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Rainbow Lapis Press is a queer micropress dedicated to printing writing that is layered, flavorful, and nuanced. It also doubles as a bookstore located at Proud Spaces. |
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what inspired you to actively create a safe and accepting space for the lgbtqia+ community in singapore?
R: I was inspired when I went to Taipei & San Francisco and when I visited the queer bookstores in those cities, I felt like I'd come home. That's why I decided to set up Rainbow Lapis Press, a queer micropress, that is dedicated to printing writing that is layered, flavourful, and nuanced, which also doubles as a bookstore located at Proud Spaces. Proud Spaces is Singapore's newest queer community centre, and I am happy to be part of that space. |
why is it important to have safe spaces for the lgbtqia+ community like rainbow lapis press in singapore?
R: Before I met any gay people in sunny Singapore, I encountered gay poets like Cyril Wong, Tania De Rozario, and Alfian Sa'at through their poetry, accessible through books and libraries across Singapore. Queer literature is crucial because it allows every queer person, young or old, out or closeted, to find someone like them and see that they are part of the queer community. This is why I focus on publishing works from queer minorities, such as those from the trans community (currently working with a trans male artist on an illustration project) and queer brown folks in Singapore (working with a queer brown author on a short story zine). Queer bookstores help people find themselves through the books they offer, and I hope these books inspire those who read them.
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"Queer literature is crucial because it allows every queer person, young or old, out or closeted, to find someone like them and see that they are part of the queer community."
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what are some important steps everyone can take to help extend safe spaces and ensure the safety and acceptance of the lgbtqia+ community throughout singapore?
R: I believe that having open and honest conversations as queer individuals with their straight friends and families is the best way to do so. It's easy to say, "Educate yourself, there's Google," but I believe that personal stories and anecdotes are powerful because they connect individuals to their friends and family members. Personally, I have found that sharing my authentic and vulnerable experiences with close ones has opened hearts and minds in ways that no queer campaign ever could.
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what are your future goals and aspirations for continuing to support and enhance the safety and acceptance of the lgbtqia+ community?
R: Over the next five years, if circumstances allow, I hope to expand my reach throughout Southeast Asia and beyond. While safety concerns may limit my ability to establish a physical presence in certain locations, I aspire to publish works by queer Southeast Asian authors and distribute them throughout the ASEAN region. Additionally, I hope to use my published materials to educate those who oppose queer people on religious grounds, emphasizing that divinity is all-embracing, regardless of their personal beliefs. My first book that will be launch in November 2024, is in fact one such project. I am writing a book about my experience in conversion therapy in Singapore, and together with the stories of three other friends who've undergone the same, we hope to overturn the notion that repressing one's sexuality is healthy, even if well-meaning. Keep a look out for that!
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over the years, what challenges or obstacles have you faced in establishing and maintaining this space to be safe for the lgbtqia+ community?
R: I think a main challenge, as someone devoted to her faith, is the animosity between the queer activists and the religious conservatives. As a queer and religious person, I feel caught in the middle. It eventually led to a mental breakdown, and I've since spent thousands of dollars seeking therapy for it. If we can all be a little more compassionate toward one another, and meet up in person to dialogue instead of engaging as keyboard warriors, I think it'll make the country a better place. As such, I'll be organising small interfaith dialogues in the upcoming future as part of Rainbow Lapis Press' community education and outreach efforts. More info soon to be up on my Eventbrite page for the second half of 2024.
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r y e's pride campaign this year is titled 'people like us,' a term that has gained widespread use as slang for being queer among singapore's queer community. what does 'people like us' mean to you?
R: I feel like everyone needs to find their tribe, whether in queer spaces like bars or clubs, or quieter spots like my queer pop up bookstore, or queer and religious spaces like Free Community Church, Rainbodhi Singapore, or Quasa, for queer Christians, Buddhists, and Muslims respectively. I think it is myopic and insular to relegate oneself to only one singular queer identity for we are more than that. I am queer. But I am also religious. Bookish. A music-lover. A foodie. I love my country. I am a friend. A lover. A sister. A daughter. For I am not only queer, for I contain multitudes. |
"I am queer. But I am also religious. Bookish. A music-lover. A foodie. I love my country. I am a friend. A lover. A sister. A daughter. For I am not only queer, for I contain multitudes."
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Our ‘Love+’ scarves are available in a spectrum of colours to symbolise love, unity, and interconnections.All profits from the sale of the scarves go directly to The T Project, that proudly supports the transgender community in Singapore. Read more about their work here. |
Illustrations Sarah Kelly Ng Interviewed by Shenali Wijesinghe Featuring Miss Rachel Reads Special Thanks Bessie Ye |