Lee Hsien Loong MP (born 10 February 1952) is a Singaporean politician who has served as the 3rd Prime Minister of Singapore since August 2004. Lee is the eldest son of the 1st Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew. He has taken over the leadership of People's Action Party as the Secretary-General since December 2004 when former Prime Minister and Secretary-General Goh Chok Tong stepped down from the position to become the Senior Minister. Lee then led the party to victory in the 2006, 2011, 2015 and 2020 general elections. He began his current term on 15 January 2016 following the opening of Singapore's 13th Parliament.
Singapore to Decriminalize Gay Sex
Singapore will move to decriminalize gay sex while increasing prohibitions against same-sex marriage, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced in his National Day Rally speech on Sunday, August 21.Section 377A of Singapore’s Penal Code, a law implemented by the country’s British colonial government in 1938, criminalizes sex between men.
Today, even consensual, private sex between adult men in Singapore remains legally punishable by up to two years in prison.Parliament will now repeal 377A, Loong said.
But he also made clear he still sees Singapore as “broadly conservative” and dependent on “traditional” family structures.“[Gay people] are our fellow Singaporeans.
They are our colleagues, our friends, our family members,” Loong said. “We need to find the right way to reconcile and accommodate both the traditional mores of our society and the aspiration of gay Singaporeans to be respected and accepted.”Same-sex marriage is already illegal in Singapore.
