Ethnography of communication in the gay community in Singapore.

• Main Authors: Lee, Hong Hwee., Phuan, Chee Hoong., Tan, Chee Tat.
• Other Authors: Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Communication
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/14792
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

In Singapore, gays have been misunderstood by the public as a result of various factors: the law, misrepresentation of gays in the media, and the lack of communication between the gay community and the public. The result is a very subdued and suppressed gay community. This paper examines various aspects of life as a gay living in Singapore, and attempts to present an alternative representation of gays as compared to mainstream media. In particular, this paper examines how the gay forms his sexual identity, and how he communicates to his various publics: his family, friends, and the straight and gay communities. The methodology includes the use of in-depth interviews, past researches on gays and a video camera to probe into the various aspects of gay life. By combining both the techniques of anthropology film-making and cinematography, the short film presents a quasi-ethnographic study of the gay community in Singapore.