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Aug. 07, 2003
Subaru Singapore Announces Sponsorship
of Nation.03
Fridae is pleased to announce that Subaru, represented
by MotorImage Enterprises Pte Ltd, is a major sponsor
of Nation.03. The event, which will be held in Singapore
on August 8, 2003, is an all-inclusive dance party to
celebrate Singapore's National Day.
This marks the first time Subaru, a brand known to
support the gay and lesbian community in the United
States, is supporting such an event in Asia.
"As a brand, we see the individual as he or she is,
and we are proud to stand with all the other forward-looking
brands in recognising the need to eliminate discrimination
in whatever form it takes," says Glenn Tan, the spokesperson
for MotorImage Enterprises Pte Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary
of Tan Chong International Limited, a group listed on
the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Subaru has also come out showing strong support for
Singapore government lifting a ban on hiring of gays
within the civil service. Mr Tan continued: "We recognise
that there is an increasing need for Singapore to be
a more open and tolerant society as we progress. We
were very glad to hear of the Government's latest move
to extend equal job opportunities in the civil service
to gays and lesbians."
Subaru's involvement in Nation.03 compliments the
carmaker's support of the gay and lesbian community
in the United States. The carmaker is the first automaker
in the US to market its cars specifically to gay and
lesbian consumers with gay-specific campaigns since
the mid 1990s. In 2000, Subaru of America appointed
tennis star and out lesbian Martina Navratilova as a
spokesperson for the brand; as a result, the Subaru
Outback and the Subaru Forrester have consistently been
voted the favourite lesbian cars in polls.
In addition to advertising, the carmaker has also
fostered a relationship with its consumers through sponsoring
numerous athletic and community events including the
Rainbow Endowment program that raises funds for health
and civil rights causes, Team EcoSubaru, the first gay
& lesbian team to compete in the 2002 Eco-Challenge
adventure race.
Fridae.com's co-founder and Chief Operating Officer
Dr Stuart Koe is honoured to have Subaru as a major
sponsor of Nation.03 and looks forward to their continued
support of the community.
"In America, Subaru has made a tremendous impact on
the gay and lesbian community by being a strong and
vocal supporter for many years which has resulted in
Subaru consistently being voted one of the top car brands
amongst American gays and lesbians, and many other automobile
brands struggling to catch up in its wake.
"To have Subaru being the first car brand to support
Nation.03 is both immensely gratifying and exciting.
The gay and lesbian community in Asia has largely been
ignored, and Subaru's vision is both pioneering and
courageous."
Other major sponsors include Anchor Beer, Dolce and
Gabbana Parfum, Qantas Airways and Smirnoff.
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