Hong Lim Park decked in pink as thousands celebrate 1st Pink Dot SG rally since Section 377A repeal

SINGAPORE - Hong Lim Park was again decked in pink as thousands celebrated the first Pink Dot SG rally since the repeal of Section 377A, the law that criminalised gay sex.

Saturday's (June 24) rally, the annual event's 15th iteration, sought to celebrate the families of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people and to invite the public to take a stand in envisioning a Singapore for all families.

Attendees wearing various shades of pink began streaming in at around 4pm. They laid out picnic mats on the grass, with some waving pink and rainbow flags as performers took to the stage.

Similar to past rallies, they had to show a photo identification to confirm that they are Singaporeans or permanent residents. Foreigners are not allowed to take part in Speakers' Corner events, which includes the Pink Dot rally.

Attendees' bags were also searched for security reasons.

The night ended with attendees, who were encouraged to bring pink torches, getting together in a light-up formation to spell out the word "family".

A number of politicians were spotted at the event, including Mr Eric Chua, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development and for Culture, Community and Youth. Nee Soon GRC MP Derrick Goh, Workers' Party MPs Louis Chua and He Ting Ru, and Progress Singapore Party's Non-Constituency MP Hazel Poa also showed up dressed in pink.

The first edition of the rally was held in 2009 at the Speakers' Corner. In 2020 and 2021, the rally was held online due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

This year's rally is the first since Parliament voted in November 2022 to repeal Section 377A.

It followed a 10-hour debate over two days that saw 93 MPs voting in favour of the move.

The law was officially struck off the books after President Halimah Yacob assented to the Bill that proposed the repeal.

Meanwhile, to guard against the move triggering a drastic shift in societal norm, changes to the Constitution to protect the current definition of marriage from legal challenge are also in force.

Marriage in Singapore is defined as a union between a man and a woman.

The move to repeal Section 377A was mentioned by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his National Day Rally speech last August. He said then: "We need to find the right way to reconcile and accommodate both the traditional mores of our society, and the aspiration of gay Singaporeans to be respected and accepted."

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.