An estimated record-high of 21,000 people turned up at Hong Lim Park on Saturday evening for this year's Pink Dot rally, forming a sea of pink at the Speaker's Corner.
Straight and gay, young and old, they were there to show their support for Singapore's LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual) community and to campaign for equal rights regardless of sexual orientation.
This year's Pink Dot ambassadors were actress and television host Michelle Chia, sportscaster Mark Richmond and well-known thespian Ivan Heng.
The issue of gay rights have been in the news recently. Earlier in April this year, a petition by two gay men to the Singapore High Court asking for Section 377a to be repealed was rejected. They are in the process of appealing again.
For years, activists such as Maruah, a local human rights non-governmental organisation, have been calling for the Singapore government to repeal the section because it is a “critical first step” towards eliminating discrimination against homosexuals.
This year’s Pink Dot turnout of 21,000 is a marked increase from 2012's 15,000. In its first year, 2,500 people attended Pink Dot. This number grew to 4,000 in 2010 and 10,000 in 2011.
Record-breaking attendance at Pink Dot 2013
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Originally Posted by hadriel
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