Sgapore repeals gay sex ban but lims prospect of legalisg same-sex marriage | CNN

Contents:

• SGAPORE REPEALS GAY SEX BAN BUT LIMS PROSPECT OF LEGALIZG SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
• GAY WEDDG CEREMONI[]
• SGAPORE WILL CRIMALIZE GAY SEX, BUT NTUE TO PROHIB SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
• HOMOSEXUALY TO BE LEGAL IN SGAPORE, BUT GAY MARRIAGE WILL HAVE TO WA
• SGAPORE TO CRIMALIZE GAY SEX BUT WON’T ALLOW SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
• SGAPORE PASS LAWS TO CRIMALISE GAY SEX, PROTECT FN OF MARRIAGE AGAST LEGAL CHALLENGE
• SGAPORE REPEALS GAY SEX BAN BUT LIMS PROSPECT OF LEGALISG SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
• WHY SGAPORE’S GAY SEX LAW CHANGE IS A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD FOR LGBTQ ACTIVISTS

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

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.

GAY WEDDG CEREMONI[]

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.

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.

SGAPORE WILL CRIMALIZE GAY SEX, BUT NTUE TO PROHIB SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

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.

HOMOSEXUALY TO BE LEGAL IN SGAPORE, BUT GAY MARRIAGE WILL HAVE TO WA

“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.

Around 55% said “no” when asked whether they personally support gay marriage while 31% said “y. 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 TO CRIMALIZE GAY SEX BUT WON’T ALLOW SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

This will brg the law to le wh current social mor, and I hope, provi some relief to gay Sgaporeans, ” said the Prime Mister. “Like every human society, we also have gay people our midst.

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. 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.

SGAPORE PASS LAWS TO CRIMALISE GAY SEX, PROTECT FN OF MARRIAGE AGAST LEGAL CHALLENGE

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.

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. “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.

However, the fact that male homosexual sex remas punishable by a prison term of up to two years unr Sectn 377A, even though the Apex Court has led "unenforceable", has not prevented gay Sgaporeans om fg stable long-term relatnships and om livg together as mted upl. Many have gotten married overseas, untri where gay marriage is legal, and then returned home.

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

Regardg adoptn of children by gay upl, rponnts who found always or almost always wrong fell to 61. 9% found gay marriage always or certa s wrong while 15. It surprised many the LGBT muny to disver that Sgaporeans were ls opposed to gay adoptn and gay marriage than to gay sex.

WHY SGAPORE’S GAY SEX LAW CHANGE IS A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD FOR LGBTQ ACTIVISTS

When the survey was repeated 2018, the percentage of of rponnts aged 20 to 24 who felt that gay marriage was not wrong doubled om 24. See also Archive of TODAY article, "Sgaporean man among first gay unn", 12 December 2005. Sce then, many gay Sgaporean upl have followed su and registered their own civil unns foreign jurisdictns or have even gotten married to their partners untri like Canada and the USA where gay marriage has been legalised([7]):.

Gay weddg ceremoni[].