In a recent interview with Dear Straight People, former local actor, Steven David Lim, became the first local actor to come out openly as gay.
The younger ones among us might not recognise the name but those of you who are old enough to have watched 'Growing Up' on local tv, you will find him very familiar.
Lim was very candid in his interview.
He was actually surprised that he is the first openly gay actor - he knows of a few who are gy but may not be openly out.
Like many others, Lim did not have an epiphany to realise that he was gay. It was a gradual realisation of who he was, through his experiences with both male and female company.
The closest he had to such a moment was when he still felt an emptiness despite dating a lady with looks and brains to boot.
Then on, he didn't look back. He also had the conviction to not live a life defined by society but to live a life being true to himself.
Gradually, the LGBTQ community in Singapore is gaining mainstream acceptance.
There are still pocpkets of resistance, and Section 377A still exists. Apart from Lim, no other local actor has openly came out as gay. That tells you a lot about the pressures faced by the community.
As has been the case for the past few years, the local LGBTQ community will come together to celebrate their love at Pink Dot Sg. This, in itself, is a symbol of how marginalised the community is.
As we progress, the marginalisation needs to stop. We need to embrace them as normal part of our society, not a group that is apart from us.
