Singing from the same song sheet

The world is a complex place with many different human characteristics that are innate within us. We can't all dance down the same end of the ballroom, play for the same team or sing from the same song sheet.

When in Singapore I am often struck with the idea that it would be a pleasant place to live, yet the criminalising of homosexuality presents a moral dilemma. It's more galling here than in most other places where it is still illegal because as states advance economically it is expected that this is coupled with increasing tolerance to diversity.

Having attraction to someone else is a natural phenomenon. State-imposed rules that forbid consenting adults from acting on this are an entirely human construct that tell people that their natural feelings are fundamentally wrong.

Whatever historical religious or social values may cause this situation to persist in Singapore, it's time it looked around the region and realised that while its airport may be spilling over with a dazzling array of floral displays and while citizens are never more than 500 metres from a Starbucks, the country is woefully behind on gay rights.

The more well-ordered nature of Singapore gives you more chance to dwell on this stuff during taxi journeys, compared to the distracting chaos of tuk-tuk runs in Cambodia.