BDSM Event in Singapore University Cancelled After Public Outrage

Talking about sex remains largely taboo among many Singaporeans, even young ones like 23-year-old college student Jason Pan Lim. An undergraduate at the National University of Singapore (NUS), he told VICE that the topic “embarrasses” him as well as many of his peers.

“Sex education is part of our school curriculum but it’s an uncomfortable topic,” Lim said.

Studies conducted over the years have found that many Singaporeans don’t have enough sex, either because of stress, a career-first mindset, or conservative beliefs about doing the deed. This has contributed to the country’s low birth and fertility rates.

“It’s an issue that stays with us from childhood into adulthood,” Lim admitted. “It generates a whole host of self-esteem issues.”

So you can imagine his surprise when he found out about a virtual BDSM “sharing session” that a student-run group from his university organized. It was going to feature speakers from a local bondage studio who would talk about their personal journey with rope and what it means to them. He found it rather peculiar.

“It isn’t every day that I receive emails about BDSM workshops on campus,” Lim said. “It certainly got people talking.”

The 90-minute session was scheduled to take place via Zoom call on Wednesday, September 2, but was quickly canned following outrage from concerned parents and the public.

In a statement, its organizers, a residential student dormitory group called TFreedom, said the event was cancelled “in order to protect the privacy and mental health of those who are affected.”

Some critics even signed an online petition against it. A Singaporean named Hope Leow started the campaign on Change.org, drawing more than 7,400 signatures in support of cancelling the “indecent event.” Leow said that it “promoted violent sexual fetishes” and “loose sexual behaviour.”

“There is no educational value because these dialogues only stimulate sexual fantasies. It is deeply troubling that TFreedom, an official interest group monitored by professors, should even conceive such an immoral practice,” Leow wrote.

Criticism also came from the photo used in the event’s poster, which shows a woman with her hands and arms severely tied to her back. Critics said that it “glamorized sexual violence,” but TFreedom said that the event was meant to be empowering.

“We condemn violence in any shape, way or form and stand by our original intentions in organizing this event. Let us be clear: our group and events have never promoted violent sex or non-consensual activities,” TFreedom said.

The group prides itself on promoting “positive sex advocacy” and even spearheaded sexual assault awareness campaigns following a series of high-profile cases at the university. They said that the BDSM event, titled Rope Bondage Zoom Sharing, was part of their weekly discussions around gender, sexual health, feminism, and sex education.

“We wanted to provide a safe space for students to learn more about a lesser-known practice from professionals who value communication, respect, and consent,” TFreedom said on its Facebook page, following the backlash.

The group added that the event was “mischaracterized” and the sign-up was on a completely voluntary basis. It also acknowledged that the image used in the poster may have been problematic and said that it could have been “better designed to clearly communicate the discourse-driven aspect of the event.”

“We regret that we failed to consider how the image might have brought distress to victims of sexual assault, and sincerely apologise for any distress caused,” TFreedom said. “We regret that this lack of clarity has caused people to mistake the nature and intention of the event and caused some anxiety as a result.”

In support of TFreedom’s campaign, a counter-petition titled Stop Censoring Sexual Discourse At NUS made rounds online.

“NUS students are not children. They are adults. Some of them have even taken up arms for our country and if they are old enough to shoot a rifle then they are old enough to engage in respectful and consensual discourse on sex,” the petition reads.

“We also have a proud tradition of intellectual curiosity. As a community of learning, we have created safe spaces for you to ask uncomfortable questions and learn from discussing complex and multifaceted issues in a respectful and responsible manner. We will continue to do so,” he told Singaporean newspaper Today.

According to Pang, TFreedom’s operations will also be put on hold as the school looks into the organization’s activities and reviews whether or not they follow the university’s policies, including those from the Code of Gender and Sexual Respect.

Editor's Note: This article was modified to reflect that the event was discourse-driven.