I was pleasantly surprised

So at work today, I happen to be chatting with my boss before I left, and her little girl (a primary one girl) was beside her. As we were talking she asked her little girl if she wants to say bye bye to me as I was leaving to go home. The little girl knowing that I was from Singapore (and she spent the first 5 years of her life in Singapore) asked if I was going home to Singapore. So boss and I were laughing at her silliness and boss explained to her that no, I was going home to my place in Melbourne, where I stayed with my partner J.

Those were almost her exact words.

I was pleasantly surprised because while I know that boss is Australian, and she has been more than loving to me about me, I didn't expect her to say that. Despite knowing that her 2nd daughter's godparents are her best gay friend and his partner, I was still mildly shocked. I think suffice to say, this is a HUGE difference between the more loving people I have come into contact with in Singapore.

Of course its an easy generalization, but over here in Australian, you can even feel it in the air how they try to accept everyone. Honestly if I was an Australian, I would hate Asians too, if only you can see the number of Asians here! Just yesterday, a group of Asians allegedly murdered an Australian here, because the deceased tried to break up a fight. I have to say that they do better than Singaporeans in terms of treating foreigners (remember how we are like to foreigners - c.f PRC, South Asians). Besides accepting Asians, they are also very accepting of gay people. From 1st July 2009, they will recognize same sex couples living together and allow them the same benefits as different sex couples.

Its not only in the policies, in their everyday language too. Just that day on my friend's KT note, I was having a short conversation with his friend on how Australians do not assume that you have a girlfriend just because you are a guy. They use the word partner, and significant other.

Things are changing rapidly in Singapore, and watching the video of PinkDot brought more than a few stream of tears to my eyes. For the first time, I saw my peers, my friends, gay and straight coming together without fear to say its ok for us to love another person (I can go on a lengthy discussion to pre-empt the dissenters on how this does not apply to bestiality or necrophilia but that is not the point of this note). I saw how much love there was in the air, how there was no hate, no anger, no discrimination, just love. Its may sound cheesy and cliched, but there is really so little of it going around these days.

And its not only during events like these that messages of love are spread. Like I tell all my friends, I try my best to eradicate homophobia at the grassroots level. Day to day I live my life to the best and let people know that being gay makes no difference, my friends all love me for who I am, my employers see me for what I can do and contribute. I fondly remember how a dear old friend of mine, Jeremiah, stood for gay people when people in his camp started gay bashing. How many of you my dear friends has done that? If you had, thank you.

I have no doubt in my mind that my boss's little girl will grow up to love all her friends regardless on what label might be attached to them.