In this last episode of Season 2, Stuart reflects on a lifetime of being gay in Singapore and how a new generation of LGBTQ Singaporeans is stepping into the limelight. He talks about how Singaporean culture is generally more open than societies in the West and therefore not intrinsically prejudiced, and how it is important to build coalitions in order to bring about change. While no longer in the thick of it, Stuart continues to be engaged on the side lines, in the hope of building an more inclusive Singapore which involves not just queer people, but everyone who lives on the island.

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In this episode Stuart talks to us about discrimination in general and its relationship to the decriminalisation process and other legal change. He explains that the advocacy had had an effect, even if it was indirectly, and how confrontational politics does not work in Singapore. How does this affect the advocacy around workplace discrimination and marriage equality? First, however, he discusses what was the next big challenge: same sex parent adoption rights.

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At the turn of the century opportunities arose through which legal and constitutional challenges to Section 377A, the law which criminalized homosexuality, could be made. There was not much optimism that any of these would be successful. In this episode Stuart explains how he thinks parliamentary change works and how an oficial review of the Penal Code led to the galvanizing of the community through a petition process. It was also the start of a series of legal challenges to the law. At the same time what seemed like an organized movement awoke more conservative elements within society…

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#queer #LGBTQ #oralhistory #Singapore