🗣️ Our Voices, Our Votes: Anon 🗳️
"Us having protections would mean having stability to build a future." - Anon (they/them), 25-34
As we get closer to GE2025, I have been thinking a lot about whose hopes, worries, and dreams we hold and whose we leave behind. Our Voices, Our Votes is my small attempt to make more space for LGBTQIA+ Singaporeans to share what is on their minds. This is an invitation to slow down, to listen a little more carefully to different lived experiences, and to stay openhearted to what we might learn along the way.
In this conversation, you will hear from someone living at the intersections of everyday struggles: rising costs of living, barriers to safe and stable housing, the constant worry about finding workplaces that offer real protections. You will hear how something as basic as accessing trans healthcare is still a daily uphill climb. And you will hear, too, the quieter hopes and dreams for a future that feels a little more kind, a little more possible.
These are not distant policy debates or ‘imported culture wars’. They are someone's everyday life.
I hope you take a little time to sit with their words.
Anon, (they/them), trans, 25-34
Q: What drew you to take part in this SG GE2025 LGBTQIA+ Check-in?
A: Honestly, I just wanted to get my thoughts out there. It felt important to have a voice in all of this.
Q: You shared that your top concerns going into GE2025 are the cost of living, housing access, and workplace protections. Could you tell us a little more about how these issues show up in your own life?
A: With the cost of living going up, even basic things like healthcare are slipping further out of reach for me.
Trans healthcare is already expensive.
NB: There are options available for patients to go to a private doctor for medical support, but many choose not to because the prices for private consultations can be up to two to four times higher than public consultations. - TransgenderSG
I barely have enough allowance to get by as it is. Essentials like being able to afford a house just feel... impossible sometimes.
Housing is a big one. If my parents ever disown me because I'm trans, I’d have nowhere to go. Renting would be my only option, but that’s so expensive here.
Plus, because I’m aromantic and likely to stay single, I won’t qualify to apply for a BTO flat until I’m 35. By the time it’s built, I’ll be 40. [laughs]
It’s pretty bleak when you say it out loud.
Workplace protections matter too. If I face discrimination for being trans, bi, or aromantic, I would probably leave the job. I wouldn’t feel safe.
NB: The ‘Workplace Fairness Bill’ was passed in Jan 2025, however it excludes LGBTQIA+ protections. The Ministry of Manpower said that the Bill is ‘just a start’, and LGBTQIA+ workers’ discrimination ‘is not tolerated’ and ‘will continue to be handled under ‘Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices’ (TGFEP). - CNA
Pink Dot SG notes that 69% of LGBTQ+ workers report Sexual Orientation Gender Identity (SOGI)-based discrimination at work. And ‘such blanket declarations will not provide real protections or recourse for LGBTQ+ individuals when they need it the most’ - AsiaOne
That kind of instability impacts my ability to even afford basic things like healthcare.
Having real protections would make a big difference. it would mean having some stability to build a future.
Right now, I’m already struggling. I’m still studying, working part-time, and helping to pay my school fees.
Recently my computer broke, and all the money I’d saved, including what I had planned for my trans healthcare, went into fixing it. I was hoping to use the upcoming GST vouchers to defray some of my healthcare costs. Now, that’ll have to go into repairs instead. It’s also something I think about a lot.
If I transition and become more visibly trans, it might be even harder to find work. Especially in a tough economy. So I’ve had to delay my transition plans for now.
Q: Since filling out the survey, have you had the chance to dive into party manifestos or check out where candidates stand on LGBTQIA+ issues?
A: Not really. I only looked up the opposition party running in my SMC; unfortunately, it’s PSP. The only thing I really found out from their website is that they call themselves centre-left.
As for the incumbent candidate, I have a lot of reservations. She’s been involved with both the Ministry of Manpower and Ministry of Education, but honestly, I haven’t seen anything from those ministries that feels like it benefits people like me. [laughs]
Honestly, just disliking her policies is reason enough for me to vote for the opposition.
Q: You feel that the future for LGBTQIA+ folks in Singapore feels ‘stagnant.’ Can you share what’s leading you to feel that way?
A: Even though 377A was repealed, the government moved quickly to make it harder to change laws around marriage. That’s a huge deal, because marriage here opens up access to so many things; housing, rights, protections.
Take housing again; if you’re a same-sex couple, the government still sees you as two “single” people. You can’t apply for a BTO flat together. And unless you have three singles, you can’t even buy an HDB resale flat until you’re 35.
So unless you’re rich enough to rent private property, you’re stuck.
NB: Same sex couples are administratively treated as ‘singles’, restricting purchase of 2-room flexi BTOs in non-mature estates. They can apply for Joint Singles Scheme, but only when both applicants are aged 35 and above and again, only restricted to buy 2-room BTOs in non-mature estate. - A Space Between.
And honestly, politicians here don’t talk about LGBTQIA+ rights unless they’re forced to. And when they do, it often feels like it’s in bad faith.
That kind of discourse just ends up trivialising our existence.
Q: If politicians were willing to really listen, what are the things you would want them to address, whether during elections or once they’re in office?
A: I’d want them to speak up clearly, like some ministers did during the Workplace Fairness Bill debate. Ideally, I’d want the bill revised to explicitly include LGBTQIA+ protections. I’d also love for it to be easier for two singles to co-own a flat, whether they’re a couple or not.
That said, realistically, I don't think the government will want to upset conservative religious groups by pushing for marriage equality anytime soon. Even though (let’s be real) legalising same-sex marriage should be the bare minimum.
That said, I also think the whole idea of institutionalised marriage is kind of a mess anyway. [laughs]
Q: Dream big here: what would a “better future” look like for you as an LGBTQIA+ person living in Singapore?
A: Accessible housing for everyone. Accessible healthcare, especially trans healthcare. More recognition for dynamic family units, not just the traditional nuclear family. And honestly, less work. More free time for all of us! [laughs]
Q: That’s interesting that you’ve mentioned “dynamic family units.” What does that mean to you, and how do you think policies could catch up?
A: To me, dynamic family units include same-sex couples, single parents, polycules, extended family setups, even grandparents as primary caregivers. Honestly, I haven’t had much time to think about specific policies yet. I’m aromantic and have a lot on my plate right now.
But if I had to say something off the cuff, maybe we could normalise the idea of “guardians” instead of just “parents.” That way, caregiving could be recognised even if the people involved aren’t biologically related.
Q: If you ever found yourself elected into political office, as an MP or even a Minister, what’s the first thing you’d champion?
A: Okay, here’s my wishlist:
Allow people aged 18 to 21 to access HRT without needing parental consent.
Legalise gay marriage.
Cap rental prices for public and private housing — especially landlords.
Expand access to gender-affirming and sexual healthcare, like letting people use Medisave at private clinics and hospitals.
Lower the BTO eligibility age for singles from 35 to 24.
Create more third spaces; places where people can just exist without having to buy something or explain themselves.
Ban AI art filters on all social media platforms. (I’m serious!)
But to be honest… I don’t think I’d want to be in power. Having that much control over other people doesn’t sit right with me. [laughs]
As you finish reading, I invite you to take a moment to sit with what you have just heard. Even if you have not walked the same path, maybe you have faced your own moments where safety, dignity, or simply getting through the day felt like a heavy climb.
Hold that feeling for a while.
Let it be a bridge to understanding someone else's reality.
If this story moved something in you, consider using it as a starting point for gentle conversations with friends, with family, maybe even with someone who has never met an LGBTQIA+ person or who holds different views.
Real change often begins in quiet, human moments like these. Thank you for sharing this space with us.
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in these interviews are those of the individuals themselves and do not necessarily reflect my own. This series aims to amplify a diversity of voices within the LGBTQIA+ community. No single conversation can represent the full breadth of our lived experiences.
Once again, my heartfelt thanks to all the interviewees for trusting me with their stories.