It so happens that MM Lee has spoken out against the ban of gay sex in Singapore. However, deep inside his words were embedded the implication that, even if gay rights were to come, it will come slowly.
Ah well... at least that is somewhat an improvement from the stagnation we are seeing today. But somehow I wished I read this earlier, because just hours ago in my SSA1202 Southeast Asia: A Changing Region exam, one of the questions I attempted was on how globalisation changed notion of gender and sexuality in Southeast Asia.
From what I know (and what I wrote), during pre-colonial times, or in areas that have little colonial influence, homosexuality is a pretty much accepted lifestyle in Southeast Asia. It was only when the colonial masters brought in their Western ideas then did homosexuality became "unnatural" and "sinful". And globalisation today is introducing the old ideas - that homosexuality is fine and acceptable - back into our society. If I had just this little piece of news to drop into my essay... "As a matter of fact, just yesterday, Singapore founder Lee Kuan Yew has questioned Singapore's gay laws." How nice would that be?
It's the same sense of déjà vu.
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