SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Singapore will decriminalize sex between men but is not considering changing the legal definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Sunday.
Lee said Singaporean society, especially young people in the city-state, were increasingly accepting of gay people.
“I think it’s the right thing to do, and something most Singaporeans will now accept,” he said in his annual National Day rally speech, adding that the government would repeal the article. 377A of the Penal Code, a colonial-era law that criminalizes sex between men.
It was unclear when the law would be repealed.
Singapore becomes the latest Asian country to come close to ending discrimination against members of the LGBTQ community.
In 2018, India’s top court also overturned a colonial ban on gay sex, while Thailand recently moved closer to legalizing same-sex unions.
In Singapore, under Section 377A, offenders can be imprisoned for up to two years under the law, but it is currently not actively enforced. There have been no known convictions for sex between consenting adult men for decades and the law does not include sex between women or other sexes.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) groups have filed multiple lawsuits to try to overturn the law, but none have succeeded.
Resistance
In February, Singapore’s highest court ruled that since the law was not enforced, it did not violate constitutional rights, as plaintiffs had argued, and it reiterated that the law could not be used to prosecute men for having gay sex.
Resistance persists to the repeal of the law, especially among some religious groups, including Muslims, Catholics and some Protestants, Lee said.
Singapore is a multi-racial and multi-religious society of 5.5 million people, about 16% of whom are Muslim, with larger Buddhist and Christian communities. It has a predominantly ethnic Chinese population with significant Malay and Indian minorities, according to the 2020 census.
Lee highlighted his government’s continued support for the traditional definition of marriage.
“We believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman, that children should be raised within these families, that the traditional family should be the cornerstone of society,” he said.
Singapore will “protect the definition of marriage from constitutional challenge in the courts”, he said, adding, “This will help us to repeal Section 377A in a controlled and carefully considered manner.”
Lee said Singaporean society, especially young people in the city-state, were increasingly accepting of gay people.
“I think it’s the right thing to do, and something most Singaporeans will now accept,” he said in his annual National Day rally speech, adding that the government would repeal the article. 377A of the Penal Code, a colonial-era law that criminalizes sex between men.
It was unclear when the law would be repealed.
Singapore becomes the latest Asian country to come close to ending discrimination against members of the LGBTQ community.
In 2018, India’s top court also overturned a colonial ban on gay sex, while Thailand recently moved closer to legalizing same-sex unions.
In Singapore, under Section 377A, offenders can be imprisoned for up to two years under the law, but it is currently not actively enforced. There have been no known convictions for sex between consenting adult men for decades and the law does not include sex between women or other sexes.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) groups have filed multiple lawsuits to try to overturn the law, but none have succeeded.
Resistance
In February, Singapore’s highest court ruled that since the law was not enforced, it did not violate constitutional rights, as plaintiffs had argued, and it reiterated that the law could not be used to prosecute men for having gay sex.
Resistance persists to the repeal of the law, especially among some religious groups, including Muslims, Catholics and some Protestants, Lee said.
Singapore is a multi-racial and multi-religious society of 5.5 million people, about 16% of whom are Muslim, with larger Buddhist and Christian communities. It has a predominantly ethnic Chinese population with significant Malay and Indian minorities, according to the 2020 census.
Lee highlighted his government’s continued support for the traditional definition of marriage.
“We believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman, that children should be raised within these families, that the traditional family should be the cornerstone of society,” he said.
Singapore will “protect the definition of marriage from constitutional challenge in the courts”, he said, adding, “This will help us to repeal Section 377A in a controlled and carefully considered manner.”
