Introduction
Prior to the 1990s, it was almost impossible to publicly list an individual who was willing to admit that he or she was homosexual. It was only with the AIDS crisis, the liberalisation of society spurred by the growth of the Internet, the introduction of cable television into Singapore, the worldwide trend toward human rights and freedom of individual expression, plus the economic advantages of social diversity recognised by the Government, that gay Singaporeans have been courageous enough to stand up and be counted for what they truly are. This is all the more remarkable in the face of what is oftentimes insurmountable prejudice and homophobia.
The following categorisations are arbitrary as most of the LGB individuals listed are active in more than one field. Transgender personalities and cross-dressing artistes are listed in the article Transgender people in Singapore.
Activists
main article: Alex Au
Singapore's most widely-respected gay activist, regarded by many as being the founding father of the Singapore gay equality movement.
Singaporean gay activists Alex Au and Kelvin Wong during a television interview on Channel i News in July 2003.
The main activist who spearheaded local gay Buddhist and sports organisations. Wong also holds the post of secretary of the pro-tem committee of People Like Us 3.
Singapore's most well-known lesbian activist. Lee was instrumental in the setting up of RedQuee, Singapore's main lesbian mailing list and Looking Glass, a counselling service for lesbians in emotional distress. She is currently serving as the president of the pro-tem committee of People Like Us 3 and continues to build a bridge between the lesbian and gay communities.
Singapore's most well-known lesbian activist Eileena Lee during the Channel U television documentary "Inside Out" aired on 23 February 2005.
PLU3's effectively-bilingual, diplomatic, affable and unflappable spokesman.
Singaporean gay activist Charles Tan during the Channel U television documentary "Inside Out" aired on 23 February 2005.
Entrepreneurs
- Max Lim - Singapore's first "pink" entrepreneur and impresario known by a wide swathe of the local gay community. He was the first to organise outdoor gay parties in the early 1990s at such venues as the East Coast Lagoon and Big Splash, and non-Sunday gay disco nights at various mainstream clubs like Dancers - the Club in Clarke Quay and at Far East Shopping Centre. He opened Spartacus, Singapore's first gay sauna with a daily gay disco on the ground floor, and later, Stroke and Raw saunas along Ann Siang Road. He was the first to experiment with such novel concepts as a 24- hour sauna that never closes, a totally gay restaurant, a transwoman pride march down Ann Siang Road and Club Street, a drag artiste cabaret-disco, performing in drag in his own revues, swimming trunk fashion shows, erotic film screenings, overnight lodgings for gay men, and offering patrons the option to buys shares in gay enterprises.
Singaporean academic and entrepreneur, the founder of [fridae.com], Asia's largest English-language LGBT web-portal.
Dr. Stuart Koe - founder of Asia's largest English-language LGBT web portal, [fridae.com].
Founder of Vincent's lounge / Vincenz, Singapore's first dedicated East-meets-West gay bar where Caucasian patrons could socialise with their local aficionados.
Vincent Thnay, founder of Singapore's first East-meets-West gay bar.
Arts practitioners
- Tan Peng - Singapore's first openly gay artist and also one of the first Singaporeans to come out to the general public. His homoerotic charcoal sketches were featured in the Straits Times in the 1980s, the first for a local artist.
Singaporean writer, poet and playwright with an active interest in Muslim affairs.
Alfian Sa'at, Singaporean writer.
Singaporean artist, well-known for his Peranakan-themed, as well as homoerotic paintings. Loh's exhibition, entitled Cerita Budak-Budak was the first event of IndigNation (see Singapore gay art).
Martin Loh, Singaporean artist.
The only openly-gay poet to win the National Arts Council's Young Artist Award for Literature, Wong is at the forefront in canvassing greater public support for the arts in general, and poetry in particular.
Cyril Wong, Singaporean poet.
Singaporean poet who organised [Contra/Diction], Singapore's first gay poetry-reading session, held during IndigNation, Singapore's first month-long gay pride celebration in August 2005.
Dominic Chua, Singaporean poet.
Academics
The most senior of all the gay activists, Heng was the first local academic to write research papers on homosexuality in Singapore and also one of the founding members of People Like Us 3.
Dr. Russell Heng, Singaporean academic, playwright, psychologist and former journalist]
The impressively bilingual and academically-qualified founder of Sintercom (Singapore Internet Community), Tan has been a guest on several television panel discussions and documentaries, and the subject of newspaper articles on socio-political activists. He delivered the first lecture of IndigNation entitled "Same Sex Love in Classical Chinese Literature", in Mandarin.
Dr. Tan Chong Kee - Singaporean academic, social activist and writer.
Professionals
Other prominent personalities
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