‘LGBTQ+ people deserve love from our families, just like everyone else’ — Pink Dot SG on pulled Samsung ad

Singapore — One of the country’s most vocal LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, Pink Dot SG, has spoken out on the recent pulling of a Samsung ad that featured a Muslim mum who expressed support for her drag queen son.

The alleged backlash from conservative groups was the reason why the ad got pulled.

Netizens have been quick to condemn the pulling of the ad, and right on their heels has been a response from Pink Dot SG, the movement behind Singapore’s first public, open-air, pro-LGBT event held yearly, at least in pre-Covid times, at Hong Ling Park. (In 2020 and 2021, the rally went online due to the pandemic.)

“LGBTQ+ people deserve love from our families, just like everyone else,” Pink Dot wrote on its Facebook account on Thursday (Jan 20). 

The group also spoke encouraging words to the members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as asked for more public support.

“To those who are affected by these events, do not to lose heart. Your stories are more precious and important than ever. 

We urge LGBTQ+ Singaporeans and allies to extend your support to those who are facing challenges and opposition, such as the family in this advertisement.”

Pink Dot called the pulled Samsung ad “beautiful,” pointing out that it featured “a mother’s unconditional love for her son.”

“To date, it is still unclear what these people were offended by – the fact that LGBTQ+ people exist in Singapore, or that we are deserving of loving relationships, or both.”

The group added that the LGBTQ+ community “should also be able to express these loving relationships freely, regardless of those who want to shame us back into silence simply because they find us offensive.”

Despite the ad’s short airtime, comments were already posted against it, accusing the ad of promoting LGBT “ideology.”

Samsung issued an apology, although it did not refer specifically to the ad.

The company acknowledged feedback from the ad, which it said “may be perceived as insensitive and offensive to some members of our local community. We acknowledge that we have fallen short in this instance, and have since removed the content from all public platforms.”

The apology was run on the Facebook page of Samsung Singapore on Thursday (Jan 19).

The company, however, set limits on who could comment on the post, which meant that backlash to the takedown of the ad could not be added.

However, netizens found other venues for calling Samsung out.

/TISG

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