Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg
Large crowds gathered at Hong Lim Park on Saturday (Jun. 24) for the 15th edition of Pink Dot, the annual lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) rally.
This is the first Pink Dot since Singapore repealed Section 377A of the Penal Code and decriminalised sex between men.
This year's Pink Dot also saw a record number of parliamentarians in attendance.
A total of four Members of Parliament (MPs)— two from the People's Action Party (PAP) and two from the Workers' Party (WP)— were at Hong Lim Park.
The attendees were mostly dressed in varying shades of pink, and they laid out picnic mats on the grass patch.
Gif by Mothership.
Mothership spoke to some attendees who are also members of the LGBTQ+ community in Singapore.
They each shared about how their families reacted when they came out.
Dad was "cool" with her when she came out
Zelda and Jaxx are partners, and have been together since February 2017.
Left to right: Zelda and Jaxx. Photo by Mothership.
Speaking to Mothership, Jaxx said that her dad was "very cool" when she came out to him via text.
She added that her other family members were also "fine" when she came out to them.
Meanwhile, Zelda shared a text conversation between her and her own father, in which she told him that she and Jaxx are girlfriends.
Accepting in "the Asian way"
33-year-old special education teacher Broy shared that he came out to his family through his final year project as an undergrad student in university.
"The whole project was about me coming out. It was a photo book. I used that platform to come out to my family," he explained.
Broy added that while his cousins and siblings are "fine" with his sexuality, his father does not overtly talk about it.
He quipped that he is "accepting in the Asian way".
Broy (right). Photo by Mothership.
Has not come out to parents
19-year-old Gilby has not officially come out to his family, but he has thought of how he will do it.
He told Mothership that his parents might not be too happy with his sexuality as "they want grandchildren".
However, as Gilby is their only child, he thinks they will eventually be "fine" with it.
Photo by Mothership.
Gilby also shared that his parents drove him to Hong Lim Park that day.
While he did not tell them that he was attending Pink Dot (he added that wore a "decoy shirt" on the ride over), he said that his dad "seemed okay with it".
Coming out is a personal journey for all
Another attendee, Sarra Mae, said that she was at Pink Dot to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community in Singapore.
"This month is June, it's pride month," she added.
Photo by Mothership.
Speaking about her coming out experience, Sarra Mae shared with Mothership that some of her family members were "very accepting", while the reaction from others "could be better".
"Coming out, in general, is very much a journey that's personal to each and every one.
It's a journey for the person coming out, and it's also a journey for the person who's receiving it.
I'm working on my own things, and my family is also working on their own prejudices and discriminatory beliefs."
Pink Dot light up
The night ended with a glittering light up:
Here's a photo captured from the Parkroyal Collection Pickering:
All photos and footage by Julia Yee and Issac Wong.