Hong Lim Park: gay aspects

Hong Lim Park was the first gay meeting place in Singapore to be listed in the premier international gay tourist reference, the Spartacus International Gay Guide. Officially known as Hong Lim Green, it probably gained its reputation as a cruising ground for gay men since the 1960s. The layout of the park was instrumental and conducive for meeting and fondling other men. There were large rectangular flower pots which contained dense shrubbery. Men could sit on the perimeter of these flower pots to chat, and if they show mutual interest, some would fondle each other there and then. The presence of shady trees with overhanging foliage would also conceal their activities from passers-by. FIGURE 7.4 Postcard of Hong Lim Park in the 1970s, showing the plant receptacles where men would sit on and wait or chat at night. Copyright: National Archives Singapore

This public space was also affectionately code-named “Honolulu” or “Hollywood” in the early years by some English-educated gay men. Relatively ‘cruisy’ during the night-time for more than half a century, its dim lighting and tall shrubbery provided ideal conditions for quickies between gay men, especially elderly Chinese-educated ones, until the bushes were pruned and bright lights installed in the early 90s to deter such activities. Nightly cruising and sex also took place in a small two-storey shopping centre named Hong Lim Shopping Centre which was demolished in the mid-1980s and replaced by the present car park. The setting-up of the Kreta Ayer Neighbourhood Police Post in an old building which was an erstwhile post office located next to the car park was also considered a measure to curb late-night cruising. Straight patrons were shocked at some young boys holding hands and wrote letters to the newspapers in the 1980s to complain. In spite of several police patrols in which these boys were questioned, no one was charged as nobody was caught in flagrante delicto. FIGURE 7.5 The public toilet situated in the middle of Circular Road. Copyright: National Archives of Singapore.

From the early part of the century to the 1970s, there used to be a public toilet situated in the middle of Circular Road and close to Hong Lim Park which was known to be somewhat ‘cruisy’ and probably one of the first in Singapore where toilet sex took place. A public bus service with a two-digit number had its terminus right next to it. Gay passengers would alight from the bus and pretend to use the toilet. Whilst at it, they would look surreptitiously around and at the other men who were at the urinals. A few would have sex in the cubicles if they meet someone to their liking, while others would proceed to Hong Lim Park. During the same period, homosexual taxi drivers, most of whom being married, would station their taxis along the periphery of the park after their shift was over and go cruising around the vicinity. Among the interesting anecdotes connected with Hong Lim Park at that time was one concerning a famous businessman known as the “Abalone King”, who had monopolised the local abalone market. His shop was located along a road very near the park. Although he was married family man, he used to go cruising at Hong Lim Park where he frequently picked up younger men for sex. His inclinations were an open secret amongst his employees. On occasion, one of the ‘boys’ would venture into his shop to look for him, whereupon he would instruct his employees to give the boy a drink or some pocket money. It is rumoured that he had since migrated to Taiwan. =See also=

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This article was written by Roy Tan.