An LGBT Rally Tests the Limits of Singapore's Free-Speech Park

Though Hong Lim Park, an attractive two-acre green space in the middle of densely populated central Singapore, looks rather nondescript, it has a special status. It’s home to “Speakers’ Corner,” the only place in the Southeast Asian city-state where citizens can publicly air their opinions, often as individuals and sometimes as groups, with the state’s blessing. Even then, there are limitations. Because Singapore’s government is preoccupied with keeping the peace among the country’s various ethnic groups and religions, from Chinese Buddhists to Malay Muslims to Indian Hindus, it has made speaking on the topics of race and religion taboo.

This tug of war between freedom and constraint is common in Singapore. Globally, the city-state is known for strict governance and excessive punishment for peccadillos like selling chewing gum, failing to flush a public toilet, or walking around nude in one’s abode without the shades drawn. Yet spaces like Speakers’ Corner allow Singaporeans to push political and social boundaries—at least up to a point.