Barely weeks after Hong Lim Park hosted thousands of attendees supporting the freedom to love in Pink Dot 2016, the park yesterday evening took on a sombre note with significantly lesser people.
About 700 folks turned up in a vigil to honour the victims of the deadliest mass shooting in US history, in which 49 were killed while another 53 were left injured at Orlando’s gay nightclub Pulse. The gunman — believed to be a regular patron of the nightclub — was killed by police after a three-hour standoff.
“As the world grieves for the latest senseless shooting that took place in Orlando, this tragedy is a little too close to home for the LGBT community,” wrote Nicholas Lim, the organiser of the candlelight vigil.
“Gay bars has always been a sanctuary for gay men and women learning about themselves and meeting other gay folk in a safe haven like a gay bar has always been in a milestone for LGBT people.”
Glow sticks were used to form a heart on the field of Hong Lim Park, with messages of condolences left in the makeshift memorial.
As the world reels from one of the deadliest incidents against the LGBT community, it’s been a pretty sordid state of affairs for the progress of LGBT matters here in the past week. Playwright and poet Alfian Sa’at wrote about the presence of homophobic Singaporeans patrolling the grounds of Pink Dot, attempting to sabotage the event by lodging multiple police reports. The Ministry of Home Affairs issued a statement reminding all that foreign entities aren’t allowed to provide sponsorships for Pink Dot. The Media Development Authority removed a ‘same-sex kissing scene’ from the local staging of Les Miserables because of a complaint. A man threatened to “open fire” at the local LGBT community, before apologising and deleting his Facebook account.
