Ban on gay concert in Singapore upheld

The Singapore government reasserted its decision to ban a concert sponsored by a local gay Christian support group, according to Agence France-Presse. Lee Boon Yang, the minister for information, communication, and the arts, told the Media Development Authority that the government stands behind the MDA's ban for the Affect 05 concert, which had been scheduled for Sunday, April 3. "The minister has carefully considered the appeal for the licence application for Affect 05 and has decided to uphold the MDA's position that such performances that promote alternative lifestyles are against the public interest," MDA said in an e-mail to AFP. Concert organizer Safehaven said through a spokeswoman that the group was disappointed that its appeal was rejected. The MDA claimed that an appearance by gay American Christian performers Jason and deMarco would "promote a gay lifestyle, which would be against the public interest." This ongoing controversy is taking place in light of a recent comment from a senior Singapore health official who claimed that a sharp rise in new HIV infections could be blamed on an annual gay and lesbian party. Activists counter that other segments of the Singapore population make up most of the new infections.