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Singapore bans gay exhibition
01/08/2007 21:22 - (SA)
Gillian Wong
Singapore City - Singapore's censors have banned an exhibition of photographs depicting gay men and women kissing, a gay rights activist said on Wednesday, calling the move "absurd".
The city-state's Media Development Authority denied the exhibition's organisers a license on the grounds that the photographs "promote a homosexual lifestyle", said Alex Au, founder of a Singapore gay rights group, People Like Us.
The exhibition, entitled "Kissing", is a selection of 80 posed shots of same-sex kissing between fully clothed models, said Au, who shot the photographs.
"Kissing" was cancelled after organisers received a letter from the Media Development Authority on Monday saying it was rejecting their application for a license to hold the exhibition, Au said.
The media regulator confirmed in an e-mailed statement it rejected Au's application for a license to hold the exhibition.
"Presently, homosexual content is allowed in the appropriate context but it should not be of a promotional or exploitative nature," Amy Tsang, deputy director of media content, said in the statement.
'Same-sex kissing'
"The proposed exhibition ... which focuses mainly on homosexual kissing is deemed to promote a homosexual lifestyle, and cannot be allowed."
Tsang said, however, that authorities have previously allowed "brief same-sex kissing" in stage plays and adult-rated films.
The exhibition was part of "Indignation", a two-week gay pride series of forums, film screenings, lectures and other events that was scheduled to start later on Wednesday.
"It's absurd to think that gay people do not also kiss, and that representation of such a reality would be subversive," Au said. "There is a very stereotypical representation of gays and lesbians as deviants and I think it is important to correct the stereotype."
'Gross indecency'
Au added that in place of the cancelled exhibition, organisers have planned a talk to be accompanied by a slideshow of the photographs. Indoor gatherings do not require police permits.
Under Singapore law, gay sex is deemed "an act of gross indecency", punishable by a maximum of two years in jail.
Authorities have banned gay festivals and censored gay films, saying homosexuality should not be advocated as a lifestyle choice. Despite the official ban on gay sex, there have been few prosecutions.
On the net:
Singapore gay pride series
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