Sgapore plans to end a law that crimaliz gay sex : NPR

Contents:

• 377A: SGAPORE TO END BAN ON GAY SEX
• SGAPORE’S LATT RULG ON GAY SEX IS ‘COLD COMFORT,’ ACTIVISTS SAY
• SGAPORE TO DECRIMALIZE GAY SEX
• SGAPORE: CRAZY RICH BUT STILL BEHD ON GAY RIGHTS
• SGAPORE GAY TRAVEL
• FOR SGAPORE’S GAY MEN, REPEAL OF SEX BAN BRGS HOPE AFTER YEARS OF PA
• SGAPORE SAYS THOSE ‘ENGAGG GAY SEX’ WILL NOT BE PROSECUTED SPE ARCHAIC LAW THAT BANS
• SUPPORT FOR GAY RIGHTS SEEN GROWG SGAPORE

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". 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.

SGAPORE’S LATT RULG ON GAY SEX IS ‘COLD COMFORT,’ ACTIVISTS SAY

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.

Instead, the top urt said was not “an archect of social policy” and that any change was up to Lim/RtersThe Sgapore Court of Appeal, the untry’s top urt, cled Monday to overturn a law crimalizg gay sex, lg that three men who brought challeng did not have legal standg bee the ernment has pledged not to enforce the lonial-era rights advot had sought to overturn the law, known as Sectn 377A, argug that stigmatiz gay men and promot discrimatn. “Dpe acknowledgg that gay men should be able to live eely Sgapore, whout harassment or terference, the urt still hated to strike down.

SGAPORE TO DECRIMALIZE GAY SEX

But they said the lg fell far short bee gay men uld still face police vtigatns unr the law and will suffer om Ong said he was disappoted by the lg and that the L. Sgapore’s Prime Mister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday said the untry will repeal the lonial-era Sectn 377A of Sgapore’s Penal Co, thereby crimalizg gay sex Sgapore, but add that same-sex marriage will ntue to be illegal the cy-state.

SGAPORE: CRAZY RICH BUT STILL BEHD ON GAY RIGHTS

This will brg the law to le wh current social mor, and I hope, provi some relief to gay Sgaporeans,” said the Prime Mister. It punish gay sex – even if is nsensual, between adults, and tak place privately – for up to two years of imprisonment.

In Febary 2022, Sgapore’s Court of Appeal led that the sectn would rema the law, but nnot be enforced to prosecute men for havg gay sex.

SGAPORE GAY TRAVEL

Lee said: “We need to fd the right way to rencile and acmodate both the tradnal mor of our society, and the aspiratn of gay Sgaporeans to be rpected and accepted. In June, Thailand edged closer to beg the first place Southeast Asia to legalize same-sex unns when lawmakers passed four different bills aimg to provi greater rights to gay upl, such as the abily to adopt children and manage assets jotly.

Sectn 377A has a legacy of drivg stigma and discrimatn agast lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr (LGBT) people Sgapore.

Lee said his speech Sunday that he wants gay people to “live their own liv, participate our muny and ntribute fully to Sgapore. While we believe gay travellers should be exced to vis this cy, ’s important to be aware of the suatn before travellg.

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

Unlike India, Sgapore has not ma the cisn to repeal this law, meang that unr Sectn 377A homosexualy remas illegal (technilly, the law says nothg about same-sex relatns between two women). Other parts of Sgapore’s Penal Co uld also potentially be terpreted to prosecute gay men, like sectn 354 on the ‘outrage of mosty’ or sectn 294A verg obscene acts public.

SGAPORE SAYS THOSE ‘ENGAGG GAY SEX’ WILL NOT BE PROSECUTED SPE ARCHAIC LAW THAT BANS

The media is even forbidn to promote “the glamorizatn of the homosexual liftyle” so the rare ocsn an LGBT character appears on TV they are portrayed as damaged and have to be ‘fixed’. While many members of the gay muny live their liv relatively unmolted, there is always a sense of a hammer wag to fall. Public opn has gradually swung towards slightly more tolerance towards same-sex relatnships or even gay marriage, although is still not overwhelmgly favour.

SUPPORT FOR GAY RIGHTS SEEN GROWG SGAPORE

Proment celebri have e out and there is hope that this will provi spirg role mols for young gay people the closet. To be hont, spe the dire legal suatn for LGBT people Sgapore, ’s unlikely that gay travellers will be negatively affected. After dark there’s a thrivg gay scene and of urse there’s more than enough to do durg the day to keep all travellers – gay, straight, unirn – by and happy.

It’s jt important to be aware that technilly homosexualy is illegal and so to be nsc of surroundgs and behavur public plac.