#pinkdot2013

So I just want to get this out of my chest. Bear with me please. This is going to be a long post.

The main purpose of me writing this is because I had my religious class earlier in the day and my teacher brought up the topic of Singapore’s Hong Lim Park, which is also known as the Speakers’ Corner, during our discussion about ‘minda tajdid’ (mind reformers; to cleanse our mind of the bad and in with the good to follow the path of the Al-Quran). In case you didn’t know, the Speakers’ Corner is an area where people are free to demonstrate and speak freely on topics that the government is against.

Since most of my classmates don’t really know what’s going on at Hong Lim Park, my teacher proceeded to specifically talk about the Pink Dot event which took place less than a month ago and highlighted that there were around 21,000 people that attended it. He emphasised on the increasing number of Muslims attending these kinds of events, which is against our religion. I was a volunteer at this year’s Pink Dot, mind you, so I generally kept my mouth shut throughout the entire discussion.

To me, I've never actually have a problem with the topic of the LGBT community because I feel that I have no right to judge someone based on who they are, and them being who they are does not affect me in any way so I'm cool with that. I'm actually straight and yeah, I have more crushes on girls than I have on guys, but that's just because I'm pretty much surrounded by a lot of beautiful girls in my school. You can’t deny that gorgeous girls attract you even if you’re a straight girl. 

I initially decided to volunteer for this year's Pink Dot because the experience that I had on my first Pink Dot, which was only last year, was exhilarating. When I was among the crowd wearing pink, I can see that I’m around people who are not afraid to be who they are and there is a sense of belonging in the atmosphere even though I'm not lgbt. I'm an ally. It’s an amazing feeling and I just want to relive it again by doing more and volunteering in the event the following year, which I did.

All I want to say is actually, I understand why religious people are so against the idea of same-sex marriage and it’s because their holy book states that it is. I get that; I go to religious classes weekly so I know. But the only thing I don't understand is why those religious people are condemning people who go to these events that is meant to be peaceful, whose only purpose is to legalise same-sex marriage in the country. You need to know that the government that we’re under in Singapore is a democracy and not a government that follows religious guidelines to make the law. If religious people want to educate people of the rights or wrongs based on the contents of their own specific holy book, they are free to do that anywhere except in the government.

On that last note, I hope when I get older and get married and have kids in the future, my children are able to live in a Singapore or better yet, world, that is more open-minded towards the idea of equality, regardless of religion.

Sights at Pink Dot 2013