For Immediate Release

First Night Pink Dot brightens up with more corporate support

Google and Barclays have pledged their support for the freedom to love

Singapore, 14 June 2012 – Pink Dot, the annual event in Singapore which celebrates the freedom to love, reaches another milestone this year, with an expanding list of corporate contributors – including multinational heavyweights Google and Barclays – coming out in full support.

What began as a small event in 2009 campaigning for diversity, inclusiveness, and to foster understanding for the basic human need to love and be loved, regardless of sexual orientation, has since grown to over 10,000 Singaporeans coming together to form a giant pink dot in 2011. To date it is the largest event that has taken place at the Speakers’ Corner.

“We are excited by the growing number of companies that are ‘coming out’ and supporting a social movement like Pink Dot,” said Paerin Choa, Pink Dot Sg spokesperson. “We are thankful that our corporate contributors this year recognise the value of inclusiveness and diversity, regardless of sexual orientation, and hope that more companies will contribute positively towards cultivating an inclusive work environment for their LGBT employees.”

“Pink Dot Sg is a labour of love and our volunteers put in many hours of unpaid manpower into ensuring we have a great event,” continues Paerin Choa. “However, funds are required for the event’s operations and logistics, and the aid of corporate and individual contributors goes a long way in helping mitigate these costs.”

Google is back this year as Pink Dot’s Pioneer Contributor, after pledging its support for the first time last year. First approached through its LGBT employee network group, ‘Gayglers’, Google supported Pink Dot in 2011 by providing for the event’s main stage; many of Google’s local employees, both LGBT and straight, were also there to lend their support.

“Google aspires to be an organization that reflects the globally diverse audience that our search engine and tools serve. And we believe that in addition to hiring the best talent, the diversity of perspectives, ideas, and cultures leads to the creation of better products and services,” said Keerthana Mohan, APAC Diversity and Inclusion Manager. “Google supports its LGBT employees in many ways which include fostering a strong internal employee network, growing relationships with external organisations, and going the extra mile with workplace policies and benefits to ensure that our employees are treated fairly. We were delighted to see the success of Pink Dot in 2011 and want to contribute to its success this year again”.

Supporting for the first time this year is global bank, Barclays, which is the first international bank to come out in support of Pink Dot.

“At Barclays, we recognise the value of diversity and inclusion to our business and our employees. Diverse teams make better decisions and they better reflect our clients and the communities we are part of,” said Richard Seeley, Regional Head of Spectrum in Asia, Barclays global LGBT employee network. “We pride ourselves on facilitating a workplace where staff are respected for their talents and contributions, in an environment that offers everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, the same opportunities to be successful.

“That is why, we are proud to be a corporate contributor of this year’s Pink Dot Singapore. Pink Dot’s message of diversity, inclusiveness and acceptance is a mission that resonates with the values and culture within our organisation.”

On the local front, Positive Promotions and Events returns for the second time to offer pro bono assistance to Pink Dot, helping coordinate many of the event’s critical logistical elements.

“We are positively proud to be a part of Pink Dot for the second year running,” said Ananda Avalokita, Positive Events. “We are honoured to stand together with the courageous men and women who are fighting for a more inclusive and compassionate Singapore we can ALL be proud to call our home.”

Pink Dot kicked off with a series of launch events in early April this year, which saw celebrity ambassadors Sharon Au, Lim Yu-Beng and Kumar touring various LGBT-friendly venues to publicize the cause. Supporters can also purchase their very own Pink Dot plush toys, of which sales proceeds will go towards funding the event on 30 June.

This year’s Pink Dot is scheduled to start at sunset (~6.30pm) and will be the first night event, as compared to the late afternoon timing of previous years. Organisers aim to create a dramatic spectacle of a human pink dot taking shape amidst shimmering torches, light sticks and glowing mobile phones in the first hours of darkness.

 

Event details:

WHAT: PINK DOT 2012

WHERE: Hong Lim Park

WHEN: Saturday, June 30, 2012

WHAT TO BRING: Pink lights!

WHAT TO WEAR: Of course, PINK!

TIMINGS: Activities commence 5.30pm, Concert begins at 6.30pm, Dot is formed at 7.30pm, or when it is sufficiently dark

*Please note: According to the terms and conditions of Speakers’ Corner, only Singaporeans and Permanent Residents may participate in the formation of the dot. However, as Hong Lim Park is a public space, foreigners are most welcome to come enjoy the concert and soak in the carnival-like atmosphere.

 

For more information:

Visit our website: https://pinkdot.sg/pinkie
‘Like’ our Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pinkdotsg
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/PinkDotSG
View our campaign video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvsZSR_hxJA

 

For media enquiries and interviews, please contact:

Andrew Wong
Mobile: (65) 9199 3623
Email: [email protected]

 

About Pink Dot Sg

Pink Dot Sg is a non-profit movement started by a group of individuals who care deeply about the place that LGBT Singaporeans call home. Why Pink? Because it is a blend of red and white – the colour of Singapore’s flag. It is also the colour of our national identification cards. More importantly, Pink Dot Sg stands for a Singapore in which all Singaporeans, regardless of their sexual orientation, are free to love and be loved.

2,500 people supported this cause in 2009. In 2010, this nearly doubled to 4,000, and in 2011, over 10,000 Singaporeans and permanent residents turned up, consistently making Pink Dot the largest gathering to take place at Hong Lim Park since the inception of the Speakers’ Corner in 2000.