Black Holes and Revelations Subheader
Sexuality and Gender
There have also been debates of a more personal nature on Raffles Confessions pages— that of sexual orientation and gender politics within the school. For an issue which we would normally consider intensely personal, there have been a fairly high number of Rafflesians posting heartfelt confessions regarding their sexuality. This, however, comes as little surprise— after studying for more than four years in a( still) relatively heteronormative community, Rafflesians who are LGBT have certainly been exposed to some degree of subtle alienation or may have been affected by self-doubt or worry at some point in their student lives. Anonymous confessions from students who have admitted to being LGBT thus serve a cathartic effect, enabling them to get these unspoken troubles off their chest. It is heartening to note that many Rafflesians have been very supportive of their LGBT peers, offering encouraging remarks and advice regardless of their moral stance on the issue. A strongly-worded confession from one Rafflesian that he‘ hate( s) it when people use homophobic slurs’ encapsulates the desire of most Rafflesians on Confessions pages to contribute to a more inclusive, rather than intolerant school atmosphere.
Discussion over gender issues has also featured on the RJ Confessions site, with confessions like‘ I can’ t believe that so many Rafflesians downplay the importance of feminism in Singapore’ generating heated debate amongst Rafflesians who would otherwise have never spoken out about such topics. For a majority of Rafflesians who have grown to be accustomed to a singlesex school environment, suddenly being thrust into the co-educational jungle that is the Year 5-6 campus would certainly be a disorienting experience. Although genuinely well-intentioned, this abrupt change in school demographics and culture has led to some Rafflesians making remarks which could be construed to be tactless and sexist. Nevertheless, both in their anonymous confessions and their responses to perceived sexism, most Rafflesians have adopted mature attitudes toward gender issues, and the discussions that take place on the site have been largely civil.
It is heartening to note that many Rafflesians have been very supportive of their LGBT peers, offering encouraging remarks and advice regardless of their moral stance on the issue.
Rafflesian Times
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