Singapore decriminalizes gay sex… but it’s not all good news
Related: Singapore’s highest court upholds gay sex ban for this frustrating reasonHowever, when announcing the move yesterday on national TV, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the city-state would also act to ensure marriage between one man and one woman only is protected by the law.
This would make it harder for same-sex marriage to become a reality.Despite that setback, the repeal of 377A has been celebrated by many.In changing the law, Singapore is following in the wake of India, Thailand and Taiwan.
Until now, authorities voiced support for keeping 377a on the books, saying it reflected Singapore’s traditional values. However, they promised not to enforce it.Loong suggested yesterday that society had shifted.“This is the right thing to do, and something that most Singaporeans will accept.”He said ditching 377A brings the country’s laws in line with “current social mores, and I hope, provide some relief to gay Singaporeans.”Local gay activist Johnson Ong told the BBC, “We finally did it, and we’re ecstatic that this discriminatory, antiquated law is finally going to be off the books.
There’s a sense that maybe it took a little too long, but it had to happen, you know. Today we are very, very happy.”Ong was critical of moves to enshrine opposite-sex marriage in the law.
