On 4 May 2022, Pink Dot uploaded a video to its Facebook page announcing that Pink Dot 14 would take place on Saturday, 18 June 2022 from 3pm to 7pm and that it would only be a one day event. It emphasised that the date was double confirmed and that there would be no further changes. Participants were encouraged too bring along their friends and family, picnic with everyone and enjoy a day out at Hong Lim Park listening to speeches, catching performances and visiting the community tents[dotwatch/cTVYoIt3mw/][1].
Pink Fest 2022[edit | edit source]
Event day[edit | edit source]
On Saturday, 18 June 2022, large crowds gathered to welcome Pink Dot back to Speakers' Corner and to show their enthusiasm for the in-person event after a hiatus of two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic during which only virtual online rallies were held[2],[3]. As early as around 3pm, Hong Lim Park was already considerably packed with long queues forming as many waited to enter the area and participate in the festivities. Capacity limits for all events were removed on 26 April 2022 as Singapore eased Covid-19 restrictions in a move to live with the coronavirus. But as with all events over 500 persons, participants had to show proof of vaccination and scan a SafeEntry code after queuing to enter the park. Like past rallies, they also had to show a photo identification to confirm that they were Singaporeans or permanent residents, and their bags were searched as part of security measures. One of the attendees, aged 33, said that the queue was definitely very long, but it was fairly well-organised. He added: "I was very surprised that nobody attempted to cut the line. Everyone was in high spirits despite the very hot weather.”
At 5pm, snaking queues continued to be spotted as more people gathered for the concert scheduled to begin at 5pm. Some individuals were even spotted standing at the pedestrian bridges. The area around the main stage was almost entirely occupied, with most either seated on picnic mats or reclining on foldable chairs. The year's rally called on participants to envision what an inclusive Singapore would look like for them, to speak out about the issues that impacted the LGBT community and to call for change by writing on placards. Similar to past events, most attendees were dressed in various shades of pink. Some folks held up pink balloons while others carried placards with messages in solidarity with the LGBT community. One dog was also spotted resting on a rainbow flag.
William Chong, 46, a payroll manager, who attended the event with his partner, said he was there "to show support for the freedom to love" and equal treatment for all. He had attended Pink Dot since the inaugural one in 2009. The year's event included a concert as well as speeches by four people who hade done important work for the LGBT community, from areas of advocacy to mental health support. One of them, lawyer Remy Choo, a committee member of the Ready4Repeal movement, said: "Discrimination did not start with 377A and it will not go away when it is repealed. We need to carry that fight forward." He called on people to fight discrimination and to rally for better media representation.
As planned in some previous years' events, the flypast overhead of helicopters bearing the national flag as part of the rehearsal for the National Day Parade was the cue to play the National Anthem and for everyone to stand up and sing it in a show of loyalty to the nation.
The year's event marked the first time that a politician from the ruling People's Action Party (Henry Kwek, MP for Kebun Baru SMC) attended it, symbolising a turning point in the Government's attitude towards the LGBT community and some hoped, the impending repeal of Section 377A of the Penal Code[4]. Kwek, wearing a light pink shirt and white trousers, was seen walking among the crowd and taking photos with some fellow attendees. He visited the groups at the community tent and spoke to the people manning them. He also posed for a photo beside a row of "letterboxes" with the names of different constituencies. Attendees could write a message on a placard, hold it up for a photograph, print the photos out and write a message on their backs before placing the cards into the respective mailboxes for each electoral constituency. Pink Dot would then send the photos to the relevant MPs of the attendees along with an enclosed message if the attendee wanted to include one. MP for Sengkang GRC, Jamus Lim from the opposition Workers' Party was also seen at the event.
The event ended with attendees holding up the pink placards and white umbrellas that formed the word "Majulah" which meant "onward". Pink Dot spokesman Clement Tan said: "We believe that change happens through collective action. We have long urged our policymakers to go beyond acknowledging our struggles, and to act decisively to address the stigma and discrimination that LGBTQ+ people face. We hope that our calls for change do not fall on deaf ears."
The full event video was released the following day, on Sunday 19 June 2022:
See also[edit | edit source]
- Pink Dot SG
- Sequence of events leading to Pink Dot
- Pink Dot 2010
- Pink Dot 2011
- Pink Dot 2012
- Pink Dot 2013
- Pink Dot 2014
- Pink Dot 2015
- Pink Dot 2016
- Pink Dot 2017
- Pink Dot 2018/Pink Dot 10
- Pink Dot 2019
- Pink Dot 2020
- Pink Dot 2021/Pink Dot 13
References[edit | edit source]
- https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/pink-dot-sg-returns-to-hong-lim-park-after-two-years-of-virtual-rallies
- https://mothership.sg/2022/06/long-queue-pink-dot-2022/
- https://mothership.sg/2022/06/henry-kwek-pink-dot-2022/
Acknowledgements[edit | edit source]
This article was written by Roy Tan.