Queer Publics Singapore

Queer Publics is a community education and public engagement group in Singapore, opened to anyone who identifies themselves as LGBTIQ from all socio-economic class, ethnicity, gender identity and age brackets. We aim to be a platform where people who identify as LGBTIQ can come together to explore meanings of culture, society, gender and sexuality. We believe that cultural differences and hybridity must be respected and appreciated in Singapore. We believe that different kinds of kinship, family, friendship and intimate lives outside of heterosexual space and time, can be imagined and lived in Singapore.

We hope to be able to provide a space for people to think about, reflect and articulate their lives as LGBTIQ while at the same time build new friendships, kinship and intimate partnerships with each other. Currently, our 12 week long community engagement program taps into the multidisciplinary field of the humanities and social sciences (History, Anthropology, Sociology, Cultural Studies, and the Arts), to bring to LGBTIQ peoples, different perspectives of how society and culture, as well as communities and identities are constructed and built.

Queer Publics is committed to the production of LGBTIQ visual culture and presence in Singapore. So reflections, commentaries and essays produced in Queer Publics programs will go to the Queer Publics e-zines collection for archival and public reference. Confidentiality will be protected through the usage of pseudonyms etc.

=2014 Queer Publics programme=

Our 2014 Queer Publics programme is targeted at women only.

Reimagining Home Culture and Society

on 17 December 2014

Every week, participants will get to explore a theme through recent scholarship, film and photography. Through exploring new ideas, communities, histories, we hope to empower women to live their lives as LGBTIQ with more freedom, consciousness and pride. Our aim is to help women gain a critical understanding their own lives, cultures and communities.

The entire program is currently split into three parts.

Part I: Understanding and Unpacking Singapore Society

Culture Sexuality and Society The nation, family, gender and sexuality Asian Values and multiracialism Ethnicity, Class, Education

Part II: LGBTIQ Sexual Subjectivities in Singapore and around the world

Asian Sexuality or Singapore exceptionalism; Queer/Gay Singapore Taiwanese Queer Representations Hong Kong Lesbian Spaces and Everyday life Shanghai Tongzhi communities and identities Indonesian Lesbi World Vietnam family love and same-sex marriage Thailand’s Gender norms (Tom and Dee) History of the lesbian community in USA Same sex marriage in India

Part III: Queering Worlds and Creating Queer Futures

Meanings of Queer and Queer Theory Queer Feelings Queer Families and kinship Exploring meanings of Sex in Public; Public/Private behaviours and identities.

Requirements

Participants who wish to sign up for this program have to commit themselves to a full 12 weeks and be prepared to read 1-2 readings a week. Towards the last 4 weeks of every Queer Publics Program run, women would have to prepare their own reflections and stories (1500 words min) in relation to some of the topics and subjects covered. Penned essays in the form of reflections and commentaries will go to the Queer Publics e-Zine collection (confidentiality will be protected by the usage of pseudonyms etc).

We hope that women from different race, class and educational backgrounds will be able to benefit from this program. If you have many thoughts, doubts, questions about society and culture in Singapore, because you feel different because of your gender identity or sexuality, this course will benefit you tremendously. Join us and challenge your own ways of thinking about life, love, society and family.

Note: Venue will be disclosed upon confirmation of attendance.

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