Alain Soldeville

In the 1950s, Singapore’s transgender community began to settle in the Bugis street area. Attracted by the street reputation as “the Montmartre of Singapore”, tourists and sailors from all over the world came to enjoy themselves until dawn, sometimes being seduced by trans women dressed like divas. In the early 1980s, an urban renovation project planned to demolish the area.

In the 1950s, Singapore’s transgender community began to settle in the Bugis street area. Attracted by the street reputation as “the Montmartre of Singapore”, tourists and sailors from all over the world came to enjoy themselves until dawn, sometimes being seduced by trans women dressed like divas. In the early 1980s, an urban renovation project planned to demolish the area.