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Controversy over bank's support of anti-gay group
BY Team Trevvy
DBS explains to Trevvy its decision to contribute to anti-gay group, Focus on the Family's children project.

28/11/2008

Many in the community have expressed outrage over DBS bank's decision to contribute a sum of their credit cardholders' spending to support a children and learning project by anti-gay group, Focus on the Family (FOTF).

In an advertisment by DBS on The Straits Times, the bank indicated that it will contribute up to S$15,000 towards FOTF when credit cardholders spend a minimum of $300 on weekends at selected malls from 14 November to 21 December.

FOTF is a local offshoot of the US organization of the same name, known for its strong anti-gay stance and programmes. FOTF regards homosexuality as a sinful moral choice and psychological problem. FOTF in Singapore promoted the activities of Liberty League, which describes queer sexuality with terms like "sexual brokenness" and "addiction and abuse".

One of the first persons to highlight this to DBS was local playwright Ovidia Yu. In her correspondence with DBS, Ovidia pointed out that "FOTF is a religious organization that attacks homosexuality from their own interpretation of Christianity." She also provided DBS with FOTF's website, evidently showing "all 9 of their current events listed (from 24 Nov to 29 Nov) deal with homosexuality–eg 'Preventing Homosexuality' and 'Homosexuality, Myths & Truths'."

In response, DBS claimed that "FOTF is a non religious and non political organisation. It is a voluntary welfare organisation supported and endorsed by the National Family Council and the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports in Singapore."

When approached by Trevvy, a DBS spokesperson assured Team Trevvy that the bank is not anti-gay and released the following statement:

"In line with DBS' corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts that are geared towards supporting children and learning, several welfare organisations that support similar causes were shortlisted. Focus on the Family (FOTF) is a voluntary welfare organisation (VWO) endorsed by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports. Further, the funds DBS contributes will be directed specifically towards building a new learning centre, scheduled to open next March, for children with various learning disabilities. As this ties in with the Bank's CSR efforts to empower children through learning, we decided to pick FOTF as our beneficiary for credit card spend this Christmas. It is not the intention of the Bank to discriminate against any group through the choice of FOTF as our beneficiary."

Many were unconvinced by the bank's response.

Media analyst Ted Young said, "It is unclear if DBS is aware of FOTF's promotion and involvement of anti-gay activity, and may only be reacting now that it is has been brought to their attention. And I would imagine they wouldn't be able to back out even if they wanted to. Having said that, they should have done a more thorough check. For gay credit card users of DBS would be unwittingly contributing to this anti-gay organization had this not been made known to them."

One of the gay activists who led the repeal377a petition George Hwang told Trevvy, "This explanation given by DBS is unacceptable. By choosing Focus on the Family, DBS has acted irresponsibly. Focus on the Family is founded by James Dobson, an evangelical pastor considered by many to harbour anti-gay views. If DBS' purpose is to contribute towards programmes for children in Singapore, there is the "Children's Charity Association", APSN, MINDS etc. International banks and MNCs with "Diversity and Inclusion" departments will agree with me. I am going to close my account with DBS. I urge everyone to do the same until DBS learns to act like a responsible corporate citizen, worthy of its name."

DBS is Singapore's largest consumer bank and the fourth in Hong Kong, its credit card customers number over 2 million across the region.

“FOTF is a local offshoot of the US organization of the same name, known for its strong anti-gay stance and programmes. FOTF regards homosexuality as a sinful moral choice and psychological problem. DBS will contribute up to S$15,000 towards FOTF when credit cardholders spend a minimum of $300 on weekends at selected malls from 14 November to 21 December. ”

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			POSTED ON 01/12/2008 00:16 BY wonderwoman Closing all accounts and canceling all credit cards of that Shameless Bitch may not be the best way. I think we can keep all accounts with that Shameless Bitch so that we can torture that Shameless Bitch slowly. Let that Shameless Bitch send us zero dollar credit card bill to waste their postal charge, paper, printer ink and envelope. I think we can open more accounts with that Shameless Bitch to waste their resources by keeping the minimum amount in the accounts. Maybe we can also open accounts with that Shameless Bitch and then close it. Then we open accounts again with that Shameless Bitch and then close it again to waste their manpower and delay the queue in that Shameless Bitch branches. There are thousand of ways to deal with that Shameless Bitch! Why that shameless bitch make an angmo to be the CEO. Is that shameless bitch implying that there is no local talent to manage a local bank. Is that shameless bitch prefer foreigner cock than local cock? You see how shameless is that shameless bitch! Do you think that shameless bitch will think that our community are not shallow, ignorant and uncivilized if we don't use words like fucktard etc? That shameless bitch is anti-gay and that mean they don't like us and wish us dead and don't care how we respond to this even if we talk to them nicely. We don't have to be nice and polite to this type of Shameless Bitch! I have stopped using that shameless bitch with smelly CB credit card. I have transferred fund from that shameless bitch with smelly CB's Sister bank to other bank. I will torture that shameless bitch with smelly CB and her Sister slowly by making them send me $0 credit card bill and keeping the minimum $500 in the account to waste their postal fee, envelope, ink, paper, manpower, database, electricity, hard disk space, etc.That shameless bitch with smelly CB make me so outrage and spoils my mood the whole day. Don't know whether that shameless bitch with smelly CB read the forum here.Can't even write in to the press to complaint as I am not out yet. And that shameless bitch with smelly CB knew that most of us are still in the closet and can't do anything much. Closing accounts and not using credit card has little impact to that rich and shameless bitch with smelly CB. I wish that financial crisis will hit that shameless bitch with smelly CB and her sister. Will anybody care that I talk like this would only delegitimize my contents and undermine my credibility? Will that shameless bitch with smelly CB care? That shameless bitch with smelly CB don't care at all. That shameless bitch with smelly CB do so many evil things such as retrenching staff heartlessly, inconsiderate to lower income people when taking over the People bank and threw away customer things in the bank safe. Only that shameless bitch with smelly CB will do such things. That shameless bitch with smelly CB altered its content of the controversy promotion without any explanation or apology whether that shameless bitch with smelly CB will still donate to FTOF. That mean if that shameless bitch with smelly CB still donate to FTOF, that shameless bitch with smelly CB is doing it behind the back of the customers. This is even worse! Only that shameless bitch with smelly CB will do such a thing! If that shameless bitch with smelly CB decided not to donate to FTOF, it means that shameless bitch with smelly CB did not even bother to apologise for the mistakes that they have made and just quietly removing the last paragraph of the controversy promotion and pretend that nothing has happened. Only that shameless bitch with smelly CB will do such a thing!

			POSTED ON 30/11/2008 21:51 BY big_gecko What's new the bank's a screw-up. Look at what they did to the safe deposit boxes of their clients in Hong Kong years ago, then they drag their feet on the Lehman Mini-bonds case and now this. Its just plain screwed up. I don't think its a bank with any future.

			POSTED ON 30/11/2008 21:49 BY lem HAhaha now I know why I have never had a DBS / POSB account!

			POSTED ON 30/11/2008 20:50 BY Tiderush i had close my acct long time ago... good riddance!

			POSTED ON 30/11/2008 15:27 BY libra33 It is time for all their patrons to withraw thier account from this bank.

			POSTED ON 30/11/2008 13:12 BY greenshaw i'm making the switch!

			POSTED ON 30/11/2008 12:40 BY valdijunfa i will start withdrawing my money from posb acct and let the bank acct for the transfer media for my salary only then move all the money transferred to my another bank acct.

			POSTED ON 30/11/2008 12:37 BY valdijunfa they're sucks!!!!!!!! but i agree that we can't easily switch to another bank, regarding salary bla bla bla... should there be any better solutions?

			POSTED ON 30/11/2008 11:31 BY rootsboi I'm withdrawing my monies in DBS acct and cancelling all credit cards~

			POSTED ON 30/11/2008 11:19 BY gxfc They apparently are irresponsible enough to not understand clearly what organisation they are endorsing. I've been procrastinating to switch my savings account to UOB. This will conffirm my decision to switch.

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