrant Rights ), a group of students who stand for a Singapore that regards our migrant workers with the respect and dignity they deserve, working closely with Migrant Workers Singapore . They started with a solidarity statement to show their support for the ban on transporting workers on the back of lorries.
Elijah is also part of Transformative Justice Collective.
In 2021, Elijah and a few other activists, staged a protest outside the Ministry of Education (MOE) headquarters in Buona Vista , carrying placards “#FIX SCHOOLS NOT STUDENTS”, “WHY ARE WE NOT IN YOUR SEX ED”, “HOW CAN WE GET A’s WHEN YOUR CARE FOR US IS AN F”, “trans students will NOT be erased” and “trans students deserve access to HEALTHCARE & SUPPORT”.
The protest comes after a transgender pre-university student diagnosed with gender dysphoria said in a Reddit post that the MOE had blocked her from getting hormonal treatment.
Elijah is also currently serving as a member of political party Red Dot United. They previously led the outreach teams in Jurong GRC (Clementi, Jurong Spring , and Bukit Batok East ), and has recently been seen in MacPherson SMC
Challenges
One of the challenges Elijah faced was that they have found it difficult to engage others due to all the fear mongering by the government and police among the general public. The government uses the mainstream media to shine an unfair light on activists and their work for the oppressed. Despite the challenges, they remain committed to continue fighting for the people.
One thing for sure, Elijah shared that they are glad that their family is supportive and understands what they are doing is for the greater good of the country. Even though they are worried, they remain steadfast and supportive of their works.
Vision for the Future
Local activists are a growing force to be reckoned with, they have a growing appetite for democracy and justice today.
Looking forward, Elijah hopes that everyone can come together to keep the movements going and growing. When we see injustice, unfair treatments, we need to speak up and seek for a better change collectively. It is ok not to know where to start, we just have to do what needs to be done, learn as we grow together. There is more to be afraid of when you continue being depoliticised than if you resisted the growingly oppressive, exploitative, and extractive status quo. Reach out and discuss with others of the struggles that you live through and see. It starts by all of us speaking up and organising as one people. Together, we are stronger.
