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Thoughts from last week
Claudia Loh, 16, Po Leung Kuk Choi Kai Yau School
I think gender identity and sexual orientation were not included in Singapore’s new law against discrimination in the workplace because the general atmosphere of the world, especially in Asia, is more conservative.
The older generation tends to think gender identity and sexual orientation are choices that people make for themselves. For them, any discrimination would be warranted since a person’s choices around gender and sexuality were conscious decisions.
However, this is not the case. One cannot decide one’s sexual orientation, and it is perfectly fine to express yourself however you wish in terms of gender.
However, the older generation still makes most of the laws, which leads to a lack of protection for those who face prejudice.
Education is paramount if the Singaporean government and companies want to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for the queer community. Thanks to misinformation, being queer is still seen as abnormal and is heavily stigmatised in society.
The government could do better to educate the public on the queer community – they simply identify differently from what is considered “normal”.
These people are humans, just like everyone else. This could be done by inclusivity, with more TV shows accurately portraying queer characters to allow more representation and increased understanding.
Queer voices should be encouraged in society in order to erase stigma, for example, in the form of literature, to better understand and appreciate equality.
Also, the government should create laws and regulations to enforce equal treatment for those in the queer community, making it illegal to discriminate based on gender identity or sexuality.
Read and observe
A New Jersey man whose wife was killed in a horrific hippopotamus attack last year during a safari in Africa is suing the US company that arranged the trip, alleging it failed to ensure their safety and did not adequately screen and supervise the tour guides.
The couple were on a guided walk in Zambia in June when a hippo charged out of the water, grabbed Lisa Manders by its mouth and crushed her head and body, according to the lawsuit filed against African Portfolio, a safari tour company. The company denies the allegations.
The lawsuit alleges that the tour guides – including at least one armed with a rifle – walked away without helping. Lisa Manders, 70, suffered catastrophic injuries and died shortly after, the lawsuit says.
Paul Slager, a lawyer representing Craig Manders, said: “There are basic safety standards that businesses are expected to follow ... And those were not followed.”
Slager said the lawsuit seeks damages that have not yet been determined and accountability for the death.
The company’s lawyer, Rodney Gould, said it was not negligent or reckless in connection with the death.
He said African Portfolio only arranged the lodging, adding that the owners of the lodging, Chiawa Safaris in Zambia, provided the tour guides.
“It’s a horrible tragedy when somebody goes on one of these trips and is injured or killed,” Gould said. “I think it’s important to understand what African Portfolio’s role in this is. It’s a tour operator. It arranges trips.”
African Portfolio said Chiawa arranged the walking safari and guests were accompanied by an experienced and highly trained guide, a ranger and an armed scout.
It said Chiawa told authorities that safety measures were implemented before the attack and “repeated warnings” were issued to guests to return to the safety of the vehicle “during the incident”.
Associated Press
Research and respond
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Do you think African Portfolio should take responsibility for the incident? If so, how?
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How can safaris better protect their participants so that incidents like these don’t happen?
