Singapore's first gay Chingay contingent

On Friday, 19 February 2010, Roy Tan, together with fellow citizen Tien Kim Chuan, marched in Singapore's first and only gay Chingay contingent when the public were allowed to form their own dancing group.  

=Government allows spectators to march in Chingay, 26 November 2009=

"On 26 November 2009, journalist Lynda Hong published the following article on Channel NewsAsia:

Spectators can participate in Chingay Parade next year

(Photo: Performers dressed in gold coloured costumes gather during the annual Chingay Parade.) SINGAPORE: Spectators need not just stand and watch at next year's Chingay Parade. They can also join samba dancers as they sashay down the streets.

This is the first time spectators are allowed to be part of the annual event.

Spectators can sign up on the day itself. They can also rent a costume or make their very own.

Organisers are also working with tour operators to bring in 200 tourists from China's Zhejiang Province to watch the annual parade."

=Discussions on SiGNeL=

26 November 2009
The text of the news article was posted the same day on SiGNeL, the Singapore gay news list by Roy Tan who commented:

"This is a fantastic development!

Since observers will now be able to dress up and parade along with the of ficial participants, there's nothing to prevent us from decking ourselves up in pink, carrying our own banners, forming our own contingents and putting the "gay" back in "Chingay".

I'll suggest this to Pink Dot.

In the meantime, other LGBT groups like ADLUS, Heartland, PPC, A Nation in Concert, SGGurls and all the rest may also consider taking part.

Cheers, Roy."

30 November 2009
The following day, on 30 November 2009, Tien Kim Chuan replied to Roy Tan's post:

"This is great! When is the parade? I will be in Singapore until 20/2/09 when I fly off. If the parade is before that, the out and proud gays in this list should form a mini contingent and wear costumes as if we were all at a Mardi Gras or gay pride parade. I know what I am going to wear -- as little as possible!

Kim"

1 December 2009
On 1 December 2009, Tien Kim Chuan posted on SiGNeL:

"Roy and others who are interested,

Let's use SigNel to gather support and indicate mutual interest and then eventually organise something. Over the years, I have learnt that nothing in life happens without someone actually starting to do something. That is lesson number 1 and lesson number 2 is you'd be amazed what can be achieved if people unite their minds and muscles and work towards a common goal. Pink Dot is a perfect example.

So let's all get off out butts and do a Pink Dot follow-up but this time we can make it even bigger and more mainstream. Come on, what can be more gay than Chingay? Our participation in this event practically has the country's endosement!

As for rainbow-coloured or pink swimming trunks/sexy underwear, I don't have a pair. Time to go shopping then! I am so excited!

Kim"

Roy Tan replied:

"A Pink Dot event next year is definitely on the cards but it won't be at the Chingay parade.

Come on, what can be more gay than Chingay?

The Chingay LGBT contingent which I am proposing is an entirely different affair from Pink Dot.

So far, the response for this proposition has not been very enthusiastic.

I think, especially, LGBT people are afraid of all the attention they will attract from the hordes of onlookers lining the streets. Also, there's bound to be lengthy coverage from television cameras.

Anyway, I shall be dressed in pink and I'll be carrying the rainbow flag which Lonvoon gave me on a ten-foot pole...yes, the same one which I used for Pink Dot at Hong Lim Park this year.

I'll try to recce the route during the rehearsal and figure out which is the best place for us to meet before we join the participants in the march.

You can form your own contingents if you want to. The more LGBT contingents spaced out at intervals, the better.

I'm not going to make any banners because I don't think it should be seen as a protest.

It's a celebration of our pride in being gay.

If news of this leaks out to COOS, I'm sure the Thios will organise an anti-gay contingent.

Should be fun to watch. Stay tuned!

Bye, Roy."

2 December 2009
On 2 December 2009, Roy Tan posted:

"Hello everyone,

Some people have expressed concern that my gay spin on the heading of the original article by Channel News Asia may have misled others into thinking that CNA actually said that LGBT contingents will be allowed.

I have to categorically state that it DID NOT.

However, it didn't say that gay contingents will NOT be allowed either.

So, the only way we'll know is if we actually form a contingent on the actual day and see what happens.

That's what pushing the OB markers is all about.

I remember a government statement several years back which said that they were intending to head towards a situation where anything which is expressly forbidden is allowed.

I think that this is one such situation.

What do you think?

Cheers, Roy."

4 December 2009
On 4 December 2009, Roy Tan wrote:

"One person has told me that we shouldn't wear skimpy swimming trunks when marching in the Chingay parade for fear of riling straight Singaporeans who form the majority and will vote against us if the repeal of Section 377A is up for a referendum.

I say that mainstream Singaporeans are the ones who should be afraid of angering us because if we are treated unfairly, we will exert the power of the Pink Vote, the Pink Dollar and our Pink Feet. And so will other straight Singaporeans who value human rights and dignity.

Wear skimpy swimming trunks if you want, but let's not call it what it's not: outreach. It is protest, sensationalism or fun for different people. Valid forms of expressions but maybe not the right time for the movement in SG if it's to be the theme since you don't want people associating gay with the usual stereotypes. And don't forget the cultural differences: skin is not the norm at the beaches, why would it be in the streets?

First impression counts: look at Pink Dot and the good it's done. Would coverage be as positive if it's all about skin exposure? I don't think it's as much about riling straight people than presenting an image.

What will increase acceptance is when str8 people see gay people who are just like them: sons and daughters, parents with children etc. And that other also straight people support our equal rights. And a big plus with religious organisations in support to counter the usual claims of blanket religious opposition. Many str8 people support our cause, present that and don't let peripheral issues confuse the message."

8 December 2009
On 8 December 2009, Roy Tan posted:

"The Chingay march is all about having fun.

It is not a protest, nor a political message, nor even a gay message.

Everyone knows that people dress outrageously at Chingay.

We don't have a bad impression of straight people just because they wear outlandish costumes and garish makeup, and even dance in bikinis at Chingay.

So why should straight people have a bad impression of gay men when they parade in skimpy swimming trunks.

It's all about expressing our individuality and celebrating the occasion.

By the way, I'm going to be dressed in a pink long-sleeved shirt and necktie and waving a rainbow flag on a ten-foot pole.

If they don't allow the pole, I'm going to wave the rainbow flag with my arms.

If a reporter asks me why I'm dressed that way, I'm going to say that pink is my favourite colour and that I like colourful flags. Any message that people want to read into my dressing and my marching is in the mind of the beholder.

I want to get Singaporeans used to the idea of people marching in pink and rainbow colours along a major thoroughfare, so that when the time comes to apply for a gay pride parade, they will yawn and say "So what else is new?" .

It's all a matter of desensitisation.

The first time may shock some, but after repeated exposure, it becomes ordinary.

Many people stayed away from Pink Dot because they thought it was a protest.

Now that they have seen how harmless it is, they have adjusted their mindsets.

The same with gays in skimpy trunks marching along a road.

Once the precedent has been set, it will lose it's initial startle value.

Ciao, Roy."

16 January 2010
On 16 January 2010, Roy Tan announced on SiGNeL:

"Hello everyone,

If, like me, you intend to march in this year's Chingay parade dressed in pink or rainbow colours and waving a rainbow flag, this Channel News Asia article says that registration is incredibly simple:

"And for the first time, visitors can join in the party on the street by registering two hours before the event."

Remember, the idea is to have fun and to get Singaporeans used to the idea of people in pink and waving rainbow flags marching along a public thoroughfare.

It is NOT a protest, nor is it intended to have any political or gay message.

Once we've softened public opinion after they see how harmless the whole exercise is, applying for a permit to have a dedicated LGBT pride parade along a main road will be so much easier.

Ciao, Roy."

CNA announces dates of Chingay 2010, 17 January 2010
On 17 January 2010, Channel NewsAsia published the following article:

"SINGAPORE : One of Asia's largest street parades - the Chingay Parade in Singapore - will take place on February 19 and 20.

Members of the public can look forward to some samba fever at this year's parade.

A 2,000-strong samba segment from Singapore will be featured in the celebrations.

And for the first time, visitors can join in the party on the street by registering two hours before the event.

At a rehearsal on Saturday, the parade broke a Singapore record by unfurling the largest number of hand-painted banners."

18 January 2010
On 18 January 2010, Chris Tan posted on SiGNeL:

"Not that I want to discourage people from doing what Roy suggests, but there's no way you can wave rainbow flags during the Chingay parade and claim that it's not political. Matters of sexuality are always political as long as the state has any interest in them. Besides, the whole point of Roy's flag-waving exercise is to soften public opinion about gay men and lesbians. Unless Roy intends to use that softened public opinion to get everyone a big fluffy bunny and a batch of warm chocolate chip cookies instead of, say, *decriminalize homosexuality*, that's political.

Chris"

19 January 2010
On 19 January 2010, Tien Kim Chuan posted:

"Yeah Roy. Let's do it! So are you registering on that day itself or in advance? If it is the former, I will do that with you.

We need more support everyone. It is also much more fun if it were not only the two of us.

Kim"

On 22 January 2010, Tien Kim Chuan posted:

"So are you registering on that day itself or in advance? If it is the former, I will do that with you.

Hi Kim,"

Roy Tan replied:

"Hi Kim,

I'm so happy that you're going to march with me!

The articles so far say that registration will take place on the day itself, so I don't know whether it's possible to register in advance.

I hope they give more details later on about the exact registration venue.

The parade will take place over two days and I shall try to march on both days.

Cheers, Roy."

17 February 2010
On 17 February 2010, Roy Tan announced on SiGNeL:

"Hello everyone,

If you're not doing anything this Friday or Saturday, why not march in the Chingay parade dressed in pink or rainbow colours.

You can download and print the form which is to be used for registration on the final day, two hours before the parade starts:

http://www.chingay.org.sg/2010/files/samba-registration.pdf



Here are some of the details on the form:

"About Chingay Samba Segment

Chingay Parade (Fri 19th & 20th Feb 2010 at Pit Building, next to Singapore Flyer), will incorporate the largest Singapore Samba Parade involving at least 2,000 participants from different organisations representing the different communities in Singapore such as Tampines GRC, Housing Development Board (HDB), Community Development Councils (CDCs), National University of Singapore (NUS), International Association of Lions Club Singapore. Anyone may even register on the spot at the carnival area to perform as part of the Singapore Samba Parade at the actual Chingay Parade. This will be the first and biggest audience involvement performing contingent in history.

How to Sign Up

1. Interested members of public need to produce this completed form to register 2 hours, (Registration starts at 4pm and closes at 6.30pm), before the parade at the Buy & Rent Costumes Galore!/Singapore Samba Registration Counter at the Chingay PAssion PAsar.

2. This form entitles you to enjoy 10% (Price of costume starts from S$20, a S$10 deposit is required) discount off one set of costume. Limited to First 50 participants only.

3. A Samba Dance Instructor will brief and teach simple dance steps to interested participants* at a brief Samba Workshop. Participants may choose to attend either one:
 * Session 1, 5pm-5.30pm
 * Session 2, 7pm -7.30pm

4. One hour before the start of the parade at 7.30pm, all interested participants will be brought to the assembly area.
 * Participants must be in either rented or self-made costumes that are creative. A screening process will be conducted at the point of registration. The PA reserves the right to reject participants who do not qualify."

Roy Tan continued:

I hope they don't reject my pink outfit.

I think I'd better not risk bringing the ten-foot pole.

I'll just wave my rainbow flag in my hands.

Here's more information about the start times on both days which are slightly different:

http://www.chingay.org.sg/2010/samba.asp

  You can find a map of the route on this site:

http://www.etour-singapore.com/chingay-2008.html

 The march starts next to the F1 pit building and ends just after the Singapore Flyer.

See you there, or try to catch me on TV, Roy."

19 February 2010
On 19 February 2010, Roy Tan announced:

"Hello all,

If you intend to march in or just watch the Chingay parade today or tomorrow, please download this Powerpoint slideshow which gives you very detailed information and photos about where to assemble and how to get there:

http://www.chingay.org.sg/2010/files/20%20Feb%20Transport%20Arrangements.ppt

Ciao, Roy."



=First gay Chingay contingent=

Pre-march activities
Before the Chingay parade began, spectators and participants milled about the area in front of the F1 Pit Building from the late afternoon to the early evening.

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March proper
At 8pm on Friday, 19 February 2010, Roy Tan, together with fellow citizen Tien Kim Chuan, marched in Singapore's first and only gay Chingay contingent when the public were allowed to form their own marching group,.

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Tan posted a report on SiGNeL the following day:

"Wahoo! I had an absolutely mind-blowing, exhilarating time marching in the first gay contingent in Singapore's Chingay history. Guess who was the guest-of-honour?

It was none other than Lee Hsien Loong himself!

We had a captive audience of 100,000 people, according to the papers.

I experienced the whole gamut of emotions from confusion to bewilderment to amusement to urgency of micturition to tiredness to disappointment to adrenaline-pumping excitement to relief to a sense of achievement and to exhaustion.

My friend Kim and I tried our best to get there before 6:30 pm because that was when registration for the public to join in the samba dance closed.

Since road closures around the venue were announced, we decided to take a cab there as the walk from the Adelphi, near City Hall MRT station, to the F1 grandstand would take about twenty minutes and we didn't want to be late.

The taxi fare was pretty steep though, over ten dollars for just a short ride.

When we approached the officials there to enquire where we had to report, nobody seemed to know what was going on. We met with the usual Singaporean response - when in doubt, act blur!

Fortunately, some of the People's Association volunteers who manned the carnival tents had some inkling of the offer to let the public march, so we handed in our registration forms and were told to wait for samba dance instructions.

The PA had hoped more of the public would turn up but there were only Kim and me. The only pair of Singaporeans interested in marching impromptu in the Chingay parade were both gay! Says a lot about the enthusiasm of mainstream Singaporeans for an event like this, doesn't it? Anyway, I don't blame them as almost every float was from some government organisation or other.

I was decked out entirely in pink, but that wasn't good enough for the screeners, who said that we had to rent their costumes or else we couldn't march.

I decided to buy a sequinned, pink, long-sleeved shirt for thirty dollars because if I had merely rented the same shirt, it would have cost twenty dollars. One had to spend at least twenty bucks at the costume-rental tent before one was allowed to join in the parade. What a load of gold diggers!

Kim had hoped to be able to march only in his skimpy shorts but since there was this spending requirement, he bought two pink feather boas and a pair of pink fairy wings. He tied one round his shorts and the other was used as a laurel wreath on his head. The bands attached to the fairy wings were too tight for his broad shoulders and cut into his skin, so we modified them to hang from his neck instead, which was infinitely more comfortable.

Because of Kim's incredibly beautiful body, he was the participant which most spectators wanted to take a picture with. When he walked past two contingents of over 100 school kids, they all broke out into a cheer at the sight of his sculpted bod minimally covered with pink feathers.

We were totally confused as to the order in which the floats and contingents were to start marching, so we decided to join a trio of white samba dancers from the States and Oz. They said they were gay-friendly and welcomed us to march with them.

At one point, we almost feared that we wouldn't be able to march as a parade warden noticed that we were only two strong and didn't seem to fit in with the other contingents.

Fortunately, another more knowledgeable warden butted in and said we were the public contingent and allowed us to take our place in the queue.

I handed Kim my rainbow flag, which Lonvoon gave me last year, on a ten-foot pole and told him to wave it, while I recorded him on video. I figured that the sight of him, almost naked except for skimpy feathers waving a rainbow flag would be more iconically gay than myself. We were met with cheers and applause along the entire length of the route, especially from the gay and lesbian spectators.

You should have seen Lee Hsien Loong's face when he caught sight of Kim. He smiled in glee and broke out in rapturous applause. (Actually, he did this for every other contingent too, but that's beside the point.)

After Kim got tired of waving the flag, he handed it to me and I tried to dance a neo-samba while waving it. It was my turn to be recorded on video by him, this time, but it was only towards the end of the route.

When we reached the far side, we were quite relieved it was all over and tried to leave the throng as soon as possible.

Trying to dance, wave the rainbow flag and record the event on my camcorder was very tiring, plus the weather was so humid.

On our way home, I felt a sense of achievement for having marched in Singapore's first gay contingent along a public thoroughfare with hordes of straight people lining the streets.

This is the closest anyone has come to participating in a gay pride parade in Singapore.

I hope more people are going to do likewise next year.

Kim had to fly off back to Oz the following day, on Saturday, so I did not march on the second day. There was not much point doing it a second time, alone, with no one to video me.

The camera was pretty stable initially, but when I saw how energetically the other Chingay participants were dancing while they were marching towards the VIP grandstand, I thought I had better start dancing too.

It's not easy to dance and steady the camera at the same time, so it became pretty jerky towards the middle.

My backpack looked quite uncool and I wish I didn't have to wear it, but it was necessary so that we could have something to store our accoutrements and water bottles in, plus the umbrella I thought would come in handy if it rained."

=Post-event discussion on SiGNeL=

On 25 February 2010, Tien Kim Chuan posted on SiGNeL:

"I have been following SigNel for some years now and recently I have noticed increased squabbling between Roy on the left and CK Ng/Chris/possibly some more on the right. As a good friend of Roy's, he told me he engages them for fun otherwise SigNel would be too boring. I guess that is really the only reason I can think of for why someone would bother fighting against the right-leaners and for not rebuttling the right-leaning arguments myself (so that I won't spoil the "fun").

However Bill's reply hit the nail right on its head and I cannot remain silent on this issue of sexual prudishness/honesty and openness/homophobia-internalisation anymore. I am an advocate of free speech and free action as long as no one is hurt in the process. Sure, dissident opinions are free to be aired too but if all views were to be looked at objectively, the ones that go against the direction of the society becoming more open are those that are likely to not hold much weight and more importantly harmful.

I will always support the direction Roy goes and frown on the naysayers. To me, sex is just a innate need like eating rice. Surely you would find me strange if I go against someone professing a desire for chicken rice, places where good chicken rice could be found and the way chicken rice should be prepared? Why should we look at sex otherwise? Bear in mind that Roy has never advocated anything outrightly illegal or unsafe eg. having sex with minors or unprotected sex. No one will ever get hurt when the society becomes more open (relaxed sexual attitudes being one of the many manisfestations of a society opening up). The opposite will actually ring true. If everyone in Singapore were like Roy, perhaps full gay equality in the little red dot could be achieved in 10 years? Closetted people, prudes, skeptics, and the ones with closed mindsets impede progress in general and more specifically our fight for gay equality or at least they don't benefit that fight.

So even if we ignore the important reasons why we should all be more open in our attitudes, we know that we should all live and let live (online or offline). I am a little tired of always seeing the right initiating attacks on the left on SigNel. If we don't say anything about it, people might continue to think that that is on the whole a beneficial thing to do.

Now that I am back in Sydney, I feel the immediate openness and I am refreshed with the conviction of why I left Singapore in the first place. The month spent in Singapore was good (catching up with people and food) but I could feel the pressure of closing up again because of the attitudes of people around me (strangers, friends and family alike) and that is really harmful to me. That is the effect of one month's stay, imagine someone who has lived in Singapore all of his or her life -- how closed will that person be? I shudder at that thought.

Roy, it was great to march with you in Chingay as part of the public contingent although we were the only two present out of this ENTIRE country -- yet another strong evidence of the population's conservatism (coupled with inaction and apathy). Regardless of what others feel, we have made gays proud and left our marks in Singaporean gay history. I desperately hope others can take our lead and do the same next year. Everyone knows that gay equality will not offer itself in front of one's door without action, sacrifice, pushing the envelope and getting out of one's comfort zone. If you remain silent (or closed), you either prefer residing in a lower class compared to the straights (after performing a cost-benefit analysis of doing something versus doing nothing) or you are simply lazy or worse selfish (enjoying the fruits of increasing equality without having done anything).

So please people, be open in your hearts, in your minds, in your words and actions and in every other way for that is the only way to go. And what easier way to achieve this than to start online via this mailing list?

Kim"

=Fridae article, 25 February 2010= Putting the gay back into Chingay

by Sylvia Tan

Two gay Singaporean men will go down in history as the first gay `contingent' to march at Singapore's Chingay parade last week.

With a huge rainbow flag in hand at the annual Chingay Parade last Friday night, two gay Singaporean men have literally put the gay back into Chingay as despite its name, the Chingay Parade is not a gay parade.

The two-day event, which was held in conjunction with the Lunar New Year Celebrations, kicked off at the F1 Pit Building in Marina Bay last Friday night, in front of an 18,000 to 60,000-strong audience (according to numbers reported in various media) which included Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Roy Tan, a well known member of Singapore's gay community, posted a message on a local newslist about his intent to march in the parade in January.

"The idea is to have fun and to get Singaporeans used to the idea of people in pink and waving rainbow flags marching along a public thoroughfare. It is not a protest, nor is it intended to have any political or gay message. Once we've softened public opinion after they see how harmless the whole exercise is, applying for a permit to have a dedicated LGBT pride parade along a main road will be so much easier."

He was joined by Kim, a Singaporean who was visiting from Australia where he currently resides; and according to Tan, the pair was apparently the only two members of the public who signed up on the same day to march that night.

Tan, a 52-year-old healthcare professional, was also the first to moot the idea of a gay pride parade at the Speakers' Corner in Hong Lim Park in August 2008 when rules on public speaking and demonstrations were relaxed. His idea and determination eventually became the foundation of the PinkDot campaign and first-ever official LGBT 2,500-strong public rally held on May 16 last year.

He told Fridae:

"We decided to participate in the Chingay because we wanted to take advantage of the invitation to the public, by the government (specifically, the People's Association which comes under the purview of Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports) to march, or rather dance the samba, in a contingent for the very first time in the history of Chingay.

"We wanted to show the government and the Singaporean public what a harmless exercise it was for a contingent, dressed in pink or rainbow colours and waving a rainbow flag, to march in a parade along a major thoroughfare.

"We hope it will soften attitudes enough for the authorities to eventually approve of the organisation of an LGBT pride parade along a main road, instead of merely restricting it to Hong Lim Park. We also wanted to publicly demonstrate our pride in being gay and to set a precedent to encourage other LGBT citizens to take part in future marches. But most of all, we took part because we thought it was going to be fun... and it was!

"Yes, we were disappointed that no one else joined us. There were three people who expressed interest initially but they eventually backed out.

"I hope more LGBT Singaporeans will take part next year and that the government does not take steps to curb our participation. After all, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was the guest-of-honour that night and he applauded as we marched past, just as he did all the other contingents."

[According to the official Chingay Parade website, there is no historical record of how the word "originated." "But records show that as early as the 19 th century, Chingay appeared in South East Asia, beginning in Penang. The word was coined from its phonetic Hokkien equivalent, which means 'the art of costume and masquerade'. It alluded to a Chinese styled decorated miniature stage or float borne on the shoulders of performers. This miniature stage depicts an important historical scene. It was probably the beginning of the manual float. During New Year processions in old China, such floats were carried through the streets on men's shoulders while dancers, jugglers and magicians entertained the crowds. Huge animals, both real and mythical took part in the processions, which were essentially religious in nature and aimed at honouring deities at the beginning of each new year." (Click on chingay.org.sg/2010/about-chingay.asp for more.)

=People's Association bans public from marching in Chingay=

After the Chingay parade organisers came to know of the gay contingent, it henceforth no longer allowed spectators and the general public to march or dance in subsequent Chingay processions.

=Flag in the Map exhibition=

In mid-2023, Tan's photo, shot with Tien Kim Chuan just before their Chingay march on 19 February 2023, was accepted for international Flag in the Map exhibition, a growing collection of photographs and stories that reaffirms the universal power of the rainbow flag to inspire LGBTQ+ people, especially in countries where their everyday existence is threatened. A collaboration between the Gilbert Baker Foundation and ReportOUT, Flag in the Map was launched in October 2020. The two organisations put out an open call across the world, asking for submissions of photos of people flying their pride flags. The resulting images came in from scores of countries and were curated for an emotionally powerful book. Tan's photo was one of the five from around the world selected to be featured on the landing page of the exhibition:.

 

=See also=
 * Roy Tan
 * Pink Dot SG

=References=
 * https://www.fridae.asia/gay-news/2010/02/25/9681.putting-the-gay-back-into-chingay

=Acknowledgements=

This article was written by Roy Tan.