People Like Us (PLU) (Chinese:我等之辈) is a gay equality

lobby group In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying, which ...

in Singapore. Having been twice rejected by the government board which approves or prohibits organisations, the

Registrar of Societies A registrar is an official keeper of records made in a register. The term may refer to: Education * Registrar (education), an official in an academic institution who handles student records * Registrar of the University of Oxford, one of the sen ...

, it is now in its third incarnation as "PLU3". The term "PLU" has also gradually become

slang Slang is vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in spoken conversation but avoided in formal writing. It also sometimes refers to the language generally exclusive to the members of particular in-gro ...

for "homosexual" amongst members of Singapore's and Malaysia's

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...

subculture. According to Joseph Lo, one of the earliest organiser of PLU, PLU aspires to be a space where GLB Singaporeans can "come together to help and support each other," leading the organization to coordinate discussion forums and social events for community building.

History

PLU is an informal association of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) and heterosexual allies in Singapore that was formed in 1993. An initial application to the Registrar of Societies for official recognition of the group was submitted by 10 members, two of whom were heterosexual, on November 7, 1996, and rejected without specification of reason on April 8, 1997. PLU subsequently submitted an appeal to the Minister for Home Affairs and the Prime Minister, which was rejected in May 1997. A re-founding meeting in 2003 gathered together over 100 participants, but questions remained about future potentials for recognition and strategy. Lo, initially at the helm in organising and conducting PLU's activities, gradually took a back seat after Alex Au came on board. Au subsequently became the motive force behind PLU and the identifiable face of gay activism in Singapore, helping to reconstitute PLU in its later incarnations, earning him a gay award from Utopia in 2002. In 2010 PLU participated in compiling a report on the human rights situation in Singapore to be submitted in advance of the first UN review of human rights in Singapore. PLU also concluded an online survey of LGBT voters in Singapore in 2010 to ascertain issues of political importance to the Singaporean gay community.

Monthly forums

From 1993 to 1996, PLU held monthly Sunday forums at

The Substation The Substation (Chinese: 电力站) is Singapore's first independent contemporary arts centre. It was founded in 1990 by Kuo Pao Kun. The Substation is centrally located in the city's civic district and was the first building under the Nati ...

. A topic would be chosen and a lead speaker found. But the part which participants enjoyed most was always the break-out sessions. Forum attendees would divide themselves into smaller groups to flesh out these issues on a more personal and intimate level. Topics varied widely, and included coming out of the closet, the law, insurance for singles, housing and safe sex. More light-hearted ones like "homosexuals and beauty" were also dealt with. Attendance ranged between 40 and 80 for each forum

Notes

External links

PLU's website
{{SingaporeLGBTTopics Organizations established in 1993 1993 establishments in Singapore LGBT political advocacy groups in Singapore

History

Monthly forums

See also

Notes

External links