Singapore government warns foreign companies to stop supporting the Pink Dot pride parade

SINGAPORE -- Pink Dot, the country's closest thing to a pride parade has hit a snag, with the government saying foreign corporations shouldn't "fund, support or influence" events such as these in Singapore.

The statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) was sent to the press on Tuesday in response to "media queries" on whether foreign companies are allowed to sponsor Pink Dot.

It acknowledged that Pink Dot was an LGBTI event, and said: "The Government's general position has always been that foreign entities should not interfere in our domestic issues, especially political issues or controversial social issues with political overtones. These are political, social or moral choices for Singaporeans to decide for ourselves.

"LGBT issues are one such example."

The vast majority of Pink Dot's sponsors are foreign companies.

The annual Pink Dot pride gathering just wrapped up its eighth year over the weekend. The event has been growing steadily each year, with attendance swelling from a couple of thousands at the start to over 28,000 in 2015.

Corporate sponsorships have also grown for the non-profit event that's run by volunteers. This year had a total of 18 companies coming forward to offer support -- double the nine sponsors from 2015.

That includes returning sponsors like Google, Barclays, BP, J.P. Morgan, Twitter, Goldman Sachs and Bloomberg. They were joined this year by Apple, NBCUniversal, Microsoft, Facebook, Visa and GE, among others.

The vast majority of the list are made up of foreign companies.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Pink Dot posted a statement in response on its Facebook page, that pointed out that its corporate sponsors are registered and incorporated entities in Singapore -- although it's unclear if the MHA considers that within bounds.

A Google rep would only say to Mashable: "We've been proud supporters of Pink Dot since 2011." The company did not address the MHA's statement.

We've reached out to other sponsors like Apple and Twitter for comment.

Walking a tightrope to stay legal

Pink Dot's statement also said: "We have done all we can to ensure Pink Dot SG stays within the law."

That's been evident in the organisers trying to keep the event free of run-ins with the authorities. In the weeks leading up to Pink Dot this year, organisers posted repeated reminders on social media that only Singaporeans and permanent residents could take part in the big photo moment at the end of the event.

View this post on Instagram

During the picnic, volunteers checked IDs before handing out placards that were supposed to be held up for the photo.

Organisers also refused to say afterwards how many people showed up at the event, only noting that the crowd spilled out of the park's capacity. Hong Lim Park -- where Pink Dot has been held every year -- is the city's only designated "free speech" area, and falling out of bounds (literally) could land the event in hot soup.

The MHA's latest statement is another obstruction that supporters of hot button topics like LGBTI issues have to skirt in the island state.

Being gay isn't illegal per se, but portions of the law here criminalise sex between men, which means gay men could be prosecuted.

Singapore's prime minister also said last year he didn't think the country was ready for same-sex marriage, and cautioned LGBTI groups not to "push the agenda too hard," or risk pushback from the conservative majority.

One of those groups against Pink Dot specifically is the Faith Communist Baptist Church, which has for the past few years championed an opposing movement encouraging its members to wear white on the day.

"We will wear white until the pink is gone," the church's pastor Lawrence Khong was quoted as saying on the pulpit last year.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.