Pink Dot 16 was held on Jun. 29, 2024, at the Speaker's Corner in Hong Lim Park.

It is the second Pink Dot event held since the repeal of Section 377A, back on Nov. 29, 2022.

Attendees, dressed in pink, began filing in at about 3:30pm, with some laying out their picnic mats:

Others began gathering around the community tent, which featured booths from various advocacy and community groups:

"We need to stand by our young people": Pink Dot spokesperson

We spoke with Clement Tan, a spokesperson for Pink Dot SG, about the progress that has been made on LGBT+ issues.

Tan commented on an Ipsos survey, released on Jun. 10, 2024, which found that more Singaporeans were generally supportive of rights for LGBT+ people than opposed.

Tan said: "For us, it's encouraging. Because anecdotally, [from] our experiences here at Pink Dot, we've always observed that attitudes have been changing, that the work we have done in shifting hearts and minds is working."

He believes the trend will not only continue, but likely accelerate. He acknowledged the generational divide, but pointed out it hewed closely to global trends.

Tan also commented on what he felt were some pressing issues facing the LGBT+ community:

"This year's campaign, no one left behind, we talk a lot about how queer people, from cradle to grave, experience exclusion, and inequality and discrimination at every step, in every life stage."

He highlighted that for a lot of vulnerable young people in Singapore, they are "powerless" to deal with the bullying and harassment they might face, which leads to self-harm and suicidal ideation faced by some.

"So for me, this is the most urgent and most pressing, we need to stand by our young people because our young people have a very long road ahead of them in Singapore.

And more and more of them are feeling that there isn't a future for them in Singapore. And my worry is that some of our youth will leave Singapore forever."

Reactions to Ipsos survey on growing acceptance of LGBT+ rights

Other attendees of the event shared some of their personal experiences as part of the LGBT+ community.

Max Pasakorn, 28, who came with his friend, Chloe, said that based on his experience, he had been able to open up more about himself, such as in job interviews and daily life.

"It's never a 'red flag' anymore, it's just part of life," Pasakorn said.

Chloe, 24, said that general sentiments may not have changed much after the 377A repeal, and she felt it was "representative" of what the government felt it was "appropriate to do".

However, she said that she was personally quite surprised about the results of the Ipsos survey, even though there might be a "vocal minority" that are still less tolerant.

Still, she feels "optimistic", with the movement growing every year and people being more vocal about it.

Eunice and Isabelle, both 21 and both university students, attended the event together as partners.

Both women agreed that people around them are generally accepting of their sexual orientation, and also of their relationship.

Isabelle said that she felt the younger generation is more accepting of the community, although she feels she does not have enough interactions with the older generation to form an opinion about their level of tolerance.

Despite this, she added that her grandmother is "okay" with her sexual orientation.

Eunice said that her family and friends are also "very accepting" of their relationship, and considers Isabelle a "valid partner".

She added that her social circles are mostly other LGBT+ people.

"Whether Singaporeans are getting more accepting, I would say yes because I personally don't see any non-accepting Singaporeans around me," Eunice said.

Housing an urgent issue for the LGBTQ community

Out of all the interviewees, most agreed that affordable housing is an urgent issue for the community.

Pasakorn highlighted that homes in the Singapore housing market in is expensive, and most LGBTQ people may have a hard time saving up to afford their own homes.

Eunice and Isabelle had similar sentiments, as they feel there are not many options and singles will have to wait until they are 35 to be able to buy a HDB home.

Renting is another option, but they feel it costs a lot of money to do so.

"I would say marriage is another one, as I plan to migrate to another country to get married," Eunice added.

Other attendees shared their thoughts on other issues that the LGBTQ community in Singapore is facing, such as mental health.

Annabelle, 30, said that acceptance, discrimination and mental health issues are some challenges that people in the community still face.

Taylor, 31, agreed that access to HDB housing is a significant issue, as it is more expensive for LGBT+ couples to resort to other types of housing such as condominiums.

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Top photo by Andrew Koay