Obituary acknowledging gay son goes viral for all the right reasons

SINGAPORE -- An elderly man's obituary that was published in Singapore's national newspaper over the weekend started circulating because of an unusual mention.

Written in first person, the obituary of Ong Peck Lye, who passed away at 82, lists his family members in order of seniority. Towards the end is a mention of "my baby son" and Ong's "son-in-law" -- his son's partner.

Published during a flurry of anti-LGBTI news in the country, the obituary carries a poem, in which Ong asks his sons to forgive him.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Although it may appear so, Ong didn't personally pen the write-up. His second son, Ong Tiong Yeow, wrote it for him, but told The Straits Times that he wrote it based on conversations with his father before the latter passed away.

The younger Ong said all three sons had been thrown out of the family house at some point after clashing with their father. The youngest son, Ong Tiong Hou, left after he came out and now lives in the U.S..

The obituary has since been shared by many online, who have mentioned Singapore's tussles as of late with the conservative right, who are opposed to gay issues.

Over the weekend, the Singapore government decided to order the production of "Les Miserables" to cut a kiss between two male actors on stage. The government said it received complaints from people in the audience, and would be "taking action" against the production here.

And last week, the government said it would no longer allow foreign companies to sponsor the annual Pink Dot gay pride event here. Pink Dot is largely sponsored by the likes of Google, Barclays, BP and J.P Morgan, so the move was seen as a blow to the popular event.

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