Just As Human

Step into the lives of eight Singaporean transwomen through a photo exhibition featuring personal recounts of their past and present. We are often quick to judge that a transperson’s story will only speak of discrimination, sorrow, and difficulties of being different. Yet when we asked ‘What are some significant events in your life?’, they shared about stories and memories just like any other. Each story hints at a tinge of transgender woes but we see so much more hope and optimism in them. Start listening to their stories, and you will realise that they are just as human as we are.

Photographs by Lisabelle Tay (x).

Let bygones be bygones

‘I smoke because I’m a lonely feeling… feel lonely. Also, I’ve got not much friends. People say my face fierce, like I’m an [aggressive] type. But when close with me, people know that actually I’m not bad person… [But] see my face, everyone frightened…’

‘28 years… 28 years together. He had been murdered in Thailand… And he coming back after job six months later, he bring the money in Thailand. He stay in hotel, because of money, he got murdered. After three days, we know. Thailand police they came here, show the passport, “You recognise this guy?”, I said “this is my husband”…’

‘No, I try to forget… There’s no point, more worry right? Better to forget everything. Past is past… Now we change for a new life, with a new family supporting and looking after me [at the shelter]. Much better… I more happy now…’  

 

 

The classical dancer

‘Even my school teacher even called me in that manner. They didn’t call me by my name you know. They called me “eh girly, come take your book”. I feel so hurt… Maybe the style when I walk, people like to bully me. [and] when people bully me, I feel very hurt…I only study until primary six because I couldn’t concentrate…’

‘When in primary school, I joined in dance class, you know. The dance class… like classical dance, Indian classical dance. And then, it’s like the classical normally all is the girls, girls will do the classical dance. So I’m the ONLY BOY, in there. But the teachers don’t mind, they still take me [in] for the dance. So, for me, what you call erm what is my ambition, I want to be a dance teacher one day, a dance master…’

‘… but I never [complete] the class because that time I already left the school and… my life change into different way… So got no chances. If really I got the chance, I’m really happy. Maybe I don’t know now or when, I got the chance to go back dancing, I get the certificate… I want to open one dancing class, teach the students there…’

 

 

 

Precious reminder of home

‘I think I have a few other pictures in the other house but I was kicked out… So, I don’t have any other pictures, this is the only picture I have of my mum… Memory lah, something that you can keep. Something that can push me on… through my life. It’s very difficult… Sometimes It’s not just about the item, it’s inside, the memories are all inside…’

‘Yes, very close with both of them… My mum and my grandma give me the assurance that I’m home. You know like, sometimes I may be at home doing my own things but they are there for [me]. So, having a place anywhere but having them there makes the place, for me, home. That’s why I brought my mum’s photo.’

 

 

Embracing one’s identity

’Everyone has their IC to show that they are Singaporean. To show that they that belong to somewhere. Something important, to have a sense of belonging. It is important that everyone know where they belong to and have something to show that… I lost it once… so I made a new one, so I got the opportunity to put the female photo of myself …  I think it’s better that you know that this is a women photo of myself so that they won’t question me from now on. Cos I would say most of the time lah, I would wear make-up, So if its a guy photo then they will doubt me that it’s me you know.’

The dynamic duo

Ivana:	‘I very active one on Facebook, hyperactive one. Every like ten minutes I must check one. 20 to 30 posts a day…’
Jo:	‘But last time no handphone leh, no Facebook.’ *changes to softer tone* ‘Sorry interject ah… Last time no facebook leh eh?’
Ivana:	‘Message LOR, Pager LOR, also can talk what… (Jo tries to interject again)… COMPUTER  LOR…’
Ivana:	‘I throw everything away. At first I still got keep. Actually I still keep all the birthday cards, all the cards my friends give. I fought with her then I throw away…’
Jo:	‘I worse hor… I carry all the letters you sent me. I go to the burning incense burner right, burn one by one. Then everyone look at me…’
Ivana:	‘Because we seldom fight one. We talk like this one. We can always shout at each other but when we really fight then it’s very big one – I throw all the diary away lor, declutter lor…’
Jo:	‘Got family support is really different. More happier… When you interview me and my sis, it’s very different. We are really blessed, through our own… Nobody help us one ah, cos there’s no formal form of social support last time. It’s through our own upbringing and our family really support us…’

 

Love transcends all

‘Ok last turning point. Actually recently? Okay, I’m already aged 40 now. At such an age, most of us would have given up on love and relationship. And we tend to be single for the rest of our lives…’

‘But… Three weeks ago I went for a Europe trip for three weeks and I found love again… After I came back, I was happier and everyday becomes more meaningful, sort of changed my life again and it sort of, life sparkles. The word in me is that “there’s always hope, there’s always miracles”. So, yeah even at the age of 40, love can still come… ’

 

A heart of gold

‘I currently stay in a rented apartment with my dog…It’s a crossbreed, Jack Russell mixed with Pomeranian… It’s adopted from a friend whose dog gave birth to three puppies…Tina…  oh because when I adopted her, I like to hear the song sang by Tina Turner.’

‘Happiest moment ah… Happiest moment is to feed the stray cats around my block. Because I’m an animal lover, so whenever I go to work and I come back, I will feed the stray cats… all 18 of them.  So part of my income goes to the cat food la…I’ve a feeling that they are very pitiful… Like some [their owners] just discard them… To me, home is related to the word gracious living.’

 

Finding that strength within

‘I’m always comfortable. I’m very easy to adapt to any situation. Believe me, you have to. Being a person who leads a double life… No, actually not a double life. Every single day of my life, I don’t see myself as a transgender. Because what I’ve learned is that I see in myself is very important. I’m not waiting for your judgement. Sorry.’

‘Since the day I decided to transition, I have never thought myself as a transgender or transvestite or whatever labels that people like to give… I have to walk out of my very disappointed marriage. I cry my nights away facing the pillow… Till the very last teardrop on my pillow, I tell myself I can’t do this any longer, I can’t depend on someone like this any longer. I have to walk out of this on my own. So since then, I had a tremendous change.’

‘Find within yourself. Put yourself as the first place. Always love yourself.’

‘This is me. *points to a caricature of herself* Dorky Dorky. This is the real side of me. I am really joyful… I don’t care. If I have given [my children] enough love, come judgement day, I will let them decide. If my love is good enough for them to just skip the question…For me, giving is a very very important thing. Especially love, unconditional love. ‘

‘Home to me is a… a magic moment with friends, a magic moment with your children. A sparkle in your eyes with your children wishing you … it’s like coming from your heart.‘

‘The pillar of support is always myself and now yes, also The T Project…’

It’s a Wrap!

After weeks and weeks of planning and activities, we’ve come to the end of our fundraising campaign. The Swan Project is proud to announce that we have raised a total sum of $7,311.90 for The T Project!

We would like to take this opportunity to express our infinite gratitude to everyone who has contributed to our JIA campaign in any way – supporting our fundraising events, engaging with us on social media or privately encouraging us. Your support has been instrumental in leading to the success of our campaign, and we could have never done it without you. Thank you very much.

As The Swan Project wraps up our JIA fundraising campaign, we are excited to share with you two exciting announcements.

Pre-order merchandises off you go

The pre-ordered JIA merchandises have arrived! They are all packed and ready for mailing. If you’ve placed an order with us, do keep a lookout for a package from the team over the next few days. We hope you enjoy our lovely merchandises!

If you have any enquires about the merchandises, do drop us an email at swanprojectsg@gmail.com or a message to our Facebook page. Once again, thank you for supporting JIA by The Swan Project!

Pink Dot here we come!

We are pleased to announce that the team, together with The T Project, has been invited to Pink Dot 2015. Watch this space for updates on our booth at Pink Dot 2015!

Fundraising at NUS and Free Community Church

What an eventful week! The past few weeks were hectic as we planned for our main campaign events to raise awareness and funds for The T Project. We had our fair share of late nights and roadblocks along the way as we made the final preparations for our activities in March, but the experience of everyone’s big hearts was truly worth it. The Swan Project was heartened to be able to interact with many kind-hearted and open-minded people at our events, who took time off their busy schedules to learn more about our cause and contributed in one way or another.

Here’s a glance of our fundraising events:

Booth @ Yale-NUS

We were at the Yale-NUS dining hall on Wednesday 11 March to promote our social cause to the students and staff in University Town. This event would not have been possible without the support from members of The G Spot who invited us to be part of their Ally week and also patiently assisted us in getting the logistics that we need for our booth.

As this was the first of our short stint in campus, we were all up early and eager to receive the crowds. Our booth comprised of various stations:

1. ‘Just As Human’ photo exhibition
2. Live video screening featuring stories of the trans shelter residents
3. Handing out flyers giving an overview of our beneficiary
4. Laptop access to our campaign Facebook page
5. Merchandise sales

While the crowd was not large at the event, many people were highly engaged and interested in our booth, and we are pleased to have reached out to them.

 JIA charity bazaar @NUS Science Foyer

From Monday to Wednesday, 16 to 18 March, we hosted a 3-day charity bazaar at NUS LT27 Science Foyer. This was the flagship event of our fundraising efforts, for which we have been planning and preparing since January. From vendor sourcing to securing the bazaar venue and logistics, there was a lot of work done behind the scenes to make sure that everything runs smoothly on the days.

Together with our own booth set-up at the venue, our partnership with For Flea Sake helped us to bring a whole new bazaar experience to the NUS population. Up to 24 new vendors were selling unique items each day and we were really grateful to have all of them present to make this event a memorable one for all. Thank you once again to For Flea Sake and each of our vendors who believed in our cause!

We were also very fortunate to have Snapple collaborating with us during the bazaar. A bottle of Snapple’s new drink was given to every person who made a contribution to our cause.

Booth @ NUS Arts walkway

Following our bazaar, we set up our booth on Friday 20 March at one of the benches located at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) as a final reach out to the rest of the school population. The photo exhibition also gained much interest from the school population, and we hope to have garnered some awareness of oft-neglected trans issues in Singapore.

Throughout the entire week of fundraising in NUS, we had quite a number of fellow schoolmates and teachers who came down personally to help us promote our cause. Thank you everyone who supported us all the way!

Booth @ Free Community Church

On 22 March Sunday, we were at Free Community Church – one of the better known LGBT-friendly churches in Singapore. After giving a short introduction, we showcased our campaign videos to provide a better understanding of the purpose of our campaign.

 

The people at the church were very supportive and they came directly to our booth immediately after their service ended. At the end of the day, all our merchandises were sold out. Thank you FCC for your immense generosity!

Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to express our greatest gratitude to everyone who has contributed to our JIA campaign at our fundraising events, on social media or privately. Your support has been instrumental in helping us kick this campaign off, and we never could have done it without you.

For those who have placed pre-orders for the JIA merchandises, fret not, we will be delivering your purchases to you really soon!

Watch this space for further updates.

The Swan Project – All Fired Up! for International Women’s Day

March has arrived, our JIA fundraising campaign is ready to go and so is the team!

If you were at Hong Lim Park on 8 March, you might just have caught The Swan Project and The T Project All Fired Up! at this year’s International Women’s Day.

Many men and women were there on Sunday to understand more about women’s stories and programmes by civil societies supporting the most neglected women in Singapore. We talked to many people, who were highly interested in our photo exhibition and our merchandise.

Thank you all for the support and believing that transwomen’s issues are women’s issues too.

Next up, we have a sneak peek into our Just as Human photo exhibition capturing the voices of eight Singaporean transwomen as they recount significant moments of their lives and what home means to them.

All shots featured and framed in this collection are taken by the talented Lisabelle Tay. While we are unable to feature all the kind strangers who stopped by our booth and ‘listened’ to their voices today, here’s a big thank you for giving us a great start!

The Swan Project would be launching the full photo exhibition on:

• 11 March (12-2pm, 5-7pm) at Yale-NUS College Dining Hall
• 16-18 March (10am-6pm) at NUS Science Foyer during the JIA Fundraising Bazaar
• 19-20 March (10am-6pm) at NUS Arts & Social Sciences Walkway

Don’t forget to keep up with our events on Facebook as we have been sharing the stories of The T Project’s beneficiaries.

Last but not least, YES – we are taking pre-orders now 😀

We are proud to announce that all proceeds from the JIA campaign will go towards the funding of Singapore’s first transgender shelter and if you have missed our social media updates, pre-orders for our bags and post cards are now available here online!

Featuring the JIA bag by our Swan Project Team and HOME bag designed by Justin Lee

We have a limited stock of postcards available and shipping is only limited to Singapore – click here for more details on the pricing and designs of our merchandises!

Please feel free to contact us personally if you have any queries.

Lots of Love, The Swan Project SG

Capturing transwomen’s stories

As the new year picks up, The Swan Project has also been hard at work preparing for our fundraising campaign. We will be holding a photo exhibit at a few locations throughout our campaign, to illustrate transwomen’s lives and what home means to them amidst the discrimination and difficult life circumstances they face.

Photoshoot for photo exhibit

Last week, we held a photoshoot for a group of lovely transwomen, diverse in their ages and interests, but common in their hope for a trans-friendly environment in Singapore, a place to call home. They sat and talked to us about their lives and thoughts, as we captured their spirit on camera.

These photos, along with the transwomen’s stories, will be showcased first in a photography exhibit that will be held together with a bazaar on the NUS campus in March. The event serves to highlight the issues that transwomen in Singapore currently face and their aspirations for the future. Furthermore, all proceeds received from the sale of event merchandises would be donated to support this social cause.

Through this, we hope that our target audience (youths aged 18-35) would gain a better understanding of the transgender community.

We hope to remind everyone that transpeople are people, after all.

With the help of our talented photographer Lisabelle Tay, members of The Swan Project met up with a few transwomen and we commenced the photoshoot!

Check out some exlcusive BTS shots:

Our photographer hard at work

Members listening attentively and jotting down notes

One of the photoshoot participants

It was a long and tiring day, but we gained so much more.

We would like to thank our photoshoot participants once again for a fruitful afternoon, and of course The T Project, a local community committed to building Singapore’s first transgender shelter, for helping us to organise this shoot.

Filming for our campaign videos

To help our target audience and the wider public better understand the lives of transwomen and the issues they face, we are also producing a video for the campaign.

This video features interviews with transwomen who find themselves without a home and highlight why there is such a pressing need for a fully-equipped shelter.

Told from their own perspectives, we hope that their words can evoke feelings of empathy in our target audience.

With the help of Wan Ling, a friend proficient in videography and have directed several short films in her school days, members of The Swan Project went down to the shelter for the filming this week.

While waiting for our complete video, here are some BTS shots.

One of our lovely participants sharing her story

Wan Ling and Fiona

All in all, it was yet another rewarding experience and we definitely had a great time filming.

Stay tuned as we bring you more updates on our upcoming event in NUS and more insights into the unique merchandises that we are selling!