Jean Chong

Co-Founder, Sayoni

Singapore

Jean Chong has been an LGBTQ activist for more than 20 years. She first started in her activism by volunteering with a gay christian support network, Safehaven, and became their first female vice chairperson. Subsequently, she was a founding member of an inclusive church, Free (First Realize Everyone is Equal) Community Church and served as their first chairperson. Looking to expand her horizons in helping others, she went on to be a part of the core team of, People Like Us in Singapore. She is also currently the Chairperson of the ASEAN SOGIE Caucus, a regional network of South East Asia LGBTIQ groups lobbying for the inclusion of LGBTIQ rights in the ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism. In other regional work, Jean also co-founded the South East Asia feminist LBQ Womxn Network.

Back home, Jean co-founded Sayoni in 2007, a queer women's organization based in Singapore who organise, does research and advocate for equality in well-being and dignity regardless of SOGIESC. Jean holds a Master of Human Rights and Democratisation from the University of Sydney (EU scholarship). Lastly, Jean is also a winner of the AWARE Champion for Gender Equality and Justice award 2018 in Singapore and the APCOM Community Hero Award for Asia Pacific region in 2018.