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Asian Sexuality or Singapore Exceptionalism?

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Abstract

Is there such a thing as “Asian sexuality”? Do Asians approach sex in particular ways that are uniquely cultural? Some “Eastern” sex manuals published in English cover the “tao” and tantric philosophies of sex, highlighting the pleasures of Asian styles. Yet, any discourse on “Asian sexuality” must be an orientalist one that pits the West versus the East (Asian). In Singapore, there is an official discourse of sexuality that similarly essentializes West versus East (Asian), and this discourse has long served as the rationale or alibi for repressive sexual policies. In particular, these official constructions make “Asians” as sexually conservative. This essay deconstructs the meaning of “Asian sexuality” as used in the Singapore context and shows the contradictions inherent in official policies that adopt Western colonial laws to proscribe certain sexual practices—albeit in the name of “Asian values”.

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Notes

  1. Van Gulik (2003).

  2. Liu (1992).

  3. Chang (1977); Chou (1971); Powell (1985); Byron (1987); Wilde (1992).

  4. Screech (1999).

  5. Fagioli (1998).

  6. Doniger and Kakar (2002).

  7. Meyer (1989).

  8. Devi (1977); Dehejia (1986); White (2006).

  9. Tamney (1996).

  10. Hobsbawm and Ranger (1983).

  11. Brems (2001).

  12. Barr (2002).

  13. [1995] 3 Sing. L.R.: 417–432 (C.A.).

  14. PP v. Tan Kuan Meng (1996) C.C. No. 62 of 1994 (H.C.).

  15. [1997] 1 Sing. L.R. 697 (C.A.).

  16. Annis bin Abdullah v. PP [2003] SGDC 290 Subordinate Courts.

  17. Chong (2004).

  18. Annis bin Abdullah v. PP [2004] 2 Sing. L.R. 93 (H.C.).

  19. Baker (2004).

  20. BBC (2007).

  21. Leong (1997).

  22. Wong (1995).

  23. Mahbubani (1999, 95).

  24. The Sunday Times (1998).

  25. Goh (2003).

  26. Li (2007a, 1).

  27. The Taipei Times (2004).

  28. Slater (2006).

  29. Chia (2005).

  30. Ministry of Community Development and Sports (2000).

  31. MacKinnon (2008).

  32. Lee (2001, 75–93).

  33. Murray (1992), (2000).

  34. Rubin (1999).

  35. Li (2007b).

  36. Thio (2007).

  37. Devan (2007).

  38. Au (2007).

  39. Elegant (2003).

  40. Florida (2002).

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  1. Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore, AS1 #03-06, 11 Arts Link, Singapore, Singapore

    Laurence Wai-Teng Leong

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Correspondence to Laurence Wai-Teng Leong.

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Leong, L.WT. Asian Sexuality or Singapore Exceptionalism?. Liverpool Law Rev 33, 11–26 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10991-012-9106-8

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