OK, kiddo! Here are all the fantastically amazing posts tagged with Singapore
Religiously Busy Independent Singapore Lawyers
In my web travels, I often collect stories that I intend to share, but then become distracted by newer, shinier stories—or feel too lazy to illustrate them. This is what becomes of those stories: a Pile o’ Slaps!
While the Anglicans are battling each other over whether or not to bless gay couples and clergy, the Lutheran Church is facing censure over doing just that. Ooh—Burn! That’ll learn ‘em for interpreting ancient texts relative to cultural understandings!
Tom Lukiwski, the Tory MP who said he would “spend the rest of my life making amends” to the gay community after using homophobic slurs, refused an invitation to join in his riding’s gay Pride celebrations. His rationale: He’s too busy. Interesting, ’cause I’m too busy to believe him.
A television station in Singapore has been fined for showing a gay couple decorating their nursery in a home renovation show. Singapore law forbids images and stories of gay people in the media, lest the country catch a bad case of the gay. Wait a sec… Since this site is accessible worldwide, that makes it illegal. And you, the readers, are now participants in a seamy, criminal underworld. Oh yeah, this site just screams “badass.”
Craig Chandler, the former Alberta Tory nominee who was booted from the party over homophobic remarks and human rights violations, lost his bid as an independent in a landslide victory for his opponent. Funny—he said that he was winning after some in-house polling. Does that mean we can no longer trust the claims of politicians
Finally, over 1500 same-sex couples who were awarded Canada Pension Plan benefits in a class action lawsuit can expect to actually receive their pension after a court decided that the case lawyers were not entitled to $15 million dollars in fees they were planning to take from the award. Imagine that; all those poor lawyers ever wanted to do was charge exorbitant amounts to the public purse for simple justice and equality.
Well, have a great Monday!
Singapore Fines TV Station For Showing Lesbian Kiss
The Media Development Authority in Singapore has fined StarHub Cable Vision, the country’s cable operator, for airing a music video that showed two women kissing. In a statement, the media authority called the kiss “a breach of the TV advertising guidelines, which disallows advertisements that condone homosexuality.”
The cable operator has agreed to pay the fine and no longer show the music video.
Homosexuality is illegal in Singapore and media featuring gay people is often banned in the country. Earlier this year, for example, an X-Box game was banned for featuring an alien lesbian couple.
Churches And XBoxes And Tories, Oh My!
In my web travels, I often come across stories that I intend to share, but then become distracted by newer, shinier stories—or feel too lazy to illustrate them in any meaningful or interesting way. Well, no more! Today, I present to you the first-ever Pile o’ Slaps! (i.e., really old stories that I’d otherwise just delete out of my queue.)
Canadian Anglicans have appealed to the Archbishop of Canterbury to sternly lecture the runaway parishes that evacuated the country over same-sex blessings. It seems that some of these parishes are continuing to minister in Canada remotely from somewhat more exotic locations without all those pesky equal marriage rights.
Students across the country continue to protest Canadian Blood Services’ ban on gay blood donors. Wait… Haven’t I written something about this before?
U.S. Soldiers, presumably fatigued by the war in Iraq, are asking and telling a lot more these days, as army deserters are at their highest level since 1980. Unlike Canada and—well, pretty much every other well-off nation with a military—gays in the U.S. are forbidden to serve in the army openly. What’s that slogan, again? Repress All That You Can Be?
The federal Tories have refused to investigate homophobic abuse within the RCMP, despite calls from the opposition to do so. That’s pretty much in line with their stance of a tougher police force, mind you.
Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore has hinted that his next film may be about gay rights in the states. The film will purportedly outline all of the civil rights that gays have won in the U.S. since the Stonewall days, giving it a runtime of about one-and-a-half minutes.
Singapore has banned Mass Effect, an XBox 360 game, over lesbian intimacy between two aliens. Due to the ban, 14-year-old Singaporean boys will now have to use a different Microsoft product to access their intimacy depictions.
OK, enough of that. Until Friday, kiddos!
Will Singapore Decriminalize Homosexuality?
Gay travelers may be in for a treat! Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s influential former prime minister, has been openly mulling why gayness is still illegal in his country:
If in fact it is true, and I have asked doctors this, that you are genetically born a homosexual—because that’s the nature of the genetic random transmission of genes—you can’t help it. So why should we criminalize it?
Well, asking doctors may be a teeny bit of an oversimplification, but actively pondering why gay people say their orientation is not a choice is probably a step in the right direction.
Incidentally, gay travelers are sometimes surprised by the anti-gay laws of popular travel destinations. While Singapore still has a pretty healthy gay scene, random arrests are possible and being gay is punishable by prison terms. To help educate travelers, the Canadian government has issued warnings for gay vacationers.
And in the meantime… If you’re a gay traveler disappointed by Singapore’s current laws, here’s some alternative destination advice: Afghanistan, while popular in the news, might not be the best second-choice.
Canada Warns Gay Travelers
Going somewhere exotic for vacation? Somewhere boring for business? Well, Canada’s Consular Affairs Bureau would like to have a quick word with you first! They’ve updated their travel information booklet, entitled Bon Voyage, But, and the new 2006/2007 edition contains some lovely new warnings for us gays!
What’s the warning, you ask? Well, basically, if you’re gay—and especially if you’re married—beware! Not only will most countries not recognize your marital status, but many will arrest or even kill you. Why, even our friendly neighbours to the south will turn you away if you declare yourselves as married on your travel paperwork.
So if you’re planning on going to breathtaking Singapore, heed the government’s new advice: “Homosexuality is illegal. Convicted offenders may face lengthy jail sentences and fines.” And don’t even think of going to breathtaking Iran, as you may be sentenced to lashing, a prison sentence, and/or death. Jinkies!
Personally, I appreciate the government’s work, but I think I’ll stick to regional travel for now… Alberta Carriage Museum, anyone?
- Government travel guide offers same-sex travel advice [The Record]
- Minister Mackay Launches 2006/07 Edition of Bon Voyage, But [Consular Affairs]
