Song of a Reformed Headhunter

Gift Set Elsa, I’ve just received the package of bones you sent! I’ve always wanted the complete set to check if his throat cancer left a mark. What fun to hold a familiar funny bone and hear it speak of a painted scroll, I know the stupid bird can never eat the stupid peach  and another, smooth pebble, never seen before, a pig is a very compact arrangement , and wonder where it fits. The bone for his friend Keith keeps its silence about a word— Alex Au, the blogger facing charges of holding the courts in contempt, guessed the word is gay , Cyril (remember him?) reckons it goodness , I fancy you — and so the linguist speaks eternally. Ha, ha! Arthur Yap, I have your bones all in one place, as others do who cherish completeness far from home, above the ground, and unquiet. Thank you.

The opening reception of Singapore's Pride last Saturday was well attended. There was only standing room in the Theatreworks space at Robertson Quay. Most of the attendees were in their twenties and thirties, a reminder that the gay movement here is young, though it is directed by community elders such as Yawning Bread's Alex Au, who gave the opening speech. In his casual and thoughtful manner, Au referred to several events in Singapore and the region that could give us cheer, including New Delhi's High Court striking down the anti-sodomy law. I especially admire his emphasis that the cause of gay rights is inextricably linked with equal rights for all. That link shows that gay rights is not merely special pleading, but an integral part of a more liberal vision for society. Having heard too much quietism from a few gay friends this week, I was lifted by a voice that spoke for the need for change. LMH, who was an army buddy of mine, told me that night that while he was writi...