You should already know of the whole 'saga' concerning the National Library's rigmarole of attempting to totally remove several books from its shelves, only to get flamed by our Communications and Information Minister Yaacob Ibrahim, and then eventually placing them back - in the adult section.
For many years now, the camp that champions heightened freedom of speech, expression and creativity in Singapore has seen its members grow in number, especially with the improvements in media technology and the rampant expansion of the Arts. With that also comes the vista that we should not discriminate individuals for their race, language, religion - and sexual orientation. Pursuant to Article 8 and 14 of the Human Rights Act '98 in Great Britain, we have already seen enough civil suits against states which have allegedly contravened these rights based on the European Convention of Human Rights.
Their statements are clear. The government cannot and should not intervene in the freedom of private life among individuals (assuming no real harm is intrinsic), and there should be no discrimination in any way, of the way these people live their lives.
When NLB drew first blood by attempting to remove children's books such as 'And Tango Makes Three' and 'The White Swan', it was equivalent to sanctioning not just the content of the books, but also making a bald assertion that the way of life of having a homosexual civil union is downright unacceptable - and hence should be removed from society. 'And Tango Makes Three' is based on the true story of a pair of male penguins who raise a chick together; 'The White Swan Express' features adoptive parents such as a lesbian couple.
Indeed, the damage has been done. Several critics have already expressed their dissatisfaction from the Library's move, which contradicts itself as a public institution that promotes learning and knowledge. It led to 2 petitions calling fro NLB to reinstate books, and a reading event where the banned books were shared among parents and their children.
It was only when Minister Ibrahim made the clarification that NLB should not 'pulp the titles' but rather place them in the adult section of the library instead. He added that the children's section are frequented by children and unsupervised by their parents, thereby carrying therein the risk of exposure of mature content to impressionable young minds. With the titles in the adult section, parents (assuming decent-minded) at least have the discretion to decide what information they would otherwise like to share with their kids, and add any 'disclaimers' in that sense.
But think about it. Even with the Minister's supposedly mitigating move, this whole saga has already stained homosexuality as a way of life as 'mature content' or 'a context that is deemed culturally detrimental to young minds'. This is tantamount to equating homosexuality and gay civil unions where genuine love is present, with gang rape, violence, drugs and whatever other morally wrong notions that our Singaporean society has condemned as socially unacceptable. Should then, even books like Snow White and the Seven Dwarves be banned since it emanates the idea of elitism and staying at the top of your industry, and doing whatever it takes to remain 'the fairest of them all'? Or even 'The Ugly Duckling'? Since it shows that just because you're physically different from a group, you're bound to be an outcast unless you do something about it? (The Ugly Duckling was covered with BLACK feathers, as opposed to its WHITE counterparts, mind you.)
If this is the way forward, even Alice from Twilight can see that this is only going to lead to the derogation of our much needed media circle. Censorship should occur appropriately and not arbitrarily. We know that Pinkdot just took place less than a month ago and our government is still not a proponent of removing the highly controversial s377A of the penal code which criminalises acts of gross decency between 2 men. If this is their way of expressing it, via one whole saga - which involves the prospective development of our future leaders, then there is no reason why anyone wouldn't be disappointed. We should champion the ideations of what 'can be' rather than what 'has been', only then can we truly progress as a multi-cultural and democratic society.
