Singapore’s gay network on Monday praised a plan to decriminalize sex between men as “a triumph of love over fear,” but warned that there is still a long way to go and that new bans on same-sex unions may entrench discrimination against them. .
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong surprised many when he announced Sunday in his speech at the National Day rally that the government would repeal Article 377A of the Penal Code, a colonial-era law that punished sex between men with two years in prison. technically, the law only criminalises sexual relations between men, it is a blanket ban on homosexuality, the BBC reported.
Since 2007, when Parliament last debated whether to repeal Article 377A, its position has been to defend the law but not to apply it. But Lee said social norms have been drastically replaced and many Singaporeans will now settle for decriminalization.
“It’s the right thing to do and anything that most Singaporeans accept,” Lee said, according to BBC News. Removing Section 377A would align Singapore’s legislation with “current social customs and bring some relief to Singaporean homosexuals,” Lee. Said.
Lee, however, promised that the repeal would be limited and would not undermine Singapore’s classic circle of relatives and social norms, adding the definition of marriage, what is taught to young people in schools, what is shown on television and the conduct of the general public. .
He said the government would amend the charter to “safeguard the establishment of marriage” and avoid any challenges to allowing same-sex unions.
The timing of constitutional repeal or replacement is not disclosed.
More than 20 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender teams, plus Pink Dot SG, which hosts an annual rally that attracts thousands of supporters, said the repeal was long overdue to show that “state-sanctioned discrimination has no position in Singapore. “
They called it a “hard-won victory, a triumph of love over fear” that, despite everything, will allow those suffering from intimidation, rejection and harassment to recover. However, the teams said the repeal was only “the first step in a long adventure toward total equality for LGBTQ people,” among other spaces of discrimination they face at home, in schools, in workplaces, and in housing and fitness systems.
They expressed sadness over the government’s plan to introduce new legislation or constitutional amendments to ban same-sex unions that mark other LGBTQ people as unequal citizens.
Such a move “will undermine the secular character of our constitution, codify more discrimination in the ideal law, and tie the hands of long-term parliaments,” they warned.
Religious teams have been cautious in their reaction to Lee’s comments, saying the changes deserve not to obstruct his devout freedom to explicitly criticize public morality or cause “reverse discrimination” in those who are not gay.
Christian and Muslim teams have said that heterosexual marriage will have to be on the charter before Article 377A is repealed and that it does not deserve further political liberalization.
“We ask the government for assurances that the devout freedom of churches will oppose homosexual sexual acts and we will highlight such acts,” the National Council of Churches said in a statement. Pastors and church staff will have to be accused of “hate speech” and not be forced to adopt solely “LGBTQ affirmation” methods in their councils, he said.
The council expressed fear that the repeal could lead to the expansion of LGBTQ culture and called for reparations for Christians facing “reverse discrimination. “
The Alliance of Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches of Singapore, which represents more than 80 local churches, more direct, calling it an “extremely regrettable decision. “
“The resolution to remove an ethical marker like S377A signals a rewriting of appropriate sexual relations and celebrates homosexuality as a feature of a dominant social environment,” he said.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore said the church is not yet seeking to criminalize the LGBQT network to protect the circle of relatives and marriage and their rights to teach and practice unhindered on those issues.
Singapore’s most level-headed Islamic leader, Mufti Nazirudin Mohd Nasir, said the repeal was a “difficult balancing act” and measures to uphold classical values were crucial.
“Even if we cling to other values, aspirations and directions, I don’t think we will let hatred and contempt for differences prevail,” he told Channel News Asia.
Section 377A was introduced under British colonial rule in the 1930s. An edition of the law remains in other former British colonies, adding to neighboring Malaysia.
But legislation has been liberalized in recent years in Asia. India’s court decriminalized homosexual sex in a 2018 decision. Taiwan became the first Asian government to legalize same-sex marriage in 2019, and Thailand recently approved plans to allow same-sex unions.
National University of Singapore sociologist Tan Ern Ser said the repeal could set the standard for long-term demanding situations for the constitution.
“Superficially, it seems like a step forward, two steps back, but my feeling is that the repeal can be noticed as a foot in the door, which can pave the way for demanding long-term situations for the letter in the existing definition of circle of relatives and marriage,” Tan said.