YOH Head Butt! - PinkDot 2010 Edition

13 May 2010

Hey Everyone, 

So we over did it a little - with our YOH blog in a shade of pink to coincide with this big community event that is happening in less than two days! But we can all use a little pink in our lives. In case you've been living under a rock for the past whole month, everyone in the community is gearing for the one big event this saturday, but before we all get carried away with PinkDot this year, HEADBUTT wants to inform you about the rest of the other community events that might have swept underneath your radar amidst all this pink fairy dust flying all over...

What's UP?

Many Single Men (MSM)

Many Single Men, is a TWO Days workshop that provides a safe space for single individuals to explore and discover more of themselves; relationships; elements of dating as well as negotiated safety.

Details are as follows: 

Date - 29 May 2010 and 5 Jun 2010 (Both Saturdays)
Time - 2pm to 5pm
Fee - $25.00 per pax (for both days)
Age - 18 years old and above

For more information and registration form, please visit - http://www.oogachaga.com/manysinglemen

Singapore AIDS Candlelight Memorial 2010

The memorial is a reminder to all Singaporeans that HIV/AIDS is still a scourge that we need to be aware of and to find ways of dealing with the stigma, discrimination and other issues such as unemployment and financial difficulties. The Memorial is also a community call to action to always keep in mind those living with HIV/AIDS and to find ways to make their lives better and meaningful.

Details are as follows:

Date - 16 May 2010, Sunday
Time - 7pm to 9pm
Venue - Telok Ayer Hong Lim Green Community Centre Open Stage @ Hong Lim Park - 20 Upper Pickering Street, 058284

For more information, please visit: http://www.afa.org.sg

Conversations Between Father & Son

If you have been following local community news lately, you'll know that a section of our community have been met with constant prejudice and bombardment of discrimination, especially in the clubs. In response the transgender women have formed up a community group called 'Sisters in Solidarity'. And if you do believe that that all humans should be treated equally, Sisters in Solidarity needs your help and sign a petition. In addition, one of the main founders of Sisters in Solidarity, Marla Bendini is having multimedia installation performance with paintings, paying tribute to the artist's father. 

Details are as follows:

Date - May 13th, 2010, Thursday. Exhibition ends on May 22nd 2010

Time - 6.30pm til late, performance by Marla Bendini 7.30pm
Venue - The Substation Gallery, 45 Armenian Street, Singapore 179936

To sign the Petition - please visit:http://endtransgenderdiscrimination.wordpress.com/sign-our-petition/

For more information, please visit: http://marlabendini.com

PinkDot 2010

10 tips to help you 'enjoy' PinkDot 2010 

Some of you maybe first timers to the event, and some of you are super excited about it from the loads of fun you've had at last year's event. Nonetheless YOH have put together a list of 10 tips for you to enjoy PinkDot 2010 to the max!

1. Dress code is PINK: So come in a pink tee, tank top, cap, shirt, overalls, underwear, shoes or in any of those combi. We know pink may not be the IN colour of the season now, but take a good hunt around the tee shirt shops around Bugis Junction, there are definite steals to be found. 
2. You'll look good in pink: Oh you may think you look dumb and stupid (or too gay) in a pink top, the feeling quickly dissipates when you realise you're not the only one wearing it on the actual event.
3. Leave your barang barang at home: we mean leave your big barang barang of your tote & messenger bags and stuff in the car or at home. Go to the event light and you'll find that there's more freedom in mingling with the crowds and getting in the photos with your friends without the weight of your bag weighing you down.
4. Bring your essentials with you: this list is not mandatory for everyone: Water bottles, tissues to wipe your sweat (or in some cases, your facial blotting paper), your pink umbrella (in case the weather turns foul), your digital camera / camcorder (believe us, you'll wanna be taking photos and videos), sunglasses (it's an outdoor event, caps / hats (if you need the extra patch to cover a bald spot)
5. Ask your LGBT friendly mates along for this: It's not a GAY only event, it's an event for everyone, and we're sure if you're mates are with you, PinkDot will be a momentous and significant event that you'll look back with GLEE! And with the focus on FAMILY this year, bring your supportive family members down for this event!
6. In case you do 'lose' your friends during the event, feel free to make friends with people around you! (Have your cell phone around too..)
7. Be prepared to go slightly crazy. It's a fun filled almost carnival like event, leading up to the moment where the PinkDot is formed.
8. Prepare a PinkDot picnic basket if you and your friends are thinking of settling down on a spot, underneath the trees and just having a picnic. There is the Hong Lim Temporary Hawker Centre near by should you feel thirsty or hungry prior to the event.
9. Nearest MRT Stations to get to Hong Lim Park are Clarke Quay MRT or Chinatown MRT. There are directional signs from both MRT stations to lead you to Hong Lim Park. 
10. ENJOY YOURSELF!

Here are the details should you need it - 

DATE - 15th MAY 2010, Saturday
TIME - 5pm
VENUE - Hong Lim Park

For more information, please visit: http://pinkdotsg.blogspot.com/

YOH is proud to be promoting PinkDot 2010. 

We'll See You There!

Till the next HEADBUTT,

Take Care, 

YOH

YOH Head Butt! - Ugly Betty Edition

12 May 2010

Hey Everyone, 

Firstly a huge big sorry for the long hiatus that HEADBUTT took (were we gone for over a month?). Things in YOH have gotten a little way busy over our heads with YOH4 currently underway. We're now back, gonna keep you all updated with the latest happenings and to stir up some discussion about relevant queer youth topics. 

In keeping to the one of the big topics that was handled just last week during the YOH4session - One Foot In, Both Feet Out, this edition of HEADBUTT takes a look back at one of the most beloved TV drama comedy amongst the YOH team. No, we've done our fair deal about the ever popular GLEE (we are very proud to say that we started the trend in one of the earliest HEADBUTT editions). It's UGLY BETTY! 

We know that the show has since been canned and not returning, though we are keeping our finger crossed for a MOVIE to be made. However if you have been following UGLY BETTY in its last season, you know that Betty's favourite nephew, Justin Suarez, came of age, kissed a boy, danced with him and came out to his family members - all within the last four episodes of the series. Ok, so it didn't generate as big a deal as when Kurt Hummel came out to his dad in GLEE, but after watching the series for over three seasons, Justin Suarez, as a character, became a hero pretty much in all our hearts. So this HEADBUTTedition, we want to take the time and salute - Justin Suarez!

Justin crawled into our hearts by having the utmost love for his family and especially his mom, Hilda, and at the same time being fashionably forward and never giving up on his dreams to be an actor. Yeap, fighting bullies in school, facing pressure to be the 'macho guy' and hiding one's true sexuality are probably issues that some of us go through - but to see him grow up as a character, overcome his fears of rejection and being true to himself really made Season Four of UGLY BETTY worth watching. 

Of course we can't keep our eyes tears free when he reached out his hands and asked his date, Austin, for a dance at his own mom's wedding - thus silently coming out to his family members. We're not advocating you to do the same, but perhaps there are lessons to be learnt from this boy - but instead of us telling you what it is - it is up for discussion. And we wouldn't go anywhere without showing you the moments that really moved us. (bring out the tissues...)

Justin / Austin (Part One) - "If you kiss someone with feelings, they know it and you know it. It's like everything else goes grey and you're the only two people left in the whole world" - 

Justin / Austin (Part Two) - "You are who you are & the sooner you're okay with that...the happier you're gonna be" - 

Justin / Austin (Part Three) - "Shoes are for fashion, not function..." -



MUST WATCH - Justin / Austin (Part Four) - "If you don't want anyone to know, they don't have to know...you don't have to say a word until you're ready." -



MUST WATCH - Justin / Austin (Part Five) - "When the time is right, you'll just know..." -



Justin / Austin (Final Part) - 

If you are still reading this (and not sniffing away to Renee Olstead's A Love That Will Last), we would like to hear your comments and views about you've just watched in right here...

Till the next HEADBUTT, 

Take care, 

YOH