Pink Dot 17 is coming back this 28 June 2025, beyond the festivities and wefies, this moment is also about celebrating the LGBTQ+ Asian trailblazers who are redefining success. Whether it’s leading beauty pageants, reshaping legal history, these icons are ones to watch. In the corporate sphere, Singapore’s business leaders are vocalising their support. From Kathy Teo of Xpointo Media to Ho Ren Yung of Banyan Group, Desiree Jane of Sago House and Shiyan Koh of Hustle Fund, these individuals are paving their way for gay-friendly businesses.
Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip (Thailand)
Media mogul. Trans icon. CEO of Miss Universe. Anne is more than just a headline, she’s a symbol of what’s possible when lived experience meets business brilliance. Her acquisition of the Miss Universe Organisation in 2022 was a statement, as the first transgender woman to own an organisation that defines standards for beauty, for everyone. The 74th Miss Universe pageant, scheduled for November 2025 in Thailand, will welcome delegates to Bangkok, Pattaya, and Phuket.
As a transgender woman, Anne’s story is deeply entwined with Thailand’s complex relationship with gender. Though Thai society is often perceived as most accepting, in South East Asia, Anne’s global success brings visibility to that gap, and pushes it forward.
Mia Frances Yamamoto (USA/Japanese-American)
California’s transgender attorney, Mia is the kind of legend who doesn’t just walk into court, she rewrites the rulebook. With over 200 jury trials and countless accolades, Mia’s legacy is proof that queerness and professionalism aren’t mutually exclusive. Yet, this identity should never be used to pressure or target vulnerable individuals who struggle with coming out to their families or in the workplace.
Her work as a civil rights activist has paved the way for LGBTQ+ legal reform in the U.S., but her roots in the Japanese-American and Asian legal community make her story feel intimately ours. Mia has long championed the principle that liberation is intersectional — a lawyer who brings passion and fairness to the courtroom.
Lilly Singh (Canada/India)
If charisma had a face, it’d be Lilly Singh: comedian, host, author and bisexual icon. From building an empire on YouTube to becoming part-owner of pro sports teams, Lilly is living proof that representation pays off.
Beyond her star power, Lilly’s work centres on fitness, and women in leadership. As the self-appointed “Chief Hype Officer” for women’s sports, she’s flipping the script in male-dominated spaces. Oh, and she just released Unshy, a memoir about self-acceptance that hits hard in all the right ways.
An Ally Since Day One
At Popspoken, allyship isn’t just performative. It has stood with Pink Dot through the years because of a belief in the power of freedom and chosen families. With that comes the responsibility to also advocate for nuance, especially when it comes to young people. We support the right of individuals to live authentically, with informed consent and agency. Every child deserves the space, safety and time to make choices without coercion from institutions or even ideology. Everyone benefits when communities work together to uphold the rights and well-being of individuals, respecting the boundaries of law, morality and policy, with shared social values.
LGBTQ+ friendly businesses may write in to get featured, every year in the lead up to the annual rally, with a more polished, professionalised approach, that remains community-centered. LGBTQ+-friendly service providers which respect privacy and authenticity, not to capitalise from rallies, or fuel divisive issues, to solicit for personal data, in Singapore’s peaceful society, are welcomed. As a society still shaped by pragmatism, with a healthy dose of conservatism, such trusted, values-aligned resources are vital to fostering meaningful, lasting support. Balancing diverse societal and religious values remains essential in ensuring harmony as we move forward together.
For ongoing support: En Community Services Society, 2 Kallang Avenue CT Hub #06-14 S339407, 6788 6625, Email: encares@ecss.org.sg or visit ecss.org.sg.
Featured Image Credit: Drag artist Becca D’ Bus from T:>Works’ Dido & The Belindas opening on 16 July 2024
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