“Youth worker Alex Teh from non-profit organisation Oogachaga suggests setting blanket rules on bullying. “Sexuality orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression (SOGIE)-targeted bullying is still bullying, and it should be clear that it will have the same consequences as other types of bullying. Prevention is better than cure, but if it were to happen anyway, LGBTQ+ students will feel safer with the knowledge that these incidents will not be dismissed,” he says.

In addition, students’ right to privacy with what they share in confidence should be kept private, unless requested otherwise. “Just because students are young, doesn’t mean they are not capable of deciding what information needs to be kept private, especially when divulging this information may expose them to harm. Students will feel safer knowing their autonomy is respected,” Mr Teh adds.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) can begin by initiating conversations with the LGBTQ+ community stakeholders to better understand the issues faced by such students. Inclusive policies should be formulated to care for, protect and support queer students, and these policies should be made known to all, suggests Executive Director of Oogachaga Leow Yangfa. ”

““Transgender and gender non-conforming students are particularly at risk for not feeling safe in schools, as schools are rarely (if at all) accommodating to the needs of gender-diverse students,” says youth worker Alex Teh from non-profit organisation Oogachaga. The organisation provides counselling services to the LGBTQ+ community and has supported many youths struggling within the Singaporean education system.

Mr Teh notes that some common practices that harm trans students are using a student’s dead name, the wrong pronouns and gender-binary uniforms and toilets.”

“Indeed, Mr Alexander Teh, a youth worker at Oogachaga, said that there remain many barriers for LGBTQ youth to come out openly to family members.
“These factors include fear of rejection by immediate and extended family members as well as their wider social or faith communities, pressure to ‘change’ or ‘stop’ being LGBTQ, and the lack of accessible LGBTQ affirming support,” he said. Oogachaga is a non-profit community-based organisation that works with LGBTQ individuals, couples and families.”
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Mr Teh of Oogachaga said the barriers that prevent LGBTQ youth from coming out openly to their loved ones are especially challenging for those with other minority experiences, in terms of their race, religion, social and economic status, mental health status or disabilities.”

“In yesterday’s statement, Oogachaga also said: “We would like to categorically state that any attack on Oogachaga volunteers and staff members is an attack on our wider community of volunteers, staff members and clients who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer and gender-diverse (LGBTQ+), along with our allies, supporters, and family members.””

“Leow Yangfa, a social worker and executive director of Oogachaga, an NGO that provides counselling services for the LGBTQ community in Singapore, said it was not unusual for them to see clients who had gone through harmful conversion therapies from their previous therapists or religious leaders, leaving them with observable symptoms of shame and trauma.”

“Alexander Teh, a youth worker at non-profit Oogachaga, says: “In Singapore, where the concept of filial piety and a lifelong bond with parents is instilled in us from a young age, it is incredibly difficult for LGBTQIA+ people to deal with the lack of support from their parents, especially if they had a good relationship with them to begin with.” ”

“Without being able to learn about sexual and gender diversity in a supposed safe space such as school, most of what youth learn about the LGBTQIA+ community is through social media; the problem here is that while there is a wealth of information that is factual and affirming, there is also another side that perpetuates ignorance and hate towards the community.
Alexander Teh, Youth Worker”

“According to Leow Yangfa and Alexander Teh, two representatives from Oogachaga I spoke with, trans people of all ages and backgrounds have been known to attempt DIY HRT. However, a significant push factor here, especially amongst younger trans people, are the age restrictions controlling access to HRT. In Singapore, it is generally not available to anyone under 17, and between the ages of 18 to 21, both parents’ consent is needed to obtain it.”

“Oogachaga executive director Leow Yangfa told CNA that none of the speakers discussed how sexual orientation should be dealt with in public policy. In addition, officers from MFA and the Ministry of Social and Family Development were invited to attend, and at least two MSF officers were in the audience.”

““The U.S. Embassy regularly works with civil society partners on a wide range of issues to build awareness and advance the human rights of all persons,” it added. The event was co-hosted with support group Oogachaga.”

“In response to CNA’s queries, Oogachaga’s executive director Leow Yangfa ​​​​​​​said they noted MFA’s statement “with surprise”.

Mr Leow added that the webinar was held to mark the publication of Prof Badgett’s book.

”It involved an academic discussion on Prof Badgett’s book and published research on the economic cost of LGBT discrimination around the world, including US, Eastern Europe, Hong Kong, India, China and Singapore,” he said.

”None of the speakers discussed how sexual orientation should be dealt with in public policy.”

“Leow Yangfa, Executive Director of Oogachaga, a non-profit that aids the LGBTQ+ community through the provision of counselling and support services, says older LGBTQ+ individuals may identify themselves using different characteristics, unlike younger individuals who are “comfortable” using the terminology of LGBTQ+ to describe themselves. He asserts that this may lead to implications of how people “address, define, work with and support LGBTQ+ elders.” ”

“Mr Leow Yangfa, executive director of Oogachaga, a non-profit that provides counselling and educational services to the LGBT community, said it was greatly encouraged that the Government has, for the second time, openly acknowledged the needs of the LGBTI community in its national report.

He noted, however, that the report states that “all Singapore citizens, regardless of their sexual orientation, are free to pursue their activities in their private space”.

While this may be true in practice, it is not the case under the country’s law, owing to the continued existence of Section 377A of the Penal Code, which criminalises consensual sex between men, he said. “The omission of its mention in the report is glaring.” ”

“To help teachers better navigate transgender issues in school, Mr Rafah (a volunteer with the TransBefriender, a peer support service for transgender youth in Singapore) said that schools may invite LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) organisations such as Oogachaga or The T Project to guide teachers on how to navigate sensitive topics. ”

“Mr Singh was representing Mr Bryan Choong, 43, former executive director of non-profit Oogachaga, which works with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals. Mr Choong moved to challenge the constitutionality of Section 377A alongside disc jockey Johnson Ong Ming, 44, and retired general practitioner Roy Tan Seng Kee, 62, following an Indian court’s decision to lift a ban on consensual gay sex in September 2018.”

“Mr Leow Yangfa, executive director of Oogachaga, a non-profit, community organisation working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people in Singapore since 1999, wrote in a letter to TODAY on Jan 18 that the experience reported by the student is not unique.”

“As a non-profit, community organisation working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people in Singapore since 1999, Oogachaga has encountered numerous cases of transgender and gender-diverse youth attending mainstream schools who experience multiple difficulties as a result of their gender identity.
Leow Yangfa, Executive Director, Oogachaga”