My Letter to the Forum

This is possibly my first letter to the forum that has been published – albeit on the online edition. It has been soooooo edited down, it is not even funny.

See Forum letter “Supporting gay rights does not make one gay“

I REFER to Dr Thio Su Mien’s letter on Monday, “Gay activists a key constituency of Aware”.

I was at the Association of Women for Action and Research’s extraordinary general meeting from start to end.

Gays did not comprise a numerical majority at the meeting. Being a supporter of rights for gay people doesn’t make one a homosexual, lesbian or homosexual activist.

I support the Palestinians’ right to live their lives without a wall dividing their communities, but that does not mean that I am a Palestinian. Nor am I a Palestinian rights activist.

I am not sure why Dr Thio calls the supporters of the old guard “sexually challenged”. Does she mean they are somehow physically or psychologically sexually impaired?

Just because I was a “vocal and vociferous supporter of the old guard”, does that make me sexually challenged?

Indulekshmi Rajeswari (Miss)”

See original:

I refer to Dr Thio Su Mien’s letter on 18th May 2009.

I was at the AWARE EGM from start to end. Firstly, possessing a much better “gaydar” than Dr Thio Su Mien and being much more familiar than her with those people who call themselves gay activists, I can confirm that the hall was not full of them. They were definitely present, but they were nowhere near the numerical majority nor a chief constituency.

Secondly, being a supporter of rights for gay people neither make one homosexual/lesbian nor a homosexual (rights) activist. I personally support rights of the Palestinians to live their lives without a wall dividing their communities – a somewhat controversial position (depending on who you ask) that makes me neither Palestinian (unless my parents have lied to me all my life) nor a Palestinian Rights Activist.

Thirdly, there is a line between “gay-neutral” and “promoting homosexuality”. A dictionary can easily help divine the line between the two, should anyone be confused.

Fourthly, I am not sure why Dr Thio calls the supporters of the old guard “sexually challenged”. Does she mean they are somehow physically or psychologically sexually impaired? Is Dr Thio secretly the physician for all these “vocal and vociferous” women, in order to know this intimately personal information about them? I was a “vocal and vociferous supporter of the old guard” – have I been sexually challenged all this while and did not know about this until a lawyer mass-diagnosed me through a forum letter? I am very confused, and somewhat insulted.

Fifthly, anal sex per se is not against the law – the old s377 of the Penal Code was repealed in February 2008. Unless there is a top-secret statute that makes it illegal (which only Dr Thio seems to know of), I believe consensual heterosexual anal sex is very much legal now. Perhaps Dr Thio refers to s377A – that would refer to all sexual contact between men, not just anal sex.

I’m on Page 73!

I do know I haven’t actually wrote about what happened at the EGM, even thought I spent 11 hours at suntec, and twittered my fingers out. (To see what I twittered, see here and here).

So, if you are not up to date with the minutaie of the AWARE EGM, you are probably not going to get this. The famed page 73, that Thio Su Mien claimed she was on, and hence enabled her to be a feminist mentor? Here it is. (click to read)

Two sentences. Two sentences out of an entire book published by AWARE, and that apparently makes one a feminist mentor.

What does that make Gandhi? God?

AWARE EGM Notice – Change of Venue

They have changed the venue from Expo to Suntec.

29^th April 2009

To: AWARE Members

EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

TO BE HELD ON 2^ND MAY 2009

Notice is hereby given that:

1. The venue of the Extraordinary General Meeting (“EGM”) of the Association of Women for

Action & Research (“AWARE”) to be held on Saturday, 2^nd May 2009 , from 2.00 p.m. to

5.00 p.m. is hereby changed as follows:

Exhibition Hall 402

Suntec Singapore

International Convention & Exhibition Centre

1 Raffles Boulevard, Suntec City ,

Singapore 039593

This notification supercedes all previous notifications.

2.    Admission and registration would be from 12.00 noon to 2.00 p.m. on Saturday, 2^nd

May 2009 .

Registration for new members will close once the EGM starts at 2.00 p.m.

Existing members may be admitted.

It is mandatory to show your NRIC for admission and registration.

3. Messrs Rajah & Tann have been appointed to act as AWARE’s legal advisors to attend the

EGM to be convened on 2^nd May 2009 to address legal queries relating to, and raised

during, the EGM including the matters intended to be transacted, AWARE’s constitution and

meeting law and procedure.

By Order Of The Executive Committee

Jenica Chua

Honorary Secretary

Association of Women for Action & Research

AWARE EGM Notice – Change of Venue

AWARE EGM Notice – Change of Venue

27^th April 2009

To: AWARE Members

EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

TO BE HELD ON 2^ND MAY 2009

Notice is hereby given that:

1. The venue of the Extraordinary General Meeting (“EGM”) of the Association of Women for

Action & Research (“AWARE”) to be held on Saturday, 2^nd May 2009 , from 2.00 p.m. to

5.00 p.m. is hereby changed as follows:

Singapore EXPO Hall 2

1 Expo Drive, #01-01

Singapore 486150

Admission and registration would be from 12.00 noon to 2.00 p.m. on Saturday, 2^nd

May 2009 .

It is mandatory to show your NRIC for admission and registration.

2. Messrs Rajah & Tann have been appointed to act as AWARE’s legal advisors to attend the

EGM to be convened on 2^nd May 2009 to address legal queries relating to, and raised

during, the EGM including the matters intended to be transacted, AWARE’s constitution and

meeting law and procedure.

By Order Of The Executive Committee

Jenica Chua

Honorary Secretary

Association of Women for Action & Research