Hello everybody. I am very touched to see how many of you are proudly wearing pink today. We have overflowed the park this year! This is our biggest and brightest pink dot ever! This is a very strong statement all of you are making!
Growing up as a gay man in Singapore was very hard. I was often made to feel that I was abnormal and that I don’t belong. I often fear that I will be ostracized and be made fun of. I was forced to hide my true self. But I was lucky to have the support of my friends and loved ones. They made me feel accepted, they made growing up less frightening. I want to appeal to all our straight allies out there, if you know someone who is LGBT, please support them, let them know they are not alone. To all our straight allies who are here, I thank you. Your presence here means a lot to us.
Everyone of us deserves the freedom to love. And i believe that love will come to each and everyone of us who fight for it. When we are lucky enough to find love, we should not be told we cannot love because of the prejudice and ignorance of certain segments of Singapore.
I stand here today because I believe that when we stand together, Singapore can one day be a place where every Singaporean can be who they truly are. Where every LGBT Singaporean need not hide and will feel safe to say, I’m gay, I’m lesbian, I’m transgender, I’m bisexual.
Let us keep the spirit of Pink Dot burning bright.
