Pink Dot's introspective message

Annual lesbian gay bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rally Pink Dot will carry a more introspective message this year.

Spokesman Paerin Choa said the event, now in its seventh year, will encourage the community to reflect on the progress it has made towards dispelling the discrimination and prejudice it faces.

Sponsors and ambassadors for the parade showcased their 2015 campaign video while organisers pointed to what they view as setbacks that the community has faced in the past year.

Mr Choa told reporters that the High Court's decision to uphold Section 377A of the Penal Code that criminalises sex between men was "a blow to us".

Other "setbacks" were the removal of books deemed to have LGBT themes by the National Library Board and furniture giant Ikea's support of a magic show by pastor Lawrence Khong, a vocal protester against LGBT rights.

"We're aware that there are many people in the community who have given up," said Mr Choa. "We want to remind everybody that we are a resilient bunch."

This year's Pink Dot will take place on June 13 at Hong Lim Park, and for the first time will involve several businesses along North Canal Road. The outlets, which usually operate only during lunch and dinner time, will open throughout the day.

Corporate giants Cathay Organisation, Bloomberg and Twitter will lend support to the rally, joining Barclays, Google and Goldman Sachs. CooperVision and ParkRoyal have pulled out.

Actress Patricia Mok, Project Superstar winner Daren Tan, and local YouTube stars Munah Bagharib and Hirzi Zulkiflie are this year's ambassadors. There were 2,500 people at the first Pink Dot in 2009 and 26,000 last year.

kxinghui@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on May 08, 2015.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.