The Swan Project Singapore is a movement that aims to promote understanding and awareness of transgender individuals in Singapore by providing information, telling stories, support opportunities, and dismantling misconceptions about transgender people. Empowering both transgender people and society at large through awareness, support, engagement and action, we aim to do our bit to create cultural and systemic change for the better.

1. swanprojectsg.wordpress.com
Matilda
Yining
Jeng Yi
Rena
Gwee Jie

2. What do you understand by
transgender?

3. Transgender
• Umbrella term for persons whose gender
identity, gender expression or behaviour does
not conform to that typically associated with
the sex to which they were assigned at birth
• Is not homosexuality or cross dressing
• Trans as a shorthand

4. Vibrant transgender scene

5. Reduced visibility of transpeople
• 1980s & 1990s: Increasingly difficult for the
Singaporean government to make public
concessions to the transgender community as it
largely avoids a pro-queer stance
• Turning to online resources, forums and support
group
– SgButterfly
– Sisters in Solidarity
– Voices of the Sons
– Break the Binary

6. The Transgender Community in
Singapore
• 1,831 transwomen and 640 transmen (Winter,
2009)
• Total number of transgender people is likely
higher as many who opt out of sex
reassignment operations may not be captured
by such clinic studies (Wang & Wong, 2012)

8. Value of our research
• Separate entity to LGB with its own priorities
and concerns
• A highly contentious and stigmatized topic
today
• Lack of understanding and a slew of identified
problems

9. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
• What are the issues that transgender
individuals face in Singapore?
• Snowball sampling
– 18 participants
• 15 transgender individuals
• 1 girlfriend of a transman
• 1 medical doctor
• 1 leader of a LGBTQ organisation

10. Our Sample
Male
47%
Female
53%
Gender

11. 6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Our Sample
Age
Age 15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49

12. Our Sample
Chinese
44%
Eurasian
19%
Malay
25%
Indian
12%
Ethnicity

13. Our Sample
Religious Background
Christian
14%
Roman Catholic
22%
Atheist/Freethi
Muslim
22%
Taoist
7%
Buddhist
7%
Hindu
14%
nker
14%

14. 4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
Primary
School
Educational Background
O Levels N Levels Diploma University
graduate
Transwomen
Transmen
Our Sample

15. Interview Guide
• Approach: Light-hearted and informal conversations
• Procedure:
– Ice breaking
– Project description
– IRB
– Interview
• Topics
– Self
– Transgender worldview
– Participant’s story
– Transgender community
– Closing

16. Data Analysis
Data Reduction
Coding
Categorisation
Comparison
Data
Display
Integratio
n
Discussion & Analysis Interpretation

17. Codes
Higher likelihood to work in sex trade Peer pressure to enter the sex trade
“So we entered the sex trade very early. I think 90% of my friends are
all in the sex trade, because it is the only industry that affirms my
gender identity, that doesn’t ask questions…I’m homeless and I’m
working as a sex worker. So I rent a room in Geylang…But then one day
I was caught by the police for soliciting, so I will send to jail for 1
year…Because I got no friends, no family to look after [my belongings],
so they will sell away all my possessions…I’m can’t find job [because] I
must be a man to find job. I must change to be a man [in order for
them to offer me help]. So the first day I come out is the first day I
enter the sex industry again…because I need that S$60 to rent a room
for a place to stay. This is a vicious cycle that I’m talking about.”
Less acceptance by family and society Lack of employment opportunities

18. Themes
Financial
burden of
medical
treatment
Lack of trans-friendly
medical
practitioners
Insurance
Lack of
confidentiality
in hospitals

19. Categories
Healthcare
Financial
burden of
medical
treatment
Lack of
trans-friendly
medical
practitioners
Insurance
Lack of
confidentiali
ty in
hospitals

20. Research Findings

21. Research Findings

22. Research Findings

23. Research Findings

24. Healthcare
Financial burden of medical treatments
“They closed the gender clinic at NUH…so [they] do not do any gender
reassignment surgery at any national hospitals in Singapore. So you have to
go to private hospitals to do your surgeries. Most people cannot afford to get
by, so they go overseas.”
“We need to save up for surgery. My total about 10 k SGD, but I understand
for some of my friends, they have not gone for the surgery because of the
money.”
“If you think about it what kind of transgender person will have that kind of
money, if you are already going to spend on your surgery, spend on your
hormone treatment. How are you going to drop $500 [for private
consultation] and do your treatment? So that’s something to think about.”

25. Healthcare
Lack of trans-friendly medical practitioners
“Basically the [only] go-to transgender doctor in Singapore is Dr. Tsoi…He is
like 80+ 81…One of my fears I had before I started on my hormone treatment
was that he will die before I can get to him.”
“Tsoi is 80 years old. 80% of us go to him, so we are very worried, so we are
trying to get other sources…No one is taking after [Tsoi]. Either we will have
self-jab. Some, they...switch to Dr. C. But he’s really very expensive. The first
time you switch to him is $800.”
“What is the most pressing thing would be healthcare...I mean even like the
basic stuff like transgender-friendly family counsellor centres, which are not
there at all. So what’s gonna happen to the young transgender who are lost
and need someone to talk to…”

26. Healthcare
Insurance
“You know for their surgery [overseas], they can claim insurance, but for us,
we have to pay for ourselves.”
“I bought my insurance before I went for transition. My friend actually advised
me to buy before I started. Because he’s a trans himself. He got rejected
himself, but he keep trying. He say you can just keep trying every year and see,
anytime you’re lucky, the person just [might just give him]…You have to
declare that you’re trans, but [the underwriter] might just miss it, so he’ll
approve your insurance. If not [we] have to pay a sharp premium for this.”

27. Healthcare
Lack of confidentiality in hospitals
“There’s another issue…pre-op and post-op treatment in hospital wards. You
are dressed as a woman but admitted to a male’s ward. Other patients will be
(questioning) why…”
“[A transwomen’s experience during an X-ray] The nurse shouted… saw her
prostrate, the only male feature... The nurse was very excited and of course
they (nurses and doctors in the hospital) all know la.
“So there must be options for us when we go to the wards. Whether we want
to be known or not...There must be a confidentiality clause, whether
transgender want to reveal or not. If they don’t want to reveal, or reveal to
the head of [the department]. [The clause perhaps can cover], if they only tell
one person, so after that can minus out the... ovary test, for instance.”

28. Healthcare
Lack of confidentiality in hospitals

29. Research Findings

30. Religion
Conflict with religious teachings
“I did try to reconcile myself with religion. I do not believe that God made me
to condemn me.”
“In Muslim, there’s a lot of branches, different thinking. Some of them think
that if you become a woman, it’s ok for you to pray as a woman. But some
no...That’s why we can create fights sometimes.”
“One Malay sister died - the Iman refused to wash her body. Because they said
she got breasts and she’s a man but in [Islam], no matter what you do (to your
body)…you are born biologically male so it means you are a male. So the Iman
should have washed her body as a male. It doesn’t matter in the Quran -
because whatever you do - you have long hair, you are born gay - you are born
male, you are washed as a male.”

31. Religion
Judgment by religious communities
“Some people, they go there to pray…but at the same time gossiping about
people like me.”
“It’s always the very religious ones who throw the first stone.”
“It’s not appropriate for us to go to the mosque on Friday. It will create
tension, commotion. People will be fighting, arguing whether to let us in or
not.”

32. Education
Inability of school systems to accommodate transpeople
“When I in sec 1, I ran into a lot of trouble because…the school doesn’t
encourage lesbian activity. And so I was suspended for quite some time. Until
the school decided to talk to my parents that I need to be taken out of school
because I refused to conform…And I refuse to stop behaving like a lesbian. Yea,
and so I had to, we had to go around neighbourhood schools to beg the
principals, so that I can get a placement in school. Because the referral from
my previous school was just terrible, and no one was willing to take me in…”
“The school system cannot first recognize me as Bryan* and next year
recognize me as Janet*. So I had to leave school.”
“For me, I had a very big decision to make. After my O levels, whether or not
do I want to continue school or continue to become a woman. Because I know
I got no time to waste. If I become a woman… it’s now or never…”

33. Education
Lack of acceptance, isolation and bullying
“We cannot find like-minded friends. E.g. if I have a ‘ba-tok’ friend who leaves
school, it’s very difficult for me to find friends already. Even though there may
be boys who like us, like our humour for example, they also don’t dare to
‘friend’ us because they are afraid of being judged.”
“Since school days, it has been very hard for people to accept people like us.
Last time it’s very hard for us to voice [things]. Don’t have any friends to talk
about this or share about this. Even towards counsellors, we [feel] very paiseh.
So after my N levels, I didn’t want to further my studies anymore.”
“I’ve always been in a Catholic school…My school were all boys. They know I’m
soft so I was always bullied, from kindergarten to secondary. They take my
water bottle… one time they took my shoe and hide, don’t let me go up the
bus.. so I went up the bus with one shoe. I didn’t want to fight with them.”

34. Education
Lack of acceptance, isolation and bullying

35. Employment
Workplace discrimination
“They make it so hard for you at work…So that they don’t have to pay you
severance pay, and so I had to resign.”
“It got to a point again where I would fear for my safety. Because I do not
know when I’ll be shamed for who I am in that job…And so rumours started,
and people started outing me again in the job…”
“Being a [transperson], there’s an extra mile you have to do to be more
convincing than your looks, to prolong your time in your career. A minor
mistake can become a big issue in the management. If a cisgender man or
woman does that, it’s okay. But if a transgender [person] does the same
mistake, it’s a big issue for them.”

36. Employment
Lack of confidentiality in workplace
“So I spoke to my boss that I’m transitioning, is it okay if he doesn’t tell anyone
about it. And so yea, he agreed to it, and there was no confidentiality. It was
actually out that I was transitioning, and that I was actually born a woman.
And so I also notice that my colleagues’ attitudes towards me changed.”
“But, for us, the only issue that my friends and I are having now is the
certificates. Because it’s all in our previous name. So, we always have this
issue where employers will ask ‘how come you have a feminine name?’ So I
have to cook up all kinds of stories.”
“So the company will not want to hire you if you have psychological problem.
So that’s why they will always ask - are you exempted from NS, and why? [So,
you’re being] forced to disclose.”

37. Research Findings

38. Lack of Technical Resources
• Lack of SG specific technical resources for
trans needs
– Centralised
– Formalised
– Updated database of information
• Getting information from other transpeople in
personal network
• Getting information online

39. Lack of emotional and social
support
• Vulnerability of teenaged transpeople
• Lack of role models
• Lack of unity in trans community
– Transmen and Transwomen are different.

40. Family
Lack of acceptance by family
“My dad, at first, doesn’t want to accept me. Until my mum passed away.”
“My mum’s side of the family, they weren’t fans…Let’s just say I have called a
few people assholes to their faces for talking about faggots, queers, gays…
you name it, whatever slurs you can come up with, I have possibly heard it.”
“People were sent to my workplace to threaten me to be careful [and] Jenny’s
mother and father sent me non-stop harassing messages. Jenny’s ex-boyfriend
went to search my history…and told her that I was raped by a guy.”

41. Family
Lack of acceptance by family

42. Family
Trans identity at odds with “Asian” identity
“My family’s the typical traditional Chinese family… at every Chinese New
Year, people just keep questioning about so when am I going to have long
hair? When am I coming with a boyfriend? Umm… when are you gonna
change? When are you going to stop being different? … When are you going
to start thinking for your family? “
“One thing that I would explain about Malay households is…is very often, big
events...whatever big gathering… get gender segregated, men on one side of
the room and the women on the other side of the room...So there is always an
invisible barrier of segregation by sex…and well, by gender... So basically I
hung out with the kids, way longer than I probably should …Cos I just stopped
attending most of the events…”

43. Unsafe public spaces
Judgment, harassment and discrimination in public
“I guess the first public space that really freaks me out is the public
washroom? Going to the female toilet, it’s kinda of scary now that I have the
experience of using the men’s washroom…they’ll start looking at you cos you
look out of the norm... It’s the kind of impression that I had back then, that
nobody wanted me then. And it’s not as if I want to be there, but I had no
choice?”
“Shopping-wise no la, but when you want to visit the toilet, it’s quite hard.
Especially when you’re transitioning. Now I try to use the handicap toilet. I
have people really confronting me, asking me “are you sure you’re a girl?”
“So these are the considerations I learn as a transgender, I learn lo. I slowly
learn from all these, how to behave in public so that I can be safe.”

44. Objectifying effect - Public Transport

45. Washrooms are the worst

46. Unsafe public spaces
Fear of being ‘outed’
“There was a constant fear that anytime people ask me so which primary
school you go to? Which secondary school? Which vocation were you in? All
the small.. I don’t know. Did you even go on the army?... And so, there were
some points where I was in that jobs where I find that I am losing myself
everytime I lie about my background. And to the point where by I’m just not
sure who I am anymore.”
“Yah, we’ve got some friends [whose] mouth cannot close…They just see [me]
like exhibit like that.”
“I have this friend that always goes around to tell that I’m transitioning.”

47. Transwomen
Survival

48. Factors

50. “So we entered the sex trade very early. I think 90% of my friends
are all in the sex trade, because it is the only industry that affirms
my gender identity…it’s not I choose to be sex worker, it’s not I choose
to leave school. It is [because] I had no options but to leave
school…I’m homeless and I’m working as a sex worker. So rent I a
room in Geylang…But then one day I was caught by the police for
soliciting, so I will send to jail for 1 year. So what happens to my
room? Everything is gone. The landlord will sell away all my possessions.
Because I got no friends, no family to look after [my belongings], so they will sell
away all my possessions. So I go to jail one year, nobody visits me
because my family don’t accept me. So one year after that, I come
out of jail, the prison system doesn’t offer me any help. I’m homeless [but]
they don’t have a shelter for me, I’m can’t find job [because] I must
be a man to find job. I must change to be a man [in order for them to
offer me help]. So the first day I come out is the first day I
e n t e r t h e s e x i n d u s t r y a g a i n .

51. Final Issue Selection
Selection criteria:
• All issues are important

52. + Transwomen’s
issue of survival

53. It’s Time for T
Our proposed solutions

54. It’s Time for T
A social change movement that seeks to
promote understanding and awareness of
transgender individuals in Singapore
Comprises of 5 solutions, addressing different sets of issues
1. Crowdfunding
2. T-Catalogue
3. Workshops
4. Awareness campaign
5. Media advocacy

55. It’s Time for T: Crowdfunding
Lack of societal acceptance of
transwomen
Transgender women
specific issues
Transwomen in the sex trade

56. It’s Time for T: Crowdfunding
“The transgender in Singapore is mostly about survival.
We would love to attend talks or awareness campaigns
but it is about survival. We cannot even survive in real
life, how are we going to talk about rights or
awareness?”
– June, Founder of The T Project
• Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (1st Tier)
o Need for a pressing effective strategy that helps solve
fundamental needs i.e. survival before heading upwards

57. It’s Time for T: Crowdfunding
Liaising with ‘The
T Project’
• Singapore’s very first
transgender shelter
• Provides shelter for
all transgender
individuals in
Singapore without
any charge

58. Why crowdfunding?
• Bypasses state control
– No need for lengthy bureaucratic procedures
– Reduced chances of opposition from public
opinion
• Private ownership and control
– Able to make changes quickly and efficiently
– Able to monitor/ check progress/ gauge success
which will help for evaluation
• Proven success
– E.g. Some Reassembly Required

59. It’s Time for T: Crowdfunding
Implementation
• Details about project:
– Amount we hope to raise: $5,000 USD
– Platform: Indiegogo
– Launch date: TBC
– Campaign duration: 60 days
• Information on site:
– Summary of the campaign
– Breakdown of amounts raised
– Perks and Rewards
– Gallery
– Social media functions

60. Preview of Crowdfunding site
http://www.indiegogo.com/project/preview/c44
67bef

61. It’s Time for T: T-Catalogue
Lack of SG-specific
technical resources for
trans needs
Mostly US specific
information available
online
Lack of a resource that
contains all the essential
information for a
transgender to
transition in Singapore

62. Why an online catalogue?
• All information to be in one place
– Currently information only available by word of mouth or
scattered in online forums
– No longer have to go through multiple searches
• Easy access to information
– Published online and free for public viewing
– No need to create account or provide any personal details
– Protecting identity of transgender individuals
– Permanent link
– Easy distribution, sharing

63. It’s Time for T: T-Catalogue
Implementation
• Managed by transgender support groups
– SG butterfly
– OogaChaga
– Both already have an existing pool of information that can
be tapped on
• Catalogue will be updated every 2 years
– To keep transgender individuals informed if there is any
changes, especially in the legal policies related to
transitioning
– Gather feedback from transgender individuals through SG
butterfly forum or in-depth interviews

64. Preview of T-catalogue
http://issuu.com/yininghe3/docs/t-catalogue

65. It’s Time for T: Workshops
Healthcare
Education
Employment
Lack of trans-friendly medical practitioners
Lack of confidentiality in hospitals
Inability of school systems to accommodate
transpeople
Lack of acceptance, isolation and bullying
Workplace discrimination
Lack of confidentiality in workplace

66. Why workshops?
• To increase awareness, understanding and
acceptance of transgender individuals
– Most of the issues to be addressed here could be
attributed to the lack of visibility and understanding of
transgender community in Singapore
– Thus often facing conflicts during interpersonal
interactions
• Easier facilitation and more effective learning
– Smaller group of participants
– More time for each participant to share thoughts
– Conducive environment to conduct activities to encourage
critical thinking about transgender issues

67. Why workshops?
• Problems that surfaced were specific to
interactions with various groups of people
– Teachers and counsellors in schools
– Health practitioners in hospitals
– Insurance agents
– Employers and colleagues at workplaces
– Law enforcers
• Different workshops for different groups
– Each workshop can be structured differently to address
issues related to a specific group

68. It’s Time for T: Workshops
Implementation
• Workshops to be conducted by transgender
support groups
• A discussion guide for facilitator to follow
– Different guidelines for different workshops
– Information in discussion guide includes
• Elaboration on issues
• Objectives of workshop
• Agenda/ Lesson plan

69. Preview of workshop guide
http://issuu.com/elizrena/docs/workshop_guide
_sample/1

70. It’s Time for T: T-Exhibit
To raise awareness of the unsafe and
objectifying effect faced by the
transgender community in public spaces

71. It’s Time for T: T-Exhibit
Unsafe and
objectifying effect
of public space
Judgment,
harassment and
discrimination in
public
Fear of
being
‘outed’
Family
Religion

72. It’s Time for T: T-Exhibit
• Target audience: Public
– No better way to introduce the issue than talking
about it in open public
• Greater outreach
– A public exhibition allows us to reach out to a
larger and more diverse audience
– Larger audience = greater discussion on the
challenges faced by the transgender community in
public spaces = awareness raised

73. Why T-Exhibit?
• A continuation from the workshops held
– Display the works completed during the workshop
– Introducing other issues in education, healthcare
and employment

74. Why T-Exhibit?
• Recognition, sustainability
– An official platform to introduce “It’s Time for T”
and The Swan Project
– A display of the efforts carried out thus far
• Crowdfunding
• T-Catalogue
• Workshops
– Linking trans support groups together
– Meeting potential sponsors or collaborators to
help sustain the entire project in future

76. It’s Time for T: T-Exhibit
VIDEO SCREENING,
TEA SESSION

77. It’s Time for T: T-Exhibit

78. It’s Time for T: Media advocacy
Healthcare
Education
Lack of
confidentiality
Employment

79. Why media advocacy?
• Lack of confidentiality requires a structural
change
– Transpeople are not being respected for their rights to disclose
their identity
– Being ‘outed’ in schools, workplace, hospitals
– Requires more than individual change
• Strategic use of media can influence policy
change
• Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (2nd Tier)
– To help transgender community in Singapore attain security of
their employment, health and education

80. It’s Time for T: Media advocacy
Create
social
media
buzz
Pitch
stories to
reporters
Online
petition
Awareness
videos
Meet-the-people
session;
General
Elections
2016

81. It’s Time for T: Media advocacy
• Stories:
– Timely, relevant
– Has to be framed rationally
• Videos
– Purpose: To reduce lengthy information into bite
size visual data
– To be released gradually so as to maintain public
discussion

82. It’s Time for T: Media advocacy

84. What’s next?
1. Follow-up email, gather feedback
2. Work on T-Catalogue
3. Plan and execute our crowd funding for T-project
4. Get in touch with organisations and existing
projects to work out a collaboration
– Healthcare: Oogachaga, Asia-Pacific Transgender
Network
– Awareness: Pinkdot
– Transwomen shelter: T project

85. Usefulness of platform
Accessible to transcommunity and public

86. Usefulness of platform
Relevant to transcommunity

87. Usefulness of platform
Facilitates sharing across platforms centered on
related content with similar audiences

88. Usefulness of platform
An encouraging sign for our journey thus far…

89. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!