Thousands of Singaporeans attended an annual gay rights rally celebrating sexual diversity in the city-state, despite fierce opposition from religious conservatives. Organizers said 26,000 people attended the event, making it one of Singapore’s biggest public rallies in recent times. The 4-hour, carnival-like rally featured musical performances by Singaporean artists, cheered on by a crowd of straight and homosexual Singaporeans wearing pink – the color chosen by organizers to represent the freedom to love. Participants brushed off countermovements by Christian and Muslim conservatives opposing the growing gay rights movement. Singapore’s officials have avoided taking sides and instead urged Singaporeans to practice restraint in debating LGBT rights. Sex between men is a crime under the Singapore penal code. The law dates back to British colonial rule and carries a maximum penalty of two years, but it is not actively enforced by authorities.
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