Comrades In Arms

And you thought only 27-year-olds hold hands

Was the photographer being cheeky or, gasp, were the brotherly generals holding hands just before the shutter clicked? The run up to the general election, as the gamut of candidates go, has seen everything thrown in but the kitchen sink, so why not something for the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual) crowd as well?

Never one accused for being out of touch, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew told 400 Young People's Action Party members in April, 2007, "If in fact it is true, and I have asked doctors this, that you are genetically born a homosexual -- because that's the nature of the genetic random transmission of genes -- you can't help it. So why should we criminalise it?" No, no, he wasn't touched in the head, yet.

On Jan 25, 2011, Malaysia’s The Star newspaper proclaimed in a headline: “LKY will accept it if grandchildren are gay”. "That's life. I mean none of my children is gay, but if they were, well that's that,” Lee was quoted in response to a question in "Hard Truths" about how he would feel if one of his grandchildren were to come out to him. So is he getting soft?

Rev. Oyoung Wenfeng, a Malaysia-born, New York-based ordained Christian minister, author and an openly gay man, told Fridae in an email: “I am so glad Lee Kuan Yew has said those things. It is interesting and uplifting to observe that an old man can also be open-minded and willing to learn.” He likened Lee’s remarks on homosexuality to a coming out statement. “Of course he didn't come out as a gay man, but he came out as a gay friendly and reasonable person, and it has made some significant changes in people's view on homosexuality.”

The United States Army is already admitting openly gay and lesbian candidates into its ranks, in line with a court ruling that suspended a ban on homosexuals serving openly in the military. The Singapore generals who trained at West Point would surely feel left out, if they didn't learn anything from their American brothers.

SM Goh Chok Tong just announced that the PAP will usher in one of the two former military top brass, Major-General Chan Chun Sing and Brigadier-General Tan Chuan Jin, as candidate for the Marine Parade GRC team. Recall in 2003, then prime minister Goh said that homosexuals "are like you and me" and shouldn't face discrimination in Singapore's civil service. Is this one coincidence too many or what? Party chairman Lim Boon Heng did say, "We cast our net wide in the search for new candidates, reaching out to all sectors of society." You heard the man.