Dear Straight People,
As the year draws to a close, let us take the time to recap the top 10 most read stories of 2016 on Dear Straight People.
From controversial confessions to touching love stories, here are the top 10 most read stories of 2016!
10. 25 Singaporean Heroes Of The LGBT Community Millennials Don’t Know About
From the first Singaporean to compile coming out stories to an inspirational mother of two gay sons, this honourary list of the unsung heroes of Singapore’s ‘invisible’ community resonated deeply with the local activist scene and generated over 1,000 shares on Facebook alone!
We will continue updating this list to keep Singapore’s LGBT history alive so drop us a comment on who you would like to see added to this list next!
Read the full article here: http://bit.ly/SGheroes
9. 5 Singaporean Same-Sex Couples Share The Heartwarming Stories Of How They First Met
We are a sucker for touching love stories. And judging from the overwhelmingly positive response to our 9th most read article, it seems like we aren’t the only ones who love a good love story.
This compilation of heartwarming anecdotes from 5 same-sex Singaporean couples on how they first met one another will not only restore your faith in Cupid’s aim, it’ll make you all warm and fuzzy on the inside too.
Read the full article here: http://bit.ly/SameSexStories
8. Out Of The Closet: Amy Tashiana Shares Her Story
Our 8th most read story of 2016 was also our first coming out story of 2016!
Affectionately referred to as the ‘Big Sister’ of the local trans community, Amy Tashiana’s inspiring story of how she went from a nobody to becoming a supermodel and an icon of the local LGBT community was one of our most inspiring reads of 2016.
Read the full story here: http://bit.ly/AmyTashiana
7. Meet The Man Behind Singapore’s Latest Gay Film About Infidelity In The Gay Scene
In at number 7 is our interview with the man behind ‘Hurt’ – the locally produced film about infidelity in the gay scene.
Written and directed by budding filmmaker Kieran Cheang, ‘Hurt’ was a labour of love that took Kieran months to get off the ground. You can check out the 11-minute long short film below:
6. Confession: I Am Straight… But I Regularly Have Sex With Other Men
With over 2,000 shares on Facebook alone, this controversial confession by a straight man who regularly has sex with other men stirred up quite the brouhaha.
But before you dismiss the author as a closet case in denial, his candid confession might just make you rethink your views on sexuality and labels.
Read the full confession here: http://bit.ly/StrManConfess
5. Dear Quah Zheng Wen, Don’t Give Up On That Olympic Dream Just Yet
In at #5 with over 9,000 shares on Facebook, our letter to national swimmer Quah Zheng Wen struck a chord with Singaporeans everywhere and even earned a share from Zheng Wen’s coach himself!
Read the full story here: http://bit.ly/QuahZhengWen
4. Out Of The Closet: Jerome Alexander Chan Shares His Story
Our 4th most read story of the year is none other than the inspiring story of how Jerome Alexander Chan overcame all of the bullying he received for being feminine during his younger years.
Read the full story here: http://bit.ly/JeromeAlexander
3. Target Of Leaked Gay Sex Video Speaks Out Against Invasion Of Privacy
When we decided to shine the spotlight on the issue of leaked nudes in the gay community, we definitely weren’t expecting the overwhelming response that we got.
With almost 70,000 views on YouTube, Lokies Khan‘s fearless decision to speak out against the invasion of privacy through the leaking of nudes managed to get picked up by publications such as Gay Star News, Queerty, Coconuts Singapore and many others!
2. Out Of The Closet: Xzavier Shao Wei Shares His Story
The 2nd most read story of 2016 is none other than the heartbreaking story of how Xzavier Shao Wei was outed against his will and forced out of his home to live through the kind of nightmare that haunts many gay youths!
Read the full story here: http://bit.ly/ShaoWei
1. Out Of The Closet: Patricia & Sham Share Their Story
The MOST READ story of 2016 belongs to the incredibly inspiring love story of Patricia and Deveshwar Sham!
This beautiful couple were threatened with corrective rape and violently abused by their own family members but chose to stand by one another.
Thankfully, their love story had a happy ending and the pair just recently got married in October! #LoveWins
Read the full story here: http://bit.ly/PatandSham
Before 2016 finally gives way to the new year, Dear Straight People would like to sincerely thank you for all of the love and support you’ve given us!
Running this website has not been an easy task. But seeing the positive impact our content has had, particularly the heartwarming messages we’ve received from those still in the closet, has made everything worth it.
We’ve got some incredibly exciting plans for 2017 that we cannot wait to share with you so like us on our Facebook page to keep up to date with the latest updates!
Until then… HAPPY NEW YEAR! =)
You Might Also Like To Read:
Out Of The Closet: Rene Mayo Shares His Story
5 Asians Over The Age Of 40 Reflect On How Growing Up LGBT Was Like For Them
8 Singaporean Millennials Fighting For LGBT Rights Who Deserve More Recognition