IndigNation 2008

=Calendar of Events=

Welcome reception Friday, 1 August 2008, 7 pm, at 72-13

Ancestors on the beach - an art exhibition by Jimmy Ong Friday 1 August 2008 to Wednesday 20 August 2008. Time: 6-10pm (Tue-Fri), 12-10pm (Sat+Sun), closed on Mon and public holidays, at Post Museum

From fag to friend, a forum by the Queer-straight alliance Saturday, 2 August 2008, 3:00 pm, at 72-13

From classoom to comics, by Otto Fong Saturday, 2 August 2008, 7:30 pm, at 72-13

Adlus night hike Saturday, 2 August 2008, 11:30 pm to dawn, start location to be advised. REGISTER

Cruising through history Sunday, 3 August 2008, 3 pm, at the Post Museum

Silence and aching hearts Private event. REGISTER Tuesday, 5 August 2008, 7:30 pm, at 72-13

Tong bu tong 2 - Another tribe Rated M18 Wednesday, 6 August 2008, 7:30 pm, at 72-13

Opening of art exhibition - Jimmy Ong: Ancestors on the Beach Thursday, 7 August 2008, 7:30 pm, at Post Museum

ContraDiction IV Rated M18 Thursday, 7 August 2008, 7:30 pm, at 72-13

The Unofficial Pink Picnic Saturday, 9 August 2008, 4:30 pm, Botanic Gardens Symphony Lake

Brain surgery - what’s inside the heads of homophobes? Tuesday, 12 August 2008, 7:30, at 72-13

Too often ignored: The science of sexual orientation Wednesday, 13 August 2008, 7:30 pm, at 72-13

My wife, my kids… Friday, 15 August, 7:30 pm, at Post Museum

Heartbreak heroes: Four Malaysians on surviving love, loss and a hostel in Singapore Private event. REGISTER Saturday, 16 August 2008, 3 pm, at 72-13

TheBearProject Charity Art Show Saturday, 16 August 2008, 7 pm, at Play

Queer women within feminist Singapore Saturday, 16 August 2008, 7:30 pm, at 72-13

Is HIV becoming an Asian disease? Tuesday, 19 August 2008, 7:30 pm, at Post Museum

=Advertisements and Reviews=

Is HIV becoming an Asian disease?
Organised by Action for Aids

The rising infection rates in many Asian countries is a case for concern and Singapore is no exception. What are we doing wrong? Are efforts to educate and change behaviour too low key? Do you know what the latest amendments to the Infectious Diseases Act mean?

Daniel Tung from Action for Aids will give an overview of trends in Singapore and the neighbouring countries. Thomas Ng, a lawyer, will give an update on changes to the law.

Date: Tuesday, 19 August 2008 Time: 7:30 pm Venue: Post Museum

Queer Women within Feminist Singapore
Organised by sayoni

Ms. Constance Singam, current president of AWARE, Singapore’s leading advocacy group for gender equality, will shed some light on the place of queer women within the feminist movement. Where have we been?

She will speak about political and historical context, difficulties negotiating for respect and diversity, her personal experiences and the future.

Find out more about the feminist movement in Singapore and our part in it.

About Constance Singam

Constance is well-known for being an active and vocal social activist and feminist. She has two degrees in Literature, including an MA.

Her recent publications include “A History of the TWC: Building Social Space in Singapore” and the essay “Quietly Resisting; Silently Subverting: The Wayward Ways of Singapore Women” (Postmodern Singapore, Select Publishing). She was a co-editor of the book “Re-Presenting Singapore Women” (Landmark Publications).

Her social contributions were as Founding Member of TWC1, TWC2, and MediaWatch and as the Past President of SCWO.

Constance was a Columnist in several publications, including “Her World” and “Today” and held AWARE presidency for two terms prior to the present one: 1987-1989, 1994-1996, 2007-present.

About AWARE

AWARE is Singapore’s leading advocacy group dedicated to promoting gender equality and understanding. Since its inception in 1985, AWARE has brought women’s perspectives to national issues and has focused on Research & Advocacy, Educational Programs, and Direct Services.

AWARE seeks to identify areas for improvement in gender equality, encourage positive change and support women in realising their highest potential. It believes that gains made by women are not gains made at the expense of men. Rather, they are gains which benefit families and society as a whole.

AWARE is a not-for-profit non-governmental organisation and is funded solely by donations, grants, and member subscriptions.

Date: Saturday, 16 August 2008 Time: 7:30 pm Venue: 72-13

The Bear Project Auction Charity Art Show
Organised by TheBearProject,

TheBearProject is a local gay community group where size matters. Our events aim to create a friendly environment where bears, cubs, “G-men” and other stocky and big-sized men – as well as the guys who love them – can hang out, exchange ideas and mingle. Founded in June 2007 by Ernest Yeo, Gary Lim and a group of friends, TheBearProject seeks to cement and affirm the presence of a sub-category of gay men in Singapore different from the community’s mainstream groups. We hope to encourage a stronger sense of belonging and identity, and also foster stronger social relations among friends and family

Besides being a cheery get-together, this art auction will raise funds for The Necessary Stage’s Triangle Project. The show and auction will have works by 15 - 17 contributors, a third of whom are professional artists. It will include a three-dimensional work, oil and acrylic paintings, photographic prints, etc.

The Triangle Project is a community project run by theatre group The Necessary Stage. Started in 1992, it provides opportunities for the less privileged to watch theatre. The scheme has proven to be very successful and previous beneficiaries of scheme include The Tent, Grace Haven, Singapore Cheshire Home, SINDA, Muhamadiyah Welfare Home, the Before and After School Care programmes of Family Service Centres, members of the Society for the Physically Disabled and people with HIV/AIDS.

Date: Saturday, 16 August 2008 Time: 7 - 10 pm Venue: Play

Hearbreak Heroes
Note: This is a private event, by invitation only, which will be checked against a register at the door.

Heartbreak heroes - Four Malaysians on surviving love, loss & a hostel in Singapore

Organised by Clarence Singam

“The heart is the only broken instrument that works.” - T.E. Kalem

Prof. Farish A. Noor is Senior Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University; and Affiliated Professor at Universitas Muhamadiyah Surakarta (UMS), Surakarta; and Sunan Kalijaga Islamic University, Jogjakarta. He will present the titillating academic study on “Our Very Own Bisexual Superhero: Rereading the Hikayat Panji Samarang.”

Jerome Kugan is a writer and musician who recently released his electro-acoustic debut album “Songs For A Shadow”. JK also edits Poetika, his pet poetry journal, co-organises Wayang Kata, KL Sing Song, Troubadours, was sub-editor of KLue and Junk magazines, and now works as the media whore for The Annexe Gallery. He will read a short story called “Alvin”.

Jac sm Kee is a feminist writer, activist, poet and occasional painter. She has written column pieces for several Malaysian newspapers, and numerous articles for both online and offline journals. Jac has also self-published a collection of poetry. Jac will be reading “a bunch of words and sentences strung together to make a shape of loss”.

Pang Khee Teik is the Arts Programme Director of The Annexe Gallery. He was formerly the editor of the online arts magazine Kakiseni.com. As an arts practitioner, he has been involved in theatre, independent films, photography, graphic design, writing, editing, plus a spot of experimental dancing, not just on the podium. Pang is reading an autobiographical story about being bullied in a hostel in Singapore.

Date: Saturday, 16 August 2008 Time: 3 pm Venue: 72-13

My Wife, My Kids
From Son to Daughter, from Husband to Wife, from Daddy to Mummy, our speakers talk about their marriage. They finally be what they want, slightly later than others perhaps…

Date: Friday, 15 August 2008 Time: 7:30 pm Venue: Post Museum

Often Ignored: The Science of Sexual Orientation
Organised by Alex Au

“Boys will grow up gay if there’s a dominant mother and absent father,” people still say. (And for girls, it’s vice versa). This hoary “explanation” still circulates when the evidence for it is zilch.

Few understand what science has discovered about the origins of sexual orientation - not just homosexual orientation, but sexual orientation generally - yet it is important to know, for how else can those unfounded theories be countered?

Steve Wong will take us through, in layman’s language, the latest understanding of sexual orientation from the perspective of the biological sciences. Anj Ho will fill us in from the perspective of psychology.

Date: Wednesday, 13 August 2008 Time: 7:30 - 9:30 pm Venue: 72-13

Brain Surgery: What's Inside the Heads of Homophobes
Organised by Kelly Then and Sayoni

“It’s so disgusting to see two men getting intimate!” “Lesbian sex is unfathomable…” “Homosexuals shouldn’t exist on this planet.”

Which of these statements is/are homophobic in nature?

AnJ Ho will take you inside homophobia, to find out from the perspective of research: What constitutes homophobia? What’s the profile of a typical homophobe like, and what might make a difference?

AnJ undertakes research at a local tertiary institution. Her research interests revolve around social psychology.

Date: Tuesday, 12 August 2008 Time: 7:30 pm Venue: 72-13

The Unofficial Pink Picnic
Totally Disorganised…. by Miak Siew

Don’t come dressed in pink. Don’t come with your friends. Don’t come with your family. Don’t come with your pets.

Or that’s what they say.

We say UPP YOURS!

Join us as we paint the Botanic Gardens pink once again! Come in pink, bring a pink picnic mat, or even bring a pink feather boa! Most important, it’s a picnic, so bring food!

This is an informal event for all, regardless of age, race, language, religion or sexual orientation. Your pink against the green of the Botanic Garden. It will be unforgettable

Date: Saturday, 9 August 2008 Time: 4:30 - late Venue: Symphony Lake, Botanic Gardens

ContraDiction IV
Organised by Ng Yi-Sheng and Jasmine Seah

MDA rating: M18

ContraDiction, the oral festival of queer Singapore writing, comes back for the 4th annual season. Featuring poets Teng Qian Xi and Koh Jee Leong, blogger Adrianna Tan, playwright Jacke Chye, singer Iris Judotter and many more.

Date: Thursday, 7 August 2008 Time: 7:30 pm Venue: 72-13

Art Exhibition by Jimmy Ong
Organised by Valentine Willie Fine Art and Post Museum

Open invitation to the opening of Jimmy Ong: Ancestors on the Beach

Jimmy Ong is a well-known Singaporean artist, now working in the US, whose forte is his larger-than-life charcoal drawings.

Refreshments will be served.

Date: Thursday, 7 August 2008 Time: 7:30 pm Venue: Post Museum

=See also=

IndigNation: Singapore's first gay pride month

IndigNation 2006

IndigNation 2007

IndigNation 2009

IndigNation 2010

IndigNation 2011

IndigNation 2012

=External links=

The IndigNation website

=Acknowledgements=

This article was compiled by Roy Tan