Once a child actor featuring in indie films and mainstream television series, Medli Loo found her career options limited after she transitioned.
LGBTQ+ representation is effectively barred from free-to-air television, performers like Loo are rare in Singapore’s mass media.
And yet she persists, appearing in a small documentary theater production TRANS:MISSION, featuring different generations of trans people discussing their lives in Singapore in front of an audience.
AFP, March 26 2024
Transgender students Andy Winter, Kieran Ng and Lune Loh share their experiences of gender transitioning while living on university campuses.
CNA, November 27 2022
Ben Xue, Kirsten Han, Elijah Tay, June Chua and Benedict Thambiah discuss what the future now looks like for LGBTQ+ communities in a post-377A world.
Western Independent, November 24 2022
Singapore still requires transgender people to submit to surgeries that will render them sterile before their genders are legally recognised. These policies have left many transgender people like Lune Loh with an agonising choice between their fertility and their identity.
Lune also speaks about her traumatic experiences serving in the military.
Associated Press, November 11 2022
Ilyas and Jun* share their experiences navigating faith and gender as transgender Muslims.
*Name has been changed
Rice Media, September 21 2022
Trans actress Medli Loo speaks about documenting her transition journey on TikTok.
Loo has openly shared her transition to inspire others. After starting her medical transition privately when public healthcare wait times proved too long, she experienced significant physical and emotional changes.
Medli hopes her visibility will help isolated trans youth thrive, as they see transitioning as life-saving and possible
Rice Media, June 16 2022
Quen Wong’s Some Women, the documentary filmmaker’s debut feature, is a personal journey documenting Wong's own experiences alongside other generations of trans women in Singapore, challenging stereotypes and celebrating shared humanity.
Tatler, December 3 2021
Gender-nonconforming and LGBTQ+ patrons are frequently treated differently by F&B and retail staff. Sensitivity training for staff is key, argues non-binary journalist Jamie Nonis.
Rice Media, November 19 2021
Antasha shares her story on growing up trans with Zula. She talks about her experience obtaining HRT through the public health system, as well as her experience dating cis guys in Singapore.
ZULA on YouTube, April 28 2021
Chris Khor of VICE Media interviews trans student Kaeden on his experience as an out trans student in a Singapore public school.
VICE Media on YouTube, April 23 2021
Transgender youth face disproportionate difficulties in school.
Kaeden went through four psychiatrists before he was finally referred to the IMH gender clinic, and because Lexi’s parents are against her medical transitioning, she has resorted to self-medicating off of unauthorised websites. Jules resorts to drinking minimal amounts of water to avoid using the bathroom at school.
The three talk about their story.
TODAY, March 20 2021
Kaeden, Edward and Amelia talk about their experiences as trans youth in the MOE school system.
Rice Media, March 12 2021
Activists arrested after protest outside Ministry of Education premises assure the public of their safety.
The protest, which lasted for 30 minutes, was in response to allegations that the Education Ministry had denied a trans student’s hormone treatment despite it being approved by her doctor and parents.
The Ministry now says that it has left the decision to her parents.
Coconuts Singapore, January 29 2021
Alex Teh, youth worker at Oogachaga, shares his lived experience as a trans student.
Alex touches on the absence of legal protection in the public sector and calls on the government to re-evaluate their priorities.
We The Citizens, January 27 2021
Trans woman Ashe speaks on Xiaxue’s #NoFilter podcast about her lived experience.
Xiaxue on Spotify, December 31 2020
Trans artist Marla Bendini tells Time Out about her journey as a transgender artist in Singapore. She navigated family challenges while embracing her identity through various art forms.
Despite facing discrimination and career setbacks, Bendini co-founded Sisters in Solidarity to support trans rights and uses her paintings to process trauma and celebrate self-acceptance.
Time Out, December 9 2020
Quen Wong speaks to Lianhe Zaobao about her filmmaking career, going into detail about her documentary “Some Women,” about transgender women. Quen also shares her journey coming out as a trans woman.
Facebook, December 9 2020
Benitha and Andrea share their difficulties of securing employment as trans women in Singapore.
Rice Media, November 16 2020
Lune Loh speaks to New Naratif about her activism at TransNUS and tFreedom. Lune also shares a bit about her experience in National Service.
New Naratif, September 18 2020
Married couple Elle and Mel share their experience of Elle coming out as transgender to Mel.
Dayre, Apr 16 & 17 2020
NMP Anthea Ong asked if the government would consider a stronger approach in ensuring that healthcare workers were trained to provide mental health support regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
TODAY, Mar 5 2020
Chris Hong shares his experience of dating as a non-binary person. Chris also shares parts of his medical transition journey.
Zula, February 13 2020
“We don’t want to destabilise society. We want to strengthen it, and to work towards a Singapore where every individual can feel safe, valued, supported.”
TransgenderSG shares the five main concerns of transgender advocacy in Singapore.
Rice Media, December 5 2019
Averyn Thng shares their experience as a trans woman with Dear Straight People, going into detail about the way their family processed the news and their transition.
Averyn also talks about their activism and some challenges they faced with regards to their 31 Days of Trans Visibility project.
(The original article uses Averyn’s former name, Cassandra, and uses she/her pronouns, which they identified with at the time of the interview.)
Dear Straight People, Apr 21 2017
Amanda Wee discusses the unique mental health struggles that trans women face.
The Straits Times, November 21 2016
Amy Tashiana shares her story on transitioning and coming out to her father.
Dear Straight People, January 13 2016
Sherry Shequeshaa shares her coming out story and also about her involvement with Project X.
Dear Straight People, February 21 2016