Coming out of the closet is seldom easy. Just ask DJ Big Kid (otherwise known as Johnson Ong), a prominent name at dance parties across Asia.

Big Kid is Singaporean, gay, and closeted to his family. In fact, this story might be his way of leaving the proverbial doors open for future conversations with his loved ones. “I grew up in an environment where I was told being gay is wrong; that I needed to cast out the demons,” he said.

To face the prejudices he encountered growing up, Big Kid said ‘yes’ to being a Pink Dot 2010 ambassador, along with GLBT-supportive celebrities Tan Kheng Hua and Adrian Pang.

He says: “Last year’s Pink Dot was a fantastic effort… and it’s a simple thing that we can do once a year to say that LGBT people are a part of the Singapore family.”

Pink Dot is a one-day event celebrating the freedom to love, regardless of their sexual orientation. Last year, 2,500 people turned up at the pink picnic held at Hong Lim Park to celebrate Pink Dot day. The high-profile event also received attention from local and international media, like the International Herald Tribune and the BBC.

This year, Pink Dot honours kinship and family – in support and in recognition of our parents, siblings, relatives and friends of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Singaporeans. Come join in the fun on May 15, 2010 at Hong Lim Park.

Big Kid suspects some members of his family might be aware of his sexual orientation. But so far, none of them have confronted him. He’s pretty certain that this same dynamic applies to many gay Singaporeans – a code of ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ within families, so as to avoid difficult conversations.

Four years after we first opened the doors to the world, Sayoni is proud to present our spanking new renovated site. We didn't just renovate the apartment -  we built a mansion and moved in all the old furniture, installed a pool and a tennis court, and added a gym just for good measure. Why? All to make your visiting experience so much better.

So what's new? Here are the main highlights.

Under One Roof!

No, not just the lamest sitcom in Singapore history. All the various components of the old site is under one banner, and you can browse the forum and articles without leaving the main site, as well other check out other features, such as the Queer Women Survey and Summer Camp. You are also able to search the entire site now.

Profile

We have expanded the profile section such that you can add as much or as little information as you want. Want to find out if that smart-sounding girl on the forum is single? Check her profile!

Friends

Along with an expanded profile, you can now add certain members as friends, giving them the ability to communicate with you by Private Message. Yes, our onerous (to everyone, including us) system of granting PM privileges manually is gone! We are giving YOU the control over who is allowed to talk to you.

Events

Events organisation has been moved out of the forum - now there is a dedicated Events section, which is easier to access and keep track of. The Events room in the forum is closed with immediate effect.

Classifieds

Classifieds is also its own section now. However, the classifieds room in the forum will remain open for a short while. You are encouraged to move your ads to the section before it is closed!

Advertisement

Want to reach our 1800+ and growing network of women? We are now open for in-page advertising. Contact us.

Lost?

We now have a user guide, if you are completely clueless as how to navigate this site. However, if you are stranded on an island after a plane crash, we really can't help you.

And there is so much more. We are here to serve YOU, so if you have feedback, or feature requests, head on over to our forum, or just contact us privately.