Oogachaga
A Singaporean LGBTQ+ community organisation providing counselling, peer support, helplines, family support, and professional training.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Oogachaga is a Singaporean LGBTQ+ community organisation established in 1999 to create supportive networks for young gay people. It began informally as a single peer-support group meeting in a member’s living room, founded by Jason Wee with Kenneth Lau and Steve Wong. Clarence Singam later became a cofounder after participating in a group that helped him come to terms with his identity. The organisation’s name comes from the repeated opening vocalisation in the song “Hooked on a Feeling,” which was associated with a scene from the television series Ally McBeal. The organisation gradually developed from a volunteer-led support network into a nonprofit providing counselling, group activities, community education, and professional development. In 2000 it introduced a volunteer-run counselling service, and in 2003 it began offering workshops for practitioners. Oogachaga was legally registered as a nonprofit in 2004. Its programme scope expanded in 2005 with Oogachaga Women, its first support group focused on women, and in 2006 with OC Line, described as Singapore’s first LGBT+ helpline. A staffed counselling centre opened in 2008, followed by CARE email counselling in 2009. Oogachaga has addressed the differing needs of several parts of the LGBTQ+ community. It introduced a small-scale transgender support programme in 2011 and launched Congregaytion, an LGBTQ+ resource portal, in 2012. Hotline support was extended to WhatsApp in 2013, while Women on Wednesdays was introduced in 2014 as a service for queer women. Its Mature Men Project has focused on queer men aged 40 and above through support groups, weekly activities, discussion sessions, and surveys concerning the needs of older men. The project was funded by the MAC AIDS Fund. The organisation has also hosted more broadly accessible sessions, including Open Door gatherings for gay and bisexual men and straight men. A second major area of work is training for counsellors, social workers, and healthcare professionals. Oogachaga’s workshops cover LGBTQ+ sensitivity, gender identity, sexuality, minority stress, homophobia, transphobia, and ways to support LGBTQ+ clients and their families. Between 2009 and 2016, it reported conducting more than 50 training sessions for nearly 1,500 professionals in social work, general healthcare, and mental healthcare. Oogachaga has also participated in public-policy and human-rights discussions. Former executive director Bryan Choong spoke at a pre-Universal Periodic Review session in Geneva in 2015. Oogachaga subsequently collaborated with Pink Dot on joint Universal Periodic Review submissions in 2016 and 2021. In 2017, Singapore’s Minister for Law and Home Affairs, K. Shanmugam, visited the organisation’s Chinatown office for a discussion of LGBTQ+ issues, drug use within the community, and controversy surrounding the 2017 Pink Dot event. In 2021, Oogachaga and the United States Embassy in Singapore cohosted a webinar on the economic case for LGBTQ+ equality; Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded by cautioning the embassy against involvement in domestic social and political matters. The organisation continues to provide counselling and community support through email and WhatsApp channels. Its telephone helpline ended in July 2022 because of insufficient demand, while WhatsApp counselling remained available to people in Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia. In 2023, Oogachaga began support groups for family members of LGBTQ+ people under the My Family Matters initiative, cohosted with Pink Dot. Oogachaga therefore occupies a service-oriented position within Singapore’s LGBTQ+ civil-society landscape, combining direct support, peer connection, family engagement, professional education, and advocacy-related participation.
History
Oogachaga was formed in Singapore in 1999 by Jason Wee, Kenneth Lau, and Steve Wong as a support network for young gay people. The first group met in a member’s living room. Clarence Singam later joined the founding team after attending a group that supported his own process of self-acceptance. The name refers to the repeated vocal refrain at the beginning of “Hooked on a Feeling,” a song associated with Ally McBeal. In 2000, Oogachaga added a volunteer-run counselling service. It began conducting workshops for practitioners in 2003 and was legally registered as a nonprofit in 2004. Programme development continued with the launch of Oogachaga Women in 2005 and OC Line in 2006. The latter was described as Singapore’s first LGBT+ helpline. In 2008, the organisation established a counselling centre with full-time staff, and in 2009 it introduced CARE email counselling. Oogachaga broadened its community coverage during the following decade. A transgender support programme began in 2011, and Congregaytion, an LGBTQ+ resource portal, launched in 2012. WhatsApp counselling was added in 2013. Women on Wednesdays, a hotline-oriented service for queer women, followed in 2014. The organisation also ran Open Door sessions intended to facilitate discussion among gay and bisexual men and straight men. The Mature Men Project became one of Oogachaga’s notable community programmes. It serves queer men aged 40 and above through support groups, weekly activities, tea sessions, and research into the needs of older queer men. The project received funding from the MAC AIDS Fund. Oogachaga’s work has also included counselling for individuals, couples, and families, as well as support and education for people connected to LGBTQ+ communities. Professional education is another long-running activity. Oogachaga trains counsellors, social workers, and health professionals in LGBTQ+ sensitivity and in the effects of minority stress, homophobia, and transphobia. It reported more than 50 training sessions for almost 1,500 professionals between 2009 and 2016. The organisation became involved in regional and international policy discussions through its collaboration with Pink Dot on Universal Periodic Review submissions in 2016 and 2021. Former executive director Bryan Choong represented Oogachaga at a pre-review session in Geneva in 2015. In 2017, Minister for Law and Home Affairs K. Shanmugam visited Oogachaga’s Chinatown office. The meeting covered LGBTQ+ issues, drug use, and criticism relating to the 2017 Pink Dot event. In 2018, the Oogachaga and Congregaytion websites were redesigned with support from the Canadian High Commission in Singapore. In May 2021, Oogachaga and the United States Embassy in Singapore organised a webinar on the economic case for LGBTQ+ equality featuring Professor Lee Badgett. Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded by reminding the embassy not to interfere in domestic social and political matters. In July 2022, Oogachaga ended its telephone helpline because demand was insufficient, although email and WhatsApp counselling continued for users in Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia. In 2023, it expanded family-oriented support through My Family Matters, a set of support groups for relatives of LGBTQ+ people cohosted with Pink Dot.
- 2023
My Family Matters support groups begin
[1]Oogachaga and Pink Dot introduce groups for family members of LGBTQ+ people.
- 2022
Telephone helpline ends
[1]The telephone service is discontinued because of limited demand; email and WhatsApp services remain.
- 2015
Participation in pre-UPR discussions
[1]Former executive director Bryan Choong speaks at a pre-Universal Periodic Review session in Geneva.
- 2013
WhatsApp counselling is added
[1]Hotline-based support expands to WhatsApp.
- 2012
Congregaytion resource portal launches
[1]The organisation introduces an LGBTQ+ resource portal called Congregaytion.
- 2011
Transgender support programme begins
[1]Oogachaga launches a small-scale transgender support programme.
- 2008
Counselling centre opens
[1]The organisation establishes a counselling centre with full-time staff.
- 2006
OC Line launches
[1]Oogachaga opens Singapore’s first LGBT+ helpline, known as OC Line.
- 2004
Nonprofit registration
[1]Oogachaga becomes legally registered as a nonprofit.
- 2003
Practitioner workshops introduced
[1]The organisation begins offering workshops for professional practitioners.
Products and positioning
A community-based LGBTQ+ support organisation focused on accessible counselling, peer networks, family support, professional education, and community resources in Singapore and selected neighbouring countries.
Counselling service · 2009
CARE email counselling
An email-based counselling channel introduced in 2009 to make support available beyond face-to-face services. It forms part of Oogachaga’s continuing remote support provision for LGBTQ+ people and people seeking guidance about sexuality, gender identity, relationships, and related concerns.
Helpline and counselling service · 2013
WhatsApp counselling
A remote counselling service introduced in 2013. The service is available to users in Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia, extending Oogachaga’s reach beyond its physical community programmes. It continued after the organisation discontinued its telephone helpline in 2022.
Community support programme
Mature Men Project
A programme for queer men aged 40 and above. It combines support groups, weekly activities, tea sessions known as Mature Men Teatime, and surveys examining the needs of older queer men. The initiative was funded by the MAC AIDS Fund.
Family support programme · 2023
My Family Matters
A support-group initiative for family members of LGBTQ+ people, introduced by Oogachaga with Pink Dot in 2023. It extends the organisation’s work beyond direct LGBTQ+ clients to relatives seeking understanding, peer connection, and ways to support LGBTQ+ family members.
Professional education · 2003
Professional training workshops
Workshops for counsellors, social workers, and healthcare professionals covering LGBTQ+ sensitivity, gender identity, sexuality, minority stress, homophobia, and transphobia. The sessions help practitioners work with LGBTQ+ clients and families and respond more effectively to related mental-health and social-support needs.
Information resource · 2012
Congregaytion
An LGBTQ+ resource portal launched in 2012. It was developed as an information and community resource alongside Oogachaga’s direct counselling and support services. The portal and Oogachaga website were redesigned in 2018 with contributions from the Canadian High Commission in Singapore.
Marketing campaigns
- 2023My Family Matters
Singapore
Oogachaga and Pink Dot launched support groups aimed at family members of LGBTQ+ people.
Outcome. The initiative expanded Oogachaga’s support model to include relatives and family networks.
- 2021The Economic Case for LGBT Equality webinar
Singapore
Oogachaga and the United States Embassy in Singapore cohosted a webinar featuring Professor Lee Badgett on international economic trends associated with LGBTQ+ equality.
Outcome. Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a public reminder to the United States Embassy not to interfere in domestic social and political matters.
Brand decisions
2022
Telephone helpline discontinuedStrategyBackground
Oogachaga’s telephone helpline had become less necessary because of limited demand and the availability of digital channels.
Action taken
The organisation ended the phone helpline in July 2022 while retaining counselling through email and WhatsApp.
Aftermath
Remote counselling remained available to people in Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
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