“Should gay people be allowed to teach children?” is a contentious question in jurisdictions around the world, inflaming the passions of people on all sides of the debate.  Now that question has come to roost in the notably authoritarian city-state of Singapore, where homosexual acts are still penalized by Section 377A of the criminal code.

On Saturday, Otto Fong, a long-time friend of mine and a science teacher at the venerable Raffles Institution, posted an open letter to his colleagues outing himself as a gay man.  In this letter, he writes that, “in order to reach my fullest potential as a useful human being, I must first fully accept myself, and face the world honestly.  I have lived long enough to know that what I am is not a disease, an aberration or a mental illness.”

The Raffles Institution is a 187-year old independent boy’s secondary school whose alumnae include Lee Kwan Yew, the founding Prime Minister of Singapore who to this day is carefully listened to as the father of the country. 

Otto’s letter quickly caused a stir.  The website received hundreds of hits in the first 48 hours and despite his only sending the link to the letter to his colleagues, it quickly made its way to his students who have been posting messages of support and encouragement.

By publicly coming out, Otto risks his professional career and reputation, and could find himself shortly unemployed.  The executive board of Raffles Institution is reportedly meeting Monday morning to discuss what actions they should take.

In the last decade, the Singaporean government has made some strides in loosening restrictions on gays and lesbians living there.  But laws prohibiting homosexuality are still on the books, threatening any gains that these citizens may feel they’ve achieved.  The former Prime Minister made headlines in April when he called into question the validity of criminalizing homosexuality if being gay is indeed a matter of nature and not of choice.

In December 2005, Otto and his partner of seven years visited me and Tawn in Khrungthep.  After toasting the holidays and their happiness, I posted a picture of them, arms interlinked, on my blog.  A few days later, Otto asked if I would remove the picture as they were concerned about the professional damage it could do to them.  A year and a half later, I’m very proud to see that Otto is now ready for the world to see him for who he is.

How can you help?

Despite its staunch independence, history has shown that Singapore likes to protect its international image and reputation.  That is one reason that despite the anti-gay laws, Singapore has been actively making the island a more gay-friendly place.

None other than Lee Kwan Yew spoke about the influence of the rest of the world when commenting about why the eventual repeal of Section 377A was necessary, when he told Reuters on 24 April 2007: “I would say if this is the way the world is going and Singapore is part of that interconnected world – and I think it is – then I see no option for Singapore but to be part of it.”

You can help by reading Otto’s open letter and leaving your comments of support.  The more support he receives, from both local and international sources, the more difficult it will be for his employers to take Draconian measures to punish him.

Update as of Monday, 2:26 pm Singapore Time

It looks like Otto has removed the open letter from his blog site, for reasons that are unexplained.  It will be interesting to learn more about what has transpired.  In the meantime, thank you to all of you who shared your support.

Update as of Monday, 3:31 pm Singapore Time

A third party with inside knowledge at Raffles Institution reports to me that the school is on Otto’s side and his job is apparently not threatened.  The open letter was removed at the request of the Ministry of Education.  If true, this would seem to be a victory.