Singapore gay organisations


==Historical==

 

===Real world===

 

*[Yagga Yagga] support group - one of the first support groups for gay men ever to be organised in Singapore, it was targetted at men who embraced their sexuality late in life. Operational for 12 months, its last session ended in June 1999. Read [Yawning Bread]'s round-up of the group's experiences:[http://www.yawningbread.org/arch_1999/yax-147.htm]

 

*[SiGNeL outings] - informal meetings that were focal gatherings for the then-nascent [Internet] gay community.

 

*The [NUS weekly tea group for womyn]

 

===[Cyberspace]===

 

====Non-profit====

 

*[SinGLe] - a short-lived unmoderated rebel newslist which broke off from [SiGNeL], but suffered a premature demise due to unregulated postings of a large amount of rubbish.

 

====Commercial====

 

*[[fluffboy.com]] - a little-known website forced to close down in 2005 by the [Media Development Authority] for allegedly promoting homosexual promiscuity.

 

==Contemporary==

 

===Real world===

 

*[People Like Us 3] ([PLU3]) [http://www.plu.sg/main/index2.htm]

{{main|People Like Us 3}}

The main gay equality-advocacy group in Singapore started by activist [Alex Au] in 1993. (See also the article [Singapore gay equality movement])

 

*[Action for AIDS] ([AfA]) [http://www.afa.org.sg/]- a gay-supported and gay-supportive [AIDS] advocacy and [AIDS] services charity started by a group of doctors in 1988. It organised successful campaigns to break down the 'only homosexuals get [AIDS]' stereotypes, to change the 24-hour cremation rule and to create greater [AIDS] awareness in school sex education. It publishes '[The Act]', a free periodical which provides Singaporeans MSMs with safe-sex and AIDS-related information.

 

*[Heartland] [http://www.heartlandsg.org/]- the gay Singapore [Buddhist] discussion group spearheaded by activist [Kelvin Wong] in 2003.

 

*[RedQuEEn!] [http://www.geocities.com/red_qn/]- initiated by current [PLU3] president [Eileena Lee] in 1998, this e-mail list for [queer] womyn, provides a safe online discussion space for [womyn]. RedQuEEn! is a 7 year old Singaporean list currently numbers over 1000 women. With discussions ranging from the serious to the very humourous, this list provides online support as well as friendship and networking opportunities. RedQuEEn! organises monthly meet ups for queer women living in Singapore.

 

*[Safehaven] [http://www.oursafehaven.com/]- a [Christian] group which has been gathering since 1998 for prayer, Bible study and fellowship. Gay affirmative and made up of different age groups, backgrounds and religious traditions.

 

*The [Free Community Church] [http://www.freecomchurch.org/]- a [Christian] network offering the support of small groups and a Sunday service at [Yangtze Building]. Inaugurated in 1999.

 

*[Adventurers Like Us] ([Adlus]) [http://www.geocities.com/adlussg/index.html]- the sports activity network. Their website has been revamped to include a user-friendly forum page that can encompass more forms of sports. They were the network that helped send Singapore's first sports team to the [Gay Olympics] in [Sydney], [Australia].

 

*[Spaces] centre for counselling and development [http://www.geocities.com/exploringspaces/]- a private, non-profit counselling and development agency conceived in 2001 by activist [Clarence Singam]. Activities include face-to-face counselling and time-limited support group programs. Counsellees have included persons struggling over sexuality, self-esteem, relationship and career issues.

 

*[Oogachaga] support group [http://www.oogachaga.com/]- started by artist [Jason Wee] and friends [Steve Wong] and [Kenneth Lau] in 1999, its torch is now carried by activist [Clarence Singam]; for young men in their 20s who are making major life decisions about career, friendship, relationship, and family. Oogachaga talks have become highly-anticipated guidance and mutual revelation sessions for the gay community. (See [Singapore gay conferences])

 

*[MenAfterWork] ([MAW]) [http://www.menafterwork.com/]- a group that organises strictly non-sexual social outings for gay men. Formed by [Shenzi Chua] in the 1990s. It currently appears to be inactive, with some of its activities taken over by [Friends Like Us].

 

*[Friends Like Us] ([[F.L.U.S.]], pronounced "flas") [http://www.friendslikeus.com.sg/index.shtml]- an LGBT social enterprise which aspires to be the nexus between business, innovation and community work. They are committed to reaching out to diverse members of LGBT society with the primary objective to better lives through entrepreneurial and other community projects. Net proceeds from their ad hoc activities and events including Dragon Boat racing, inline skating, kayaking, movie outings, a dating club, gatherings and trips, are used to fund community service initiatives including their Caresports, Careout and Carefund programmes. Address: Blk 1 #01-13 Yishun St 23 YS-ONE Singapore 768441. Tel: 96315540.

 

===[Cyberspace]===

 

====Non-profit====

 

*The [Singapore Gay News List] ([SiGNeL]) [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/signel/] - started in 1996 by activist [Alex Au], its subscribership has grown to over 2000 and represents the main platform for intellectual discussion of gay issues in Singapore. Its postings have been archived in [Yahoo! groups] since 1999.

 

*[RedQuEEn!] [http://www.geocities.com/red_qn/] - initiated by current [PLU3] president [Eileena Lee] in 1998, this e-mail list for [queer] womyn, provides a safe online discussion space for [womyn]. [RedQuEEn!][http://www.geocities.com/red_qn/] is a moderated online mailing list for bisexual, lesbian and queer women. Having started from an initial group of 17 women, this 7 year old Singaporean list currently numbers over 1000 women. With discussions ranging from the serious to the very humourous, this list provides online support as well as friendship and networking opportunities. Its postings have been archived in [Yahoo! groups] since 1998.

 

*[Herstory] [http://www.herstory.ws/] - a website for [grrrls] which organises real-world events like the annual [Butch Hunt] and [Femme Quest] contests. Other social activities include [Grrrls Night Out] parties, various sports and dance classes.

 

*[The Looking Glass] [http://www.geocities.com/lookgglass/] - a free counselling service run by a group of queer-friendly woman volunteers who provide women with strictly confidential and anonymous counselling through e-mail. In April 2001, the tragic suicides of lesbian lovers [Michelle Yong] and [Wee May May] in Singapore prompted 10 volunteers from [RedQuEEn!] to get together to be trained by professional counsellors. Their goal was to listen, counsel and help those who were pushed to the edge by their daily negativities and problems encountered in urbanized life.

 

*The [Hong Lim Park Forum] [http://www.honglimpark.com/] opened its doors on 13 August 2004 and quickly became the premier discussion board for mature gay Singaporeans, with good participation from mature Asian men from around the world. It probably still is the world's largest English language-based online forum for mature Asian men, although Mandarin and Japanese language exchanges are not uncommon.

 

*[Gay To The Bone] [http://gaytothebone.blogspot.com] is an online gay/lesbian/bisexual community writing project targetted on teenaged/young Singaporeans to submit their stories about their struggles, [coming out] experiences and their experiences with friends in [Singapore]. It hopes to assist teenagers that are [queer] with their life-struggles, offering a space for people to voice their thoughts. It also targets to educate non-queer readers through real life stories.

 

*[Maleculture] [http://www.maleculture.com/index.shtml] - a website set up by entrepreneur [Max Lim], closely affiliated with Raw sauna, providing information and support for gay Asian men.

 

*[SAMBAL] [http://www.apiqwtc.org/sambal/about.html], the Singaporean And Malaysian Bisexual women And Lesbian international e-mail list, caters strictly to lesbians & bisexual women from [Malaysia] and [Singapore] only. Members come together virtually to discuss Malaysian/Singaporean lesbian and bisexual women's cultural, social and political experiences/issues.

 

====Commercial====

 

[LGBT] business ventures which have set up websites also provide a large measure of support to the gay community, as evidenced by their enormous patron base which dwarfs the throughput of all the above-listed volunteer-maintained sites.

 

*[[fridae.com]] [http://www.fridae.com/index.php?6708&¬login]- Asia's largest English-language LGBT portal has grown by leaps and bounds since its founding in the year 2000 by scientist-cum-entrepreneur Dr. [Stuart Koe].

 

*[SGBoy] [http://www.sgboy.com/]- set up in 1999 by its founder when he was a [National University of Singapore] undergraduate is probably the second most popular local LGBT website. Its focus on a more risqué segment of the market in the past attracted some amount of opprobrium from the authorities.