THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

Inspired partly by the government's refusal to permit the annual Nation party, as well as by other antigay slights, activists in Singapore are in the midst of a monthlong series of events under the umbrella title IndigNation.

'IndigNation is a gay community response to the unreasonable ban on parties for gays and lesbians and heavy censorship of publications serving this community,' said the organization People Like Us. 'It is a demonstration of the initiative and spirit of grass-roots civil society that the authorities say they want to encourage, but then go out of their way to suppress.'

The events include art exhibits, lectures, a poetry night, theater, educational forums and an AlieNation dance party at the CoccoLatte club.

Police banned this year's Nation circuit party after allowing it the previous four years. They said it is 'contrary to public interest in general.'

The party, which is organized by Fridae.com, has been moved to Phuket, Thailand, where it is scheduled to take place Nov. 4-6, sponsored by Motorola and Subaru.

Eight thousand people attended last year's party, 40 percent of them from overseas. They pumped an estimated $6 million into the Singaporean economy.