377A Law: Sgapore Keeps LGBTQ Content Rtrictns Dpe Gay-Sex Ban Repeal - Bloomberg

Contents:

• 377A: SGAPORE TO END BAN ON GAY SEX
• SGAPORE REPEALS GAY SEX BAN BUT LIMS PROSPECT OF LEGALIZG SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
• END OF SGAPORE'S GAY SEX BAN A 'SMALL STEP' FOR SOME LGBT UPL
• EVEN AS SGAPORE LIFTS GAY SEX BAN, LGBT FAI FEEL LTLE HAS CHANGED
• SGAPORE KEEPS LGBTQ CONTENT CURBS DPE GAY-SEX BAN REPEAL
• END OF SGAPORE'S GAY SEX BAN A 'SMALL STEP' FOR SOME LGBT COUPL
• FOR SGAPORE’S GAY MEN, REPEAL OF SEX BAN BRGS HOPE AFTER YEARS OF PA

377A: SGAPORE TO END BAN ON GAY SEX

Media ptn, Watch: The moment Sgaporeans learn gay sex ban will endSgapore will repeal a law that bans gay sex, effectively makg legal to be homosexual the cisn, announced by Prime Mister Lee Hsien Loong on natnal TV, after years of fierce activists Sgapore have hailed the move as "a w for humany" cy-state is known for s nservative valu, but recent years an creasg number of people have lled for the lonial-era 377A law to be abolished. Sgapore is the latt place Asia to move on LGBT rights, after India, Taiwan and ernment's prev stance was to keep 377A - which bans sex between men - but also promised not to enforce the law an effort to appease both on Sunday night, Mr Lee said they would abolish the law as he believed "this is the right thg to do, and somethg that most Sgaporeans will accept" noted that "gay people are now better accepted" and scrappg 377A would brg the untry's laws le wh "current social mor, and I hope, provi some relief to gay Sgaporeans". Today we are very, very happy, " gay activist Johnson Ong told the BBC.

This would effectively make harr for gay marriage to be said Sgapore remas a tradnal society wh many keen on matag fay and social activists lled this "disappotg" and warned that would only further entrench discrimatn society. Though the law technilly crimalis sex between men, is effectively seen as a ban on has not been actively enforced recent years, a thrivg and creasgly visible LGBT scene has veloped Sgapore, cludg gay LGBT activists have long lled for 377A to be scrapped, sayg the law perpetuat social stigma agast gay people, go agast Sgapore's nstutn which forbids discrimatn, and has trickled down to fluence other aspects of life. For stance, any ntent emed as "promotg homosexualy" n be banned om broadst Sgapore, and TV shows and movi have the past been law is also at odds wh Sgapore's image as an open, diverse global fancial hub and multatnal pani based the state have said would hr their efforts to attract many Sgapore still support retag 377A, recent years the ll for s aboln has grown stronger, wh surveys showg growg support for LGBT the same time both LGBT activists and nservativ - many of whom e om relig groups - have mobilised on both sis of the issue.

Meanwhile, nservativ have anised social media mpaigns and events llg for the prervatn of tradnal valu, and some church have promoted ntroversial gay nversn Sunday, Mr Lee appealed to both mps for unrstandg. Several former Brish loni such as Kenya, Malaysia and Myanmar still have some versn of 2018, India's Supreme Court abolished 377 a historic verdict, promptg hop among activists that other former loni would eventually follow recent years, other parts of Asia have also moved to legalise gay marriage. The mov e as other parts of Asia, cludg Taiwan, Thailand and India, are regnizg more rights for the lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr (LGBT) muny.

SGAPORE REPEALS GAY SEX BAN BUT LIMS PROSPECT OF LEGALIZG SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

“We will try and mata a balance…to uphold a stable society wh tradnal, heterosexual fay valu, but wh space for homosexuals to live their liv and ntribute to society, ” Home Affairs Mister K. When Sgapore announced this week would end a lonial-era law that crimalized sex between men, looked like a big victory for gay rights advot the Southeast Asian untry. That’s bee as put an end to that law, the Sgapore ernment reerated s opposn to gay marriage.

Soon after announcg that nsensual gay sex would no longer be illegal, Prime Mister Lee Hsien Loong said his annual Augt rally speech that his ernment would “uphold and safeguard the stutn of marriage” – fed the Constutn as a unn between man and woman.

END OF SGAPORE'S GAY SEX BAN A 'SMALL STEP' FOR SOME LGBT UPL

At the same time, the cy-state is home to var evangelil mega church that preach agast homosexualy. Lee noted his speech that gay rights remas “a highly sensive and ntent” issue to nservativ the untry.

To gay rights activists, the ntug ban on same-sex marriage is a signifint blow.

EVEN AS SGAPORE LIFTS GAY SEX BAN, LGBT FAI FEEL LTLE HAS CHANGED

So while activists the LGBTQ (Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgenr, Queer) muny weled the repeal of the gay sex law, many were disappoted too. And that disappotment will only have epened wh the suggtn by some of Lee’s misters that not only would the ernment rema opposed to gay marriage – may even create extra hurdl to prevent people om seekg to challenge the marriage laws urt. Law mister K Shanmugam said an terview wh state media that Parliament, rather than the urts, would hold the power to fe marriage – effectively makg harr for people to legally challenge the ernment’s polici as several gay men have attempted recent years.

As associate law profsor Eugene Tan of the Sgapore Management Universy put : “Sgapore removed a law long regard as beg discrimatory towards gay men. In 2012, Gary Lim and Kenh Chee, a gay uple who had been together for 15 years, challenged the law agast gay sex at Sgapore’s High Court. “For , repealg (the gay sex law) was never about gay marriage,” the uple said.

“I hope that the nservativ n one day see gay people are not dangero or a threat to them or their children. SINGAPORE, Aug 22 (Rters) - Sgapore's cisn to lift a lonial-era ban on sex between men is long overdue and will not end discrimatn of LGBT groups the nservative cy-state, rights activists and members of the gay muny said on announcement by Sgapore's prime mister to repeal the so-lled 377A law on Sunday me as he also said the ernment would take steps to prevent legal challeng that would allow same-sex marriag to be regnised. 5 though Sgapore's 377A, unr which offenrs n be jailed for up to two years, has not been enforced on nsentg adult mal for s, some relig groups wanted the statute to stay, fearg that s repeal may promote homosexualy and challenge tradnal fay a move to assuage some of those ncerns, Prime Mister Lee Hsien Loong said on Sunday his ernment would protect s fn of marriage, that of beg between a man and a woman, om beg challenged nstutnally the urts.

SGAPORE KEEPS LGBTQ CONTENT CURBS DPE GAY-SEX BAN REPEAL

Marriage equaly is important to many Sgapore's lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and queer (LGBTQ) muny, and "the doors to that possibily should not be closed", Choong 30 untri worldwi have legalised same sex marriage, wh Taiwan the only place Asia to do so.

REUTERS/Edgar SuSINGAPORE, June 25 (Rters) - Sgapore drag performer Yeo Sam Jo has been feelg much more nfint and safe headg off to shows the full regalia of pk sequ drs, pearl necklace and heavy is afoot the nservative cy state wh a softeng of attus and growg tolerance of gay issu, which some members of the LGBT muny and amics attribute to the November liftg of a ban on sex between men.

Authori banned gay ftivals and censored gay films, sayg homosexualy should not be advoted as a the historic liftg of the ban was not all weled by LGBT people. A ernment spokperson did not rpond to an emailed requt for repeal of the gay sex ban was not universally weled.

END OF SGAPORE'S GAY SEX BAN A 'SMALL STEP' FOR SOME LGBT COUPL

An alliance of church cried as an "extremely regrettable cisn" that "celebrat homosexualy" ernment strs the need to mata a balance society, upholdg tradnal fay valu but allowg space for all to ntribute.

FOR SGAPORE’S GAY MEN, REPEAL OF SEX BAN BRGS HOPE AFTER YEARS OF PA

I am seeg a lot more drag shows happeng Sgapore, " said admistrative executive Nishanthiy Balasamy, 34, a straight woman attendg the Pk Dot rally on Saturday to support her gay brother. She also keeps an eye on thgs that are unique to Sgapore, such as how repealed an anti-gay sex law but go agast global trends by matag polici unfavourable to LGBT fai. Olivia and Irene Chng/Handout via REUTERSSINGAPORE, Nov 30 (Rters) - Olivia Chng and her wife, Irene Chng, feel like the Sgapore ernment has ma clear to them and their two young children that they don't belong the this week's vote by Sgapore's parliament to crimalise gay sex changed nothg about the fay's paful cisn to leave rather than see their dghters Zoey and Vicky nied schoolg - bee their legal stat remas the Indonia-born Chng lived Sgapore for s as a permanent rint, married a Sgaporean cizen abroad and gave birth to their first child Sgapore, her first dghter Zoey was nied permanent rincy at 18 months says she was given no reason for the ernment rejectg her dghter's rincy, though likely did not help that she had to apply as a sgle, foreign mother bee her marriage is not officially regnised.

To uphold a stable society wh tradnal, heterosexual fay valu, but wh space for homosexuals to live their liv and ntribute to society, " Home Affairs Mister K. Shanmugam told LIBERALThe system matas an unfavourable stat quo for children of upl such as Chng and her wife, who have sce moved to the Uned the ernment's cisn to repeal the lonial-era sodomy law was cheered as a symbolic victory for the gay muny, many worry LGBT fai will ntue to suffer unr public polici that favour heterosexual marriag and Chng, who married her Sgaporean wife the Uned Stat, the repeal is "one step forward and 10 steps back". Activists say natnal polici on a range of issu cludg adoptn, surrogacy, tn, media and hog are such that children of LGBT parents are effectively penalised for beg part of non-tradnal Cheong, partner and a fay lawyer wh Whers KhattarWong who tak LGBT fai as clients, said children of anyone rint the cy-state should at least be entled to enrolment " private schools and at rat which are not subsidised" as many parents were willg to pay tun fe upwards of S$20, 000 ($14, 530) per fluential nservative groups that strongly opposed liftg the gay sex ban make polilly unfortable for the lg party to further change alliance of more than 80 Sgaporean church has cried repealg the gay sex ban as an "extremely regrettable cisn" that "celebrat homosexualy".