Founded in 2018, YouYou is a community committed to the safe space of the religious minority and the LGBTQIA+. We started as a cellgroup-like fellowship, which consisted of members of unique queer backgrounds and faith/non-faith cultures. We were encouraged by past instances of interfaith activities in Singapore, internationally, and globally; and we sought to ask ourselves: How can Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Taoists, Confucians, Baha’i, Pagans, Wiccans, Agnostics, Humanists, and Atheists (and ALL others) walk together in the spirit of love and affirmation, in our shared humanity and spirituality? Can we relate our faith and identities to each other? Can we get along?
Yes, we can! We’ve been doing so in YouYou, and it is possible to relate our experiences and affirm each other in spiritual plurality. If we make a safe space where everyone feels secure, that is.
Listening to the narratives within the queer community (and each other) REALLY helped us understand what is it like to be a minority and singled out. As a result, in addition to being affirmative to interfaith and LGBTQ+ activities, we are aware of the institutional exclusion, abuse, and harm done to individuals who were simply being themselves. Here in YouYou, we welcome all orientations, all identities, standing firm in inclusiveness, affirmation, diversity.
So, if you are curious in LGBT issues, or world religions and fringe faiths, or feel left out in community because of your identity, or looking to explore a place where we celebrate You for being yourself, or if you like playing board games, video games, or engage in pop culture, YouYou is definitely here for you!
Love, YouYou facilitator
Order from top left to top right, then bottom left to bottom right
A place / environment in which a person / category of people can feel confident that they will not be exposed to discrimination, criticism, harassment, or any other emotional / physical harm.
Historically, safe spaces / safer spaces / positive spaces were used to indicate that a teacher, educational institution, or student body did not tolerate anti-LGBT violence, harassment, or hate speech, thereby creating a safe place for all LGBT students. The term "safe space" has been extended to refer to an autonomous space for individuals who feels marginalized (extending to all forms of discrimination), to come together to communicate their experiences of marginalization, typically on a university campus.
People can be excluded from safe spaces if their actions/behavior prevents safe space to be conducted properly. Additionally, they can be excluded if their presence alone traumatizes others.
Everyone should feel that they are able to confide in one another. All privacy must be respected and all information can only be divulged with the owner's explicit permission. Anyone who feels their privacy threatened should inform the organizer. "Everything said remains in the space." Exceptions: notions to self-harm, exploit, or abuse to oneself and /or others. Also, confidentiality does not extend to name or recognition, but to each person's personal background, narratives, and experiences.
Everyone should feel and recognize the basic worth and dignity as a human being. We respect others by actively listening (listening to understand), avoiding quick judgment and prejudgment (prejudice), and treating others as equal adults (I am OK, You are OK). That said, respecting others can help build our own self-respect, and thus moments of offense, understanding, and sensibilities are fluid and developmental. It is an ever learning skill that guides our body language, words, actions, eye contact, etc.
Everyone should walk away feeling that they have grown and/or learnt something relevant. Appreciation and affirmation of each other are important: we accept and add to each other's experience, not to put us and our own experiences down. Sharing and revealing vulnerabilities to others with your story and perspective, helps; instead of assuming that everyone feels the same way as you do. (Making "I feel" and "I believe" statements.) Reciprocate and foster an environment of mutual care.