Seeing red and white after Pink Dot

The Pink Dot event has come and gone, but the ripples it generated are still being felt.

The event, which celebrates the "freedom to love" among homosexuals, passed without incident at Hong Lim Park on Saturday, attracting some 26,000 participants.

But some people who backed the Wear White campaign, a protest against homosexuality, are still attacking Pink Dot as they try to have the last word on the subject.

Last night on his Facebook page, Mr Lawrence Khong, 61, the outspoken head of the Faith Community Baptist Church, posted two pictures in support of the Wear White campaign. In one of them, he posed with more than 6,000 members decked out in white.

This follows a strongly worded statement he posted on the day of the Pink Dot event, saying it "goes against our national interest".

Mr Khong questioned whether the event, which proceeded unhampered, would undo the "Singapore...our founding fathers have worked so hard to build" since "our leaders have made considerable efforts to reinforce the Family Institution as basic and foundational to nation-building".

The post has since gained over 450 likes, with the majority of the comments in support of his stance.

But many others, even while opposing Pink Dot, offered more moderate reactions.

Mr Lim K. Tham, 62, general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Singapore, told My Paper: "I think I can speak for many Christians that we are glad that there was no incident at the Pink Dot event. Christians are not against the LGBT community but they are perplexed by the push to normalise homosexual or bisexual practices."

He added: "(Christians) are tolerant but cannot condone activities which are contrary to the teaching of the Bible."

A statement from the Roman Catholic Archbishop, Reverend William Goh, 57, released a week before, said that "(the church) upholds the view that LGBT sexual relationships are not in accordance with the plan of God".

The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, while standing firm in "not taking part in activities and events...that are against the teachings of Islam", has adopted a gentler stance, which is to "reach out" to friends and relatives who are inclined towards the Pink Dot event.

The Taoist Federation of Singapore "neither supports nor condemns" the Pink Dot activities, said the federation's administrator, Chung Kwang Tong, 29.

A National University of Singapore student, who wanted to be known only as Ms Ho, 21, affirms that most of her friends are supportive of Pink Dot. However, as a Christian herself, she is less sure. "It is not in line with what I believe," she said.

wtkoh@sph.com.sg

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