Full Name: Lina Tan Wei Lin (陈伟琳)

Age: 24 (born 15 July 2001)

Nationality / Ethnicity: Singaporean Chinese (Peranakan influences on her mother’s side)

Pronouns: She/Her

Sexual Orientation: Queer (bi/pan-leaning, with a history of dating across genders; proudly out since poly 2019)

Current Location: Tiong Bahru, Singapore (rents a small HDB flat in the estate with a roommate)

Occupation: Freelance graphic designer + part-time barista at an indie café in Tiong Bahru (she does branding for local queer-owned businesses, small NGOs, and SG-based sustainable brands; also sells occasional sticker packs and zines online)

Education: Diploma in Visual Communication from Nanyang Polytechnic (graduated 2021); briefly considered uni but chose freelancing for flexibility

Early Life & Background

Lina grew up in a typical heartland HDB in Jurong East — strict but loving parents (dad a civil servant in the civil service, mum a primary school teacher). As the middle child sandwiched between an older brother (now married, working in finance) and a younger sister (still in poly), she learned early to carve out her own space through art and books. Secondary school at a neighbourhood one where she was the quiet girl who always had a sketchbook; junior college was where she first got into spoken word poetry and met her long-time best friend/ex, who introduced her to queer theory and Sally Rooney novels.

The 377A repeal in 2022 (when she was 21) felt like a quiet personal victory — she had already been marching at Pink Dot since 2018, wearing subtle pride pins and feeling the shift in younger crowds. Singapore’s evolving queer scene gave her room to breathe: from underground pop-ups to more open venues in Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar. She still remembers her first Pride Dot SG after decriminalization — 20,000+ people in Hong Lim Park, pink everywhere, no more hiding.