LGBTQ+ people in Singapore struggle a lot with stigma and discrimination. With the Heartweavers, we want to empower our friends in the community to live free and full lives in spite of the challenges faced. We are not an activist or political group. You may view us as life coaches tailored for the LGBTQ+ community. We want to help everyone find strength and love themselves powerfully, while building strong personal relationships in life.
We aim to provide tangible support to the community in the form of workshops, talks, dialogues and conferences. These activities are designed to be safe, free of judgment and full of compassion to encourage a level of self- realisation that will eventually lead to more permanent and positive change in our lives.
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We started our video series, Queer Lives, Human Stories, to humanise LGBTQ+ people, to portray them as real people with real struggles. Globally, the entertainment industry has become more inclusive, especially with the golden age of television and streaming. Queer stories do seem to reflect a lot of trauma, but being a marginalised group, the community naturally experiences a lot of struggles — which are important stories to tell too.
But while greater visibility helps the general public better understand queer people, Singapore still censors LGBTQ+ people in the media, while allowing portrayals of negative stereotypes. More stories of queer people need to be told.
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We have a few objectives with Queer Lives, Human Stories. Since LGBTQ+ representation in Singapore media is sorely lacking, we wanted to present stories about queer individuals as they are — unfiltered, honest, and authentic. Our interview subjects include a gay man, a trans man, a bisexual, and a non-binary person. We simply wanted to share their stories as they are — to capture the authentic emotions and journey behind each individual.
We wanted to give a voice to the voiceless and provide positive examples of queer people in Singapore. Many of us struggle with life’s challenges in our own ways and we have faced success in dealing with our problems. This series shows those who are struggling that they are not alone and that help is available for them.
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We also wanted to educate and foster allies by showing that LGBTQ+ people are the same as other human beings. We struggle because of our queerness, but we also face challenges similar to those of cisgender-heterosexual people. We are all human beings with human needs and struggles regardless of our sexual orientations or gender identities.
We hope to bring a new level of self-awareness and self-growth in our community and help them see the possibility of a powerful life for themselves. We recognise that it is not always easy to do that in our day-to-day lives when we are surrounded by circumstances that are seemingly out of our control.
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Our framework of personal growth is what sets us apart and our programmes are built entirely around it. It references the “Whole Person Concept”, an idea first introduced by philosopher Dr. Mortimer J. Adler about 60 years ago. It underscores the importance of striving for a proper balance in all aspects of our lives so that we can really begin to live powerfully and happily, whatever that might mean in our own personal contexts.
Look forward to our upcoming workshops and dialogues. COVID-19 might have dented our plans last year but we definitely have a lot planned for the community in 2021. Follow the Heartweavers’ Facebook and Instagram for more updates!
This story about The Heartweavers and Queer Lives, Human Stories as written by co-founders Jared Tan and Cynthia Wong first appeared in the March 2021 issue of Men’s Folio Singapore.
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