Stop Torturing Transgender People in Singapore

Target: Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore

Goal: End forced surgeries in Singapore for transgender people.

Transgender and human rights are at stake in Singapore. While identifying as transgender is not a crime in the country, the government and other organizations strive to make life miserable for people going through a difficult but monumental discovery in their lives. In this case, a person’s gender is only recognized as what appears on official identification and not how the person identifies. An individual would need reassignment surgery for for these to match, a process some may not opt into or simply may not be ready for. One driving factor for deferring reassignment surgery is first having children, as such surgeries can leave the patient infertile.

This is particularly difficult for Singapore’s mandatory two years of military service for males reaching their eighteenth birthday. For those transitioning from male to female, enlisting can bring a devastating experience. Ridicule from fellow servicemembers and even unreprimanded physical abuse are just a couple hardships endured by transgenders in the military. Some are able to endure the pain for those two years instead of giving into reassignment surgery prematurely. Others may feel pressured to have surgery, sacrifice fertility, and later leave the military with irreparable trauma.

Outside of the military, transgender individuals who present differently than what is on their ID cards face alienation in day to day life. They can lose job prospects, experience housing discrimination, and be forbidden to marry. Bureaucratic barriers like these can bring a person’s life to a halt. Like with the military, one must choose immediate reassignment surgery before being physically and emotionally ready.

Sign the petition below to stop Singapore from torturing transgender people with alienation and involuntary surgery.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong,

Singapore has made some significant strides in transgender rights. Your country is setting a high bar for human rights around the world by not persecuting these individuals for making choices they feel are best for their personal wellbeing. However, there are some practices in Singapore that may need to be revisited in order to make true progress on this issue.

Transgender individuals in Singapore should not feel pressured to have reassignment surgery until they are ready, if at all. One effective way to approach this issue is to not require citizens of your country to present as the same gender that appears on their government identification. The process each person takes can vary when assuming the gender that feels most comfortable. Because not everyone reaches a full level of comfort in their skin at the same time, it is difficult to say when the right time is for having a newly issued government ID with the correct gender–one reason why it is important to respect the journey for every transgender person.

Opening up rights for transgender people in Singapore and alleviating pressure for surgery is important for many reasons. Recognizing their identities outside of a government ID will help stop undue physical and mental anguish during mandatory military service for those who may present as female. Respecting someone who identifies as female despite what is on the birth certificate can prevent significant pain. Changes in the ID policy also will work towards preventing discrimination in jobs and housing among other social institutions. Safety and security in society is a right that should be afforded to everyone in Singapore.

We urge you to revise laws in Singapore to stop torturing transgender people.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo credit: Jnzl’s Photos