Local Theatre Company Expects Fervent Debate at First “The Art & Life Sessions” Forum; with Participation of Political and Religious Leaders & Commentators.
“Peculiar Legislation: 377(A) – Symbol or Statute?” will see Baey Yam Keng (MP), Siew Kum Hong (NMP), Reverend Dr Yap Kim Hao, and gay activist Alex Au discuss the issues surrounding 337A.
In a move to involve the public with issues that are raised, questioned and challenged by their provocative new play, Happy Endings: Asian Boys Vol. 3, W!LD RICE has organised a series of forums that will see experts – from the spheres of law to art – participating in topics that concern a developing society.
Entitled “The Art & Life Sessions”, the forums will invite members of the public to engage with some of the most forward-thinking minds on a range of hard-edged topics that concern some of the most pressing issues of the day; including the place of morality and equal rights in a developing society.
As such, the first “Art & Life Sessions” forum will see a highly-established panel of expert commentators discuss the issues surrounding section 377A of the penal code – which states homosexual acts as a criminal offence; despite the suggestion to decriminalize ‘unnatural acts’ between heterosexuals under section 377 in November 2006.
To be held this Sunday 15 July, W!LD RICE’s first forum, entitled Peculiar Legislation: 377(A) – Symbol or Statute?, is privileged to have Mr Baey Yam Keng (MP), Mr Siew Kum Hong (NMP), Reverend Dr Yap Kim Hao, and gay activist Mr Alex Au participate in the discussion.
More about Mr Baey Yam Keng (MP)
Mr Baey Yam Keng is a People’s Action Party Member of Parliament (MP) for Tanjong Pagar GRC; and is also the Vice-President of Corporate Marketing for CapitaLand Limited.
In 2003, he joined the Ministry of Information, Communications & the Arts to spearhead the Creative Industries Development Strategy, a national effort to double the contribution of creative industries to Singapore’s GDP.
He has a concurrent portfolio with the National Arts Council where he led a major review of existing grants to create a financial support system to develop the arts on a holistic approach, and developed an international relations strategy to position Singapore in the global arts arena.
More about Mr Siew Kum Hong
Mr Siew Kum Hong is a Nominated Member of Parliament who was sworn in January 2007. Until June of 2006, he was the director of a law firm that specialized in the practice of information technology, telecommunications, intellectual property, entertainment, venture capital, private equity and corporate / commercial law. He was also a regular columnist for the Today newspaper. Mr Siew is now a senior consultant at a software MNC and specializes in Internet, information technology, intellectual property, media and entertainment law.
More about Alex AuMr Alex Au is one of the founding members of Singapore’s main gay equality lobby group, People Like Us (PLU) 3. He is also the founder and list owner of the Singapore Gay News List (SiGNeL), the first and still the foremost discussion forum of Singapore’s gay online community. In 2003, Mr Au was presented with the Utopia award for outstanding contributions towards the advancement of gay equality in Asia, the only Singaporean recipient thus far of the honour. One year later, he became the first Singaporean to be quoted by the now-defunct Channel i as a gay activist, and his were solicited in the wake of Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong’s recent announcement that the hiring of gays in the civil service would henceforth be liberalised.
More about Reverend Dr Yap Kim Hao
Reverend Dr Yap Kim Hao was the first Asian Bishop of The Methodist Church in Malaysian and Singapore. Subsequently he served as General Secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia, an ecumenical organization of over a hundred churches and national council of churches in Asia. He holds Master of Divinity and Doctor of Theology degrees from Boston University and was honoured by them with a Distinguished Alumni Award in 1988. Currently, Rev Dr Yap serves as Pastoral Advisor to the Free Community Church and continues to serve on the Council of the Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO) in Singapore where he is committed to the promotion of inter-faith dialogue and understanding.
For more information on “The Art & Life Sessions”, please contact:
Tjin Lee / Charmaine Ho
Mercury Marketing & Communications
Tel: 6332 9166 | 6332 9168
Email: [email protected] | [email protected]