Semua Kita - "all of us" - is a podcast featuring oral histories of the LGBTQ community in Singapore, from the 1980s until decriminalization in 2022. If you're interested in stories of queer activism in the Lion City, then you are in the right place. Learn about the time before the repeal of Section 377A, of the social groups that existed before Pink Dot, and of the in-person and on-line spaces which led to the formation of a Singaporean queer community. Listen to what challenges they faced, and how they overcame them, in the voices of the people who were there.
In this last episode of season 3 of Semua Kita, Gary and Kenneth describe how they became the poster boys for the first constitutional challenge to Section 377A, the law which criminalized homosexual acts in Singapore. Where were they were in their personal lives at the time? How did they react when asked to be the face of the challenge? What were their greatest concerns, especially since neither of them, despite an understanding, were officially "out" to their families much less the wider public?
The couple describe the experience of being named plaintiffs, preparation for the court and the press, and the hopes they had for a favourable outcome. The eventual failure of the challenge was disappointing, but it did lead to an appeal which, despite the odds and its eventual failure too, brought the community closer together.
Gary and Kenneth talk about their hopes for the future including marriage equality in Singapore.
Other subscription, listening and following options here https://bit.ly/m/semuakita (https://bit.ly/m/semuakita)
#queer #LGBTQ #oralhistory #Singapore
28 Sept 2026
S03E16 Bears
In 2007, Gary also started the Bear Project, a social, sports and travel group largely geared toward the bear community. He explains how it got started and what "bears" are in the Singaporean / Asian context. They describe a couple of their overseas trips to Tainan and Taipei, participation at Pink Dot, as well as a memorable art auction fundraiser.
Other subscription, listening and following options here https://bit.ly/m/semuakita
#queer #LGBTQ #oralhistory #Singapore
21 Sept 2026
S03E15 Cruising
In this episode of Semua Kita we meet Gary Lim and Kenneth Chee, probably best known for being the first gay couple, in 2012, to mount a constitutional challenge against Section 377A.
Before that, however, we hear about what it was likegrowing up gay on the island nation in the 80s and 90s. Sex education was very limited, there were no accessible materials in a time which predated the modern web, and there was almost no peer support. This meant that cruising was the main route by which gay men could meet. Gary and Kenneth describe their experiences in Plaza Singapura and Raffles City, how it felt scary and potentially exploitative, but it was in some ways a better time as it taught courage and confidence and even led to romance!
Other subscription, listening and following options here https://bit.ly/m/semuakita
#queer #LGBTQ #oralhistory #Singapore
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