| Agence France-Presse, August 8, 2004
Asia's biggest gay party starts in
strait-laced Singapore
three-day gay and lesbian festival that organisers have
claimed is the largest in Asia got off to a rousing
start in Singapore -- where homosexual acts are still
illegal.
At least 6,000 partygoers from across the region danced
from Saturday night into the early hours of Sunday at
the opening event of Nation.04, organiser and regional
gay website Fridae.com said.
The second leg of the festival, to take place on the
eve of Singapore's 39th independence day, takes place
Sunday night on Sentosa island, with revellers urged
to dress up in Singapore's national colours of red and
white.
Half of the revellers at the opening party in the Suntec
City Convention Centre were mainly from neighouring
countries like Thailand, Taiwan and Japan, the website
said.
"It was a very good night," Stuart Koe, chief
executive of Fridae.com, told AFP Sunday. "Based
on what people are saying, they can't wait for tonight
so I think this is a very good sign."
Sunday's event will feature visual effects with US
club veteran Billy Carroll and his Taiwanese counterpart
David Sung providing the music.
Some 8,000 people are expected at the Sentosa party,
Koe said, adding that it was deliberately timed to coincide
with the eve of Singapore's independence day so that
everyone could celebrate regardless of their sexual
orientation.
"We are Singapore citizens too and we have a right
to celebrate National Day and it has grown to such a
scale that we have foreigners coming in," Koe said.
Homosexual acts are still outlawed in Singapore even
though the government has taken a more tolerant approach
to the community and more gay-friendly facilities and
shops have opened.
The city state has refused to decriminalise homosexual
acts due to opposition from the conservative majority
Chinese population as well as from Malay Muslims, while
it maintains a ban on gay groups registering as societies.
Fridae.com has organised every Nation party since its
inception in 2001 but this year is the first time that
the party will stretch over three days.
The final party will take place on Monday at the city's
Zouk Club.
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