News (There are more articles in the News section) Word is spreading around town but only among a small circles about 2 exclusive sex clubs for the rich and famous where in these sex club you arrive with your partner then anything goes. With everyone being naked the swapping of partner begins and one can only guess what else. These parties are by invitation only and it has to come from a member of the club which is one of the main reasons why these clubs have been kept so quiet for so long. See it just goes to show you that no matter where you are, or what you think about a place there is always more going on then you know. While many call it Singapore others will still call it, "Slingawhore!" Have fun and happy hunting. Update to the above notice: Swing Singapore? THEY call it a "meeting of lifestyle friends". But don't be fooled by the sophisticated sugar coating. Behind the closed doors of the rising number of swingers' clubs in Singapore lies a brow-raising tale of sexual promiscuity, replete with partner swapping, group sex and kinky fantasies. Swingers are by definition those who engage freely in promiscuous sex. Though swingers' clubs have always existed in Singaporean folklore, Today has learnt that the connectivity of the Internet has caused a mushrooming of such clubs, many of them online. A simple check on any search engine leads the curious to three such swingers' clubs, some which advertise their wares plainly. One club, called Singapore Swingtown, boasts of eight local branches, including ones in Queenstown, Woodlands, Choa Chu Kang, Toa Payoh and Bedok. Almost all require registration and password access, after which interested couples are contacted via email and online invitations. According to sources, couples and single girls also receive unsolicited invitations to join swingers' parties based on recommendations from current members. Usually, couples are first quizzed by the clubs' founder members about their background and sexual preferences. Once their wavelengths are found to match those of the club's, they are given access to the email-group or website upon payment of an annual membership fee of $50. Emails are then circulated, informing members when and where the next gathering will be held. Today procured a copy of an invitation of an online swingers' group calling themselves United Singapore Swingers. It was an invitation to a party held two weeks ago in the East Coast area. The invitation detailed their international clientele and how the house hosting the party would be divided into two different sections for soft swingers (first-timers) and hard swingers (returning members). "As we are trying to get as many people as we can to attend, we are not sure how many (people will be there). There will be people of different shapes, sizes, race, nationality and (of course) different 'levels' of lifestyle ie exhibitionist, soft swingers, swapping couples," the invitation said. "In fact, the last party was like a mini United Nations. So we are making this mainly a meeting, networking and soft swing (watch and be watched) party." Laying down the rules of the party, the invitation further read: "Rule 2: Hard swingers will then have to ask as per normal if others want to try some swapping fun and, as per normal, respect others and (be) ready to take 'no' for an answer. Not that they are not keen with you, but just that they might be newbies/soft swingers. So please ask. Don't just reach out and grab ... without asking." Partygoers are expected to take their own alcohol, condoms and towels. There are also specifically marked "clothes optional" and "clothes disallowed" zones in the house, the email said. Interested couples were told to reply with details of what kind of action they were game for, namely "Watch and be watched, swap for touching, swap for oral and full swap". A 20-something female member of a club, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "They always claim a party is meant to be a watch-and-be-watched kind. But more often than not, people get sexually-charged and engage with multiple partners. "Once the party ends, we clean up and keep in touch with our new contacts — only if time permits. Sometimes, we meet former partners again at swingers' parties and go one step further with them." Said another 28-year-old male professional, who admitted to frequenting swingers' gatherings: "Membership is a tentative factor. It all depends on the number of couples who turn up on a particular night. Since the venues are usually houses, we try and limit them to 10 to 12 couples to ensure everyone has enough room." He also pointed out that a majority of the couples who engage in swinging are casual partners themselves. "Very seldom do we see husband-wife or long-term boyfriend-girlfriend couples." Other than erotic memories, all evidence of swingers' gatherings is destroyed. "There is a strict no photo/video rule. During the screening process, those who appear juvenile or seem overexcited by the concept of swinging are denied access to the club," said another source. Asked about the safety practiced during swingers' meetings, the source confessed that it is often neglected in the heat of the moment. "You can say that safety is aimed at not getting any of the women pregnant. You see, people are quite charged. It is difficult to interrupt them and say: 'Hey stranger, please put on a condom before you continue'." However, though the practices sound scandalous to some, no laws might be broken. Said Adrian Wee, lawyer with Harry Elias Partnership: "As long as the club organizers do not publish any obscene material on websites and their club is unregistered, what people do among themselves is a private arrangement. "As long as such practices are not conducted in public view, I do not think the authorities will take will action." When contacted, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) first asked for evidence that such online swingers' clubs exist. Upon meeting their request, the media relations officer of SPF's Public Affairs Department, Woon Hwee See, said: "We can only take action if someone lodges an official complaint."
Due to an entry in my Guest Book (6 Feb 05) I felt I add this note: The term "Slingawhore" does not apply to all the women of Singapore, but is more about the country as a whole. It is just a term used to describe the fun that can be had in Singapore. We all know about the few SPG's that have added to Expats and visitors giving this name to the countries party girls added to that the legal Red Light Areas, plus ladies from China, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines Islands that come here to work as hookers what would you expect? I have yet to be in a large or popular night club and found there to be no working girls.
Singapore girl Time to play the 'little woman' Girls here are smarter, driven but do they better good partners than neighboring girls? Letter in Straits Times. Nov 4, 2004 A FEW weeks back, I was intrigued when two male friends started lambasting the Singapore female and exalting the China girl. It was not because of the concept of cross-matching across countries. That has been going on for centuries now, and I, being half-Peranakan, should be the last to raise an eyebrow about outsourcing for mates. Rather, it was the mindset of the men that was interesting. 'China girls are so pretty and have lower expectations,' said one. Added the other: 'Singapore girls are too demanding, they have a long list of expectations.' Each glanced at me expectantly, as if waiting for me to put up an impassioned defense of the hard-to-please Singapore woman. I half-smiled, waiting for the 'prawn-peeling' issue to surface. This was the mode of conversation I would have expected from 50-year-old single or slighted men, but coming from the mouths of 22-year-old boys with bright futures was a stunning revelation of the mindset of the young Singaporean male. Either they have no originality or Singapore girls are really too much to handle. The news of the past two weeks confirmed the latter for me: Young 20-something men going to Bintan for cheap sex; 30-something men going to Vietnam for quick marriages. What is going on here? I have been to Vietnam, and I love the place. The girls, true to form, are slim, tall and soft-spoken. Every word is punctuated with a smile, even when you are driving a hard bargain with them. Their speech is melodious, and they work hard without complaining, carrying loads of cloth and vegetables in the market stalls and food places. Simple, gentle and hardworking, it's hard not to fall in love with them. So too are Malaysian girls. Having friends who are dating these girls, I have observed that they are generally of the 'saccharine' variety. Neither loud nor argumentative, they pander to the boys' needs. Not as doormats, but as cheerful assistants, who see it as their obligation to help their men without expecting anything in return. Not that they are stupid - oh, no, the Malaysian girls I know are smart and hardworking, with careers of their own. But when it comes to matters of the heart, they play the docile, giggly girlfriend with as much aplomb as their Viet counterparts. Again, it's easy to see where their attraction lies. I cannot comment on the Chinese girls or the girls from Bintan, but I can contrast the Malaysian and Vietnamese girls I know with Singapore girls. We are, generally, extremely driven by ideals and emotions. In an argument, the Singapore girl is twice as likely as her Malaysian or Vietnamese counterpart to stride away in a huff or throw water on the male's face or hold a public screaming or crying fit. Not for this girl are soft, barely audible replies. The Singapore girl debates and argues impassionedly. She wants to win at all costs and treats her love conquests like those fought in the office arena. She may be pretty, yes, smart, yes, but, oh, so demanding. The Singapore girl, in short, is a challenge to love. Although she may, at the end of the day, be a supportive and faithful spouse, the barbs hiding her soft interior are daunting to the suitor. She is materialistic, and loves being so. Shopping is a major hobby, and looking good is absolutely essential. The man is but another accessory, a helper, chauffeur, bag carrier. Her girlfriends egg her on, smiling at one friend as her boyfriend picks her up after class each day and cheering the girl who unceremoniously dumps her cheating boyfriend in the middle of the road. Girl power, we think unanimously. We are not going to be one of those docile wives who nod their heads and cook for you at the slightest command. We are not going to have wool pulled over our eyes by your romantic nonsense. No way. We are women of the new age, liberal, free and... single? Somehow the whole idea of women's liberation in Singapore seems to have come at the expense of our love lives. We have assimilated Western role models of strong women without taking into account the men that are alongside us. I have no answers, short of comforting Singapore women with the fact that pets make quite good companions. However, for the sake of government procreation policies, I think it's imperative that a compromise be struck between the Singapore woman and man, before the Singapore born and bred woman becomes a relic of the past. I remember an interview years ago in which a prominent local host, very much an image of the career-driven Singapore woman, said that with her then boyfriend, she played the role of the 'little woman'. Perhaps therein lies the secret weapon that Singapore women need to cultivate: a softer un-barbed personality for matters of the heart. Wong Mei Xuan (Miss) Straits Times What is Polyamory? Just what is polyamory anyway? The term poly is defined as many and amory means love, so the quick answer is that polyamory literally means many loves. More precisely, polyamory is the non-possessive, honest, responsible and ethical philosophy and practice of loving more than one person simultaneously. Polyamory emphasizes consciously choosing how many partners one wishes to be involved with rather than accepting social norms which dictate loving only one person at a time.
Polyamory embraces sexual equality and all sexual orientations towards an expanded circle of spousal intimacy and love. An intimate relationship may or may not include sexuality.
Polyamorists vary a great deal in their attitudes toward casual or recreational sex. Some approve; some (particularly those in polyfidelitous relationships) do not. In any case, polyamory is more about stable, intimate, emotionally committed relationships rather than casual sex.
Swinging is defined as recreational sexual activity, also called "sport sex" where partner(s) or participant(s) agree to have casual sex with each other(s). There is usually no emotional involvement as in polyamory. Swinging is a form of monogamy in which usually two primary partners agree to have casual sex with other couples or singles. Swingers have their own organizations, newsletters, and contact networks. They are not likely to find much of an interest in polyamory except by coincidence. The polyamory and swing communities are allies under the alternative lifestyles banner. Many swingers have transitioned to the polyamory lifestyle through their desire to be emotionally committed in a multi-partnered relationship.
Here are some other terms you might have heard and wondered about:
Compersion: The feeling of happiness in knowing that others you love share joy with each other, especially taking joy in the knowledge that your beloveds are expressing their love for one another. The opposite of jealousy.
Expanded Family: Where three or more people choose to live as a family unit. This usually involves a commitment between each of the partners and decisions are usually made by mutual consent. The term expanded family is also used to describe the core family and their closest supporting friends/ families/lovers.
Group Marriage: A marriage involving more than two people. Not recognized by the U.S. government or most major religions in western society. Many people do it anyway, often making legal agreements that function similarly to the legalities involved in a usual marriage. Group marriages, just like couple marriages, may or may not be open to other partners.
Intentional Family: Unrelated individuals who have joined together to establish a loving, caring family.
Intimate Network: individuals who desire friendship and perhaps sex with their lovers and other friends, forming a web of varying connections within a social circle.
Non-monogamy: The practice of creating intimate relationships that may include sexuality which do not require sexual exclusivity. As a result, there may or may not be more than one such relationship occurring at a time.
Open Relationship or Open Marriage: A non-monogamous relationship or marriage. A relationship is open if there is an agreement among the members that it is acceptable to get sexually and/or romantically involved outside of the relationship. Specific rules within a relationship about such involvement are usually negotiated to best fit the people in the relationship. For instance, one or more members may want prior notification of any outside involvement by another member.
Polyandry: the state or practice of having two or more husbands at the same time.
Polyfidelity: a group in which all partners are primary to all other partners and sexual fidelity is to the group; shared intent of a lifelong run together. More primary partners can be added with everyone’s consent.
Polygamy: the practice of having more than one wife or husband at a time.
Polygyny: the state or practice of having two or more wives at the same time.
PolyMarriage: 1: the state of being committed in multiple partnered relationship 2: a multiple partnered relationship where a commitment ritual was performed 3: any close or intimate multi partnered union of duration
Primary Relationship(s) - The relationship(s) which is (are) the most important and typically involve a high degree of commitment, such as the relationship with a marriage partner.
Quad: a multiple partnered relationship with four members.
Secondary Relationship(s) - Close, ongoing emotional and/or sexual relationship(s), but with a lesser degree of commitment than a primary relationship.
Tertiary Relationship: a relationship which may include emotional support or sexuality on a one-time or highly erratic schedule, attention or energy is given in bursts but the relationship is not a consistent part of a persons life.
Triad: 1-any three person lovestyle. 2-three people involved in some way; most often used in a committed sense; in some cases involving ceremonies of commitment.
Tribe: A social group that has a strong sense of identity and may have a family arrangement as its core.
Sex ban on the Airbus A380
Singapore Airlines' puts out 'no sex' rules for the double bed suites, and Steve Bleach quizzed the first passengers
By Steve Bleach November 3, 2007
The A380 may have the world's first airborne double bed, but it won't be put to the obvious use if Singapore Airlines has its way: "If couples used our double beds to engage in inappropriate activity, we would politely ask them to desist," said the company's Stephen Forshaw.
"There are things that are acceptable on an aircraft and things that aren't, and the rules for behaviour in our double beds are the same ones that apply throughout the aircraft."
In any case, the plane is as yet unchristened: Tony and Julie Elwood from Perth, Australia had booked the first A380 double suite, but hardly had a moment of privacy for a romantic kiss, let alone anything raunchier, as a parade of journalists came knocking on their door.
Even so, they weren't too impressed with Singapore's strait-laced attitude. "So they'll sell you a double bed, and give you privacy and endless champagne - and then say you can't do what comes naturally?" asked Tony, a vigorous 76. "Seems a bit strange."
"They seem to have done everything they can to make it romantic, short of bringing round oysters," said Julie, 51. "I'd say they shouldn't really complain, should they?
"Though I don't think they'll have anything to worry about from us - the flight is so busy with people coming to see the suites, we wouldn't have the opportunity."
Singapore: Gay debate takes ugly turn
By Ansley Ng November 3, 2007
The Parliamentary debate on the law against gay sex will be remembered for its fiery, heart-felt spirit. But outside the House, passions - among both supporters and opponents of Section 377A - have, at times, degenerated into spite.
There were threatening, expletive-laced emails. One parliamentarian had his sexuality questioned. Another academic was flamed in blogs and had her phone number circulated.
And the employer of one gay professional was questioned about their hiring him.
The ugly turn of events, some may say, is only to be expected given the emotional nature of the subject matter - one that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had warned on Tuesday could polarise society.
But a bigger question being asked is: What do such instances say of Singaporeans' ability to debate issues maturely, and without hostility?
In Parliament on Monday, Nominated MP Thio Li-ann recounted how a colleague received threatening emails following the publication of an article in The Straits Times in May, after reforms to the Penal Code were mooted.
Assistant Professor Yvonne Lee had commented that it was wrong to decriminalise homosexual acts. For a month after, people, including young lawyers and students, wrote to the dean criticising her.
Her photo was posted on blogs and her phone number circulated. She received emails - "80 per cent of them abusive" - asking if she was a "fundamentalist" who would discriminate against homosexual students.
"It was a professional attack, intimidation and harassment," Asst Prof Lee told Today.
Professor Thio herself was "shell-shocked" and made a police report after receiving an abusive email in August from an unnamed stranger who threatened to defile her grave on the day Section 377A was repealed.
"If it was just a rude letter, I'd let it slip. But this really overstepped things," the law lecturer told Today.
In the opposing camp, fellow NMP Siew Kum Hong, who presented a public petition to scrap the law against gay sex, had his sexuality questioned.
"When you are a public figure taking a position on a public issue, you have to accept that some people will not be mature enough to refrain from such things," said Mr Siew, a lawyer.
"It bothers me but I just got past it and carried on. I don't want to dignify their comments."
The organisers of the Repeal377A.com campaign - who, in a statement yesterday, said they were "deeply disappointed" by the decision to keep the law - told Today that hate messages were posted on their website. "That's what the gay community experiences as part of their lives - derogatory slurs," a spokesman said.
Indeed, one employee at a large government-linked company learnt, a few months ago, that an anonymous letter had been sent to senior management, asking why they employed a gay person.
"I was really shocked. I'm not a closet gay but I don't show off my sexuality at work. I'm there to work, not advocate gay rights; I'm a professional. Honestly, I felt very violated," he said.
To him, the incident suggests there is "a lot of fear" that legalising consensual gay sex would cause societal disintegration. "When there is fear, it can lead to viciousness."
MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC Baey Yam Keng, however, said that while some were not pleased at his speaking up for homosexuals, no one had been outright abusive so far.
One email sender vowed not to vote for him in the next election. Another asked if he was "naive or blind".
Said Mr Baey: "For these kind of emotional issues, there will be skewed positions taken. But it's healthy to have these two opposing views - albeit some being extreme about it - rather than not talk about the issue."
He feels such debates raise awareness among the uninformed, which feeds into an even more robust discussion.
But Prof Thio asked: "Can we promise ourselves that we will not resort to deception or shouting at each other, but focus on facts and issue? Even if we disagreed, can we disagree in a civil fashion?"
On Sunday, Dr Balaji Sadasivan, Senior Minister of State (Foreign Affairs and Information, Communications and the Arts), had called for tolerance of differences on Section 377A. The challenge, he had warned, was in preventing diversity from descending into "divisive antagonism", as it has in the United States.
Such polarisation was unlikely to happen in Singapore, said Dr Terence Chong, a fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.
Citizens by and large have shown that they are capable of civil and passionate debate - both in and outside of parliament - despite the actions of a few anonymous "black sheep" in cyberspace, he noted.
"The overall tone of the debate has been civil. It would be naïve for anyone to want passionate debate without any name-calling at all. And it would be very unfair to point to a small group of people who send hate mail and say we are not capable of a mature debate," said Dr Chong.
Singapore transsexual battles culture of shame
September 13, 2007
Ten years after fulfilling a lifelong dream to become a woman through sex-change surgery, Leona Lo, seen here, has embarked on an uphill battle to change the "culture of shame" surrounding transsexuals in Asia Singapore - She loves children and her lifelong dream is to be a wife and a mother, but the raspy voice and masculine frame betray the fact that Leona Lo was born a man.
Unlike many other transsexuals in Asia who prefer to live privately because of the social stigma of sex change, the British-educated, Singaporean transsexual woman has chosen to live a normal life, but in public.
Smart, confident and articulate, the communications specialist who heads her own public relations company has embarked on a mission to help turn around the "culture of shame" surrounding transsexuals in Singapore and the region.
"Somewhere out there, not just in Singapore but throughout Asia, there are lots of young people who are suffering the way I suffered years ago," Leona, 32, tells AFP in an interview.
In her former life as a man, she was called Leonard.
These days, she draws on her experiences of gender identity crisis, rejection and discrimination to challenge social mores on behalf of the so-called silent community.
"It's this entire culture of shame that gets under your skin. It's not something that you can isolate and demolish because it is so much a part of our culture," she says.
While a few transsexuals are gaining prominence in Asia -- notably China's Jin Xing -- most continue to live in silence.
In May, a 32-year-old South Korean transsexual entertainer, whose sex alteration led the country to change its family registry laws, married her rapper boyfriend.
Parinya "Nong Toom" Charoenphol's rags-to-riches story was made into a movie, "Beautiful Boxer." Former Chinese People's Liberation Army colonel and now woman Jin Xing is a prize-winning dancer and choreographer.
Slim and taller than the average local woman, Leona packs charm and gets animated when talking about children.
But her lipsticked mouth creases into a pensive smile when she says: "I can't bear children. I have to be on hormones for life and I have this body structure of a guy."
The hormone treatment has "feminised" the former man. While traces of masculinity are evident, Leona says she has already come to terms with being a woman -- although a transsexual one.
"I can't deny that biologically I'm different," says Leona, wearing a blue dress, the muscles on her shoulders and arms clearly visible.
Discrimination is the biggest challenge faced by transsexuals, she says, recalling repeated rejection by prospective employers in Singapore despite her academic credentials.
"Singapore may be a cosmopolitan city, but many things are still swept under the carpet," Leona says.
No reliable figures on the number of transsexual men and women in Singapore, or the region, are available, mainly because those who feel they have been born in the wrong body prefer to endure their situation in silence rather than embarrass their families, Leona says.
Transsexual, Leona Lo, during her interview "It's because a lot of transsexual women face discrimination at work and experience failure of relationships that a lot end up in suicide, depression. They end up on the streets as prostitutes," she says.
This is why she has taken time away from her thriving public relations consultancy promoting beauty products to wage her campaign.
After much persuasion, one local university allowed her to speak to an audience of students but she is finding it hard to pry open a window to share her thoughts in the corporate world.
On September 14 she is to launch her autobiography, "From Leonard to Leona -- A Singapore Transsexual's Journey to Womanhood."
From Singapore, Leona plans to travel across Asia to bring her message for greater tolerance of gender diversity.
Medical experts on gender believe transsexualism is a medical condition, and that transsexuals are different from transvestites and homosexuals.
In contrast, transvestites are always males and do not dislike their genitalia although they may derive sexual arousal through dressing as women, Goh said.
For transsexuals, dressing as a man or a woman for one year before a sex change operation is part of the transition process and is not related to any sexual pleasure, the experts say. The surgery is "the finishing touch," Goh wrote.
Leona says the association of transsexuals with prostitution in Singapore harks back to the 1960s when there was a flourishing culture of drag queens, including some transsexuals, on Singapore's Bugis Street.
As Singapore transformed rapidly into a modern Asian business centre, the government cracked down on Bugis Street. Transsexuals were lumped together with homosexuals, transvestites and prostitutes.
It was in this environment that the young Leonard -- Leona's original identity -- grew up.
As early as age 10, Leonard had already started developing feelings for boys.
But he was forced to remain silent because of a dearth of information about transsexualism and for fear his traditional Chinese family would be scandalised.
"I did not think I was gay. I just felt that I was a woman trapped in a man's body," says Leona, who has a younger sister.
At age 15, Leonard discovered a book about transsexualism, which sowed the seeds of his eventual decision to undergo a sex-change operation in 1997.
"I discovered that book in the library and I said 'Oh my God! There are actually people like me!'" she reminisces.
"That changed my life and I discovered that I could go for the sex change operation."
As an able-bodied man, Leonard entered Singapore's compulsory two-year military service at around 19.
Pressures of being forced to be "macho" during the training led to a nervous breakdown and drove him to attempt suicide by drug overdose, she says.
After military service, Leonard in 1996 went to study in Britain, where a more tolerant university environment allowed him to cross-dress for a year as part of his preparation for sex-change surgery.
In 1997, Leonard flew with his tuition money from Britain to Bangkok, where he walked into a clinic for the life-altering operation.
"I was afraid. I could go in and I could die. But I knew at that point that I was going to change my life forever," she recalls.
"I had carried that burden within me for so long and I couldn't live anymore without doing it."
Leona endured a lot of pain during the procedure, which took 14 days, but the feeling of having a new identity was "wonderful, euphoric!"
She warns other transsexuals who might be considering sex change surgery that getting a new identity "is not a magic wand" and they will have to live under a culture of shame and discrimination.
Family support is crucial. Her mother was the first person she told after the operation, and her father had already learned to accept her for who she is.
"By that time, they had already decided that they would rather have me as a woman than lose me as a child," she says.
What is her dream now?
"To be a wife and a mother," she says. "I look forward to a fulfilling relationship with a loving man, getting married and adopting three children.
"I've also reached a critical juncture where I'm more self-assured and finally able to lay to rest the painful aspects of my past and move confidently as a woman."
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