For three months, Singapore’s only shelter for needy transgenders was out of a home.
The T Project had to move out of its premises when another non-governmental organisation, which had let it use its attic space, relocated.
But thanks to public donations amounting to $137,000, The T Project has started a new chapter in a new place. Two Sundays ago, its co-founder June Chua hauled furniture out of storage and into a shophouse in the eastern part of Singapore. This means its residents – who include transgenders who have been kicked out of their family homes – will have a safe haven again.
Five residents will move in at the end of the month. Two are older Singaporeans: long-term resident 79-year-old Rose and a 60-year-old who recently returned home after 12 years abroad and no longer has family support here. Ms Chua is also expecting a transgender man and two sex workers to seek shelter.
“We were very lucky that the place we found was within our budget,” said Ms Chua, who signed a two-year lease for the premises.
The T Project, which was set up in 2014, is Singapore’s only shelter for transgender Singaporeans. Sociologist Nicholas Harrigan at Singapore Management University said its existence is “really, really important”.
Many transgender people face serious disputes with their families over their gender identity change, said the assistant professor.
“This compromises their education and support structure, something many of us take for granted. Not having these things can lead to economic disadvantages, both immediately and throughout their lives. One of the consequences of this is homelessness.”
While there are no official figures on transgenders in Singapore, international studies estimate that 1 per cent of any population is transgender, meaning they identify with a gender different from the one they were born in.
One per cent of Singapore’s population would mean that some 39,000 Singaporeans and permanent residents could be transgender.
The new shelter, like its previous incarnation, will not have its location made public, due to security concerns.
“We don’t want people to come because of a curiosity factor. My transgender community is a vulnerable group so they must feel safe and protected in the shelter,” said Ms Chua, 43.
To ramp up security, the shelter will have CCTV cameras and a key card for entrances for monitoring movements within the shelter.
There are new rules and a committee to answer to.
Residents cannot use drugs and must be actively looking for a job if their age and health permit. Their stay will be reviewed every three months.
“We want to get their lives more organised, perhaps eventually run training at the shelter and link them to jobs, so they can move out,” said Ms Chua, who herself had undergone a sex change operation and had to drop out of school because of discrimination.
The T Project’s new five-member committee comprises Ms Chua, Reverent Miak Siew, executive pastor of Free Community Church, medical social worker Ho Lai Peng, sex worker advocacy group Project X’s director Vanessa Ho and activist Bryan Choong .
Ms Chua said the committee will help the shelter as it caters to the growing needs of Singapore’s transgender population.
“Most of my residents are seniors. And demand for (places in) the shelter will increase as the community ages,” she said.
“The young ones are in charge, they can find jobs – even if it is sex work – but they will meet more challenges later on, especially if they don’t have an education.”
Recognised legally, but challenges remain
Singapore performed its first sex change operation in 1971 and two years later, allowed those who undergo the operation to change their gender legally.
But despite decades of official recognition, transgenders here say they face many challenges.
Social worker Leow Yangfa, 41, executive director of counselling group Oogachaga, shares some of them:
- Bullying and discrimination in school, leading many transgenders to drop out.
- Adults face discrimination in employment and housing.
- Many do not have adequate support from family, friends and community.
- Parents of transgender youth have a lack of professional support in community and social service settings.
- Youth being forced by parents to deny their transgender identity.
- Information about transitioning and sexual health is scant.
- Difficulty accessing affordable, trans-affirming healthcare services, including sexual and mental health services.
- Having to travel overseas for sex reassignment surgery.
- Service providers using the wrong pronoun – especially when the person has not gone for sex reassignment surgery and his/her identity is different from what is listed on the NRIC.
kxinghui@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on September 19, 2016.
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