Even as Sgapore lifts gay sex ban, LGBT fai feel ltle has changed | Rters

Contents:

• 377A: SGAPORE TO END BAN ON GAY SEX
• SGAPORE REPEALS GAY SEX BAN BUT LIMS PROSPECT OF LEGALIZG SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
• SGAPORE GAY SEX BAN: COURT REJECTS APPEALS TO OVERTURN LAW
• END OF SGAPORE'S GAY SEX BAN A 'SMALL STEP' FOR SOME LGBT UPL
• SGAPORE REPEALS GAY SEX BAN BUT LIMS PROSPECT OF LEGALISG SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
• EVEN AS SGAPORE LIFTS GAY SEX BAN, LGBT FAI FEEL LTLE HAS CHANGED
• SGAPORE REPEALS GAY SEX BAN BUT SETS NEW L TO BLOCK MARRIAGE EQUALY
• SGAPORE'S TOP URT DISMISS ATTEMPT TO OVERTURN GAY SEX BAN
• END OF SGAPORE'S GAY SEX BAN IS SMALL STEP ASIA-PACIFIC
• FOR SGAPORE’S GAY MEN, REPEAL OF SEX BAN BRGS HOPE AFTER YEARS OF PA
• SGAPORE KEEPS LGBTQ CONTENT CURBS DPE GAY-SEX BAN REPEAL
• SGAPORE SEX-BAN REPEAL COM WH HURDLE FOR GAY MARRIAGE
• SGAPORE TO END BAN ON GAY SEX

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

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.

“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.

SGAPORE GAY SEX BAN: COURT REJECTS APPEALS TO OVERTURN LAW

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. 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. Image source, Getty ImagImage ptn, A gay rights rally, Pk Dot, is held Sgapore annuallyA bid to overturn a law that crimalis gay sex Sgapore has been dismissed by a urt, alg a blow to the cy state’s LGBT high urt rejected appeals by three gay men who had argued the lonial-era law was unnstutnal. The pridg judge said the law was "important reflectg public sentiment and beliefs" Sectn 377A, men found guilty of homosexual acts public or private n be jailed for up to two years.

"It's shockg to the nscience and is so arbrary, ” he legal challeng were the latt attempts to repeal Sectn 377A, after an effort by a gay uple 2014 was rejected by the Court of Appeal. But Sgapore’s lears, cludg s current prime mister, have refed to remove , sayg reflects the nservative mor of the cy state’s Monday’s judgement, the urt echoed that sentiment, sayg non-enforcement of the law agast nsensual gay sex private did not renr urt nclud the law was nstutnal bee did not vlate articl regardg equaly and eedom of speech.

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

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. 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/Fele Lim/File PhotoSINGAPORE, Nov 29 (Rters) - Sgapore's parliament on Tuday crimalised sex between men, but, a blow to the LGBT muny, also amend the nstutn to prevent urt challeng that other untri have led to the legalisatn of same-sex mov e as other parts of Asia, cludg Taiwan, Thailand and India are regnisg more rights for the lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr (LGBT) muny. "We will try and mata a 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. 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.

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.

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

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". 'PUNISHING THE CHILD'LGBT fai Sgapore now worry that further change will not e time for sgle, gay Sgaporean man, who cled to be intified bee of the sensivy of the issue, said he has to leave the untry every three months to renew the tourist visa of his baby, born overseas through he is hopeful the child n ga cizenship time for school, he is also workg on a "plan B" to leave his home untry.

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.

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

"Wh the law repealed, we n progrsively dismantle impediments to the visibily and progrs of queer cizens bee there no longer remas a reason for prejudicial treatment, " Tan reportedly told the outlet, while Benjam Xue, intified as a 39-year-old gay man, said the repeal uld help the muny start "openg up the doors to have that ank nversatn about our queer liv Sgapore. Authori argued that reflected Sgapore society's view that homosexualy was not last week s parliament repealed the law, jt months after lear Lee Hsien Loong's surprise announcement they would scrap the ban bee of changg repeal of 377A turns the page on a dark chapter of Sgapore history that is rarely talked about the days, where gay men not only faced tense social stigma but were even actively targeted by Heng and the other men at Esplana Park that night were let off wh only a warng.

Often this would clu the ntroversial e of entrapment, where policemen would pose as gay men at popular meetg spots and promptly arrt anyone who engaged wh them.

This was later overturned an appeal, wh the judge notg that the way the men were ught and charged was "disquietg" many gay men, the raids sent a clear msage that their existence was owned upon. That was part of the stct of beg gay back then, " said Mr Heng, who is 71 years the 2000s the raids had creased, and the issue of homosexualy - once a taboo topic - beme creasgly openly discsed.

SGAPORE REPEALS GAY SEX BAN BUT SETS NEW L TO BLOCK MARRIAGE EQUALY

Recent surveys show that, while there is still a signifint number who thk homosexualy is "wrong", there is also risg support for gay cy-state has veloped a thrivg LGBT scene, wh an creasg number of LGBT-iendly tablishments and pani promotg diversy polici. Activism has bee more proment wh more lobby groups and support muni emergg - a far cry om the days where gay rights anisatns found difficult even to exist.

Later, they were taken to an upsle hilltop rtrant - a popular gay cisg spot the past, they were Tng told the BBC he cid to start givg LGBT history tours after realisg there was an "amnia", particularly among younger Sgaporeans. His tours have attracted a mix of both straight and gay oute of the lack of enforcement of 377A is that "there are people who don't really re bee they've never been subjected to , " he more attentn paid to 377A recent years, cludg legal attempts to overturn , "there's been greater tert and people are more cur now" about LGBT history, though "the rourc are still lackg", he source, BBC/Tsa WongImage ptn, Mr Tng's tours attract a mix of gay and straight attenWh 377A's repeal, the law is now officially a thg of the past. The vote also saw parliamentarians voicg ncern about "ant homosexuals" and the erosn of relig eedoms, which LGBT groups turn have lled "unsubstantiated rhetoric and fearmongerg".

SGAPORE'S TOP URT DISMISS ATTEMPT TO OVERTURN GAY SEX BAN

REUTERS/Edgar Su Acquire Licensg RightsSINGAPORE, 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.

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. 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. REUTERS/Fele Lim/File Photo Acquire Licensg RightsSINGAPORE, Feb 28 (Rters) - Sgapore's hight urt on Monday dismissed a challenge by three gay rights activists agast a law crimalisg sex between men, lg that sce thori did not enforce the law did not breach platiffs' nstutnal Court of Appeal's lg follows embolned efforts to get rid of the lonial-era law by activists after India scrapped siar legislatn four years ago.

END OF SGAPORE'S GAY SEX BAN IS SMALL STEP ASIA-PACIFIC

Prev challeng the socially nservative cy-state 2020 and 2014 also activists who brought the latt challenge agast the rarely ed law, unr which offenrs n be jailed for up to two years, clud a retired doctor, a DJ and a former director of a non-prof a wrten judgment, Sgapore's Chief Jtice Sundarh Menon said that although the law, known as Sectn 377A, had "long been a lightng rod for polarisatn" the urt did not fd a breach of the law was "unenforceable" bee Sgapore thori do not plan to prosecute gay sex and th would not prive a person of the right to life or personal liberty unr Article 9 of Sgapore's nstutn, Menon Attorney-General’s Chambers has said such prosecutns would not be the public a statement, law firm Eugene Thuraisgam LLP, which reprented one of the activists, said the lg "may be seen as a small step the right directn" after the urt noted the law was legally unenforceable.

Although the threat of arrt has been removed and formalised by the urt, " clg to pletely strike out the law crimalisg same-sex timacy, gay and bisexual men Sgapore are still effectively un-apprehend crimals and subject to a culture of shame and homophobia", Brn 70 untri around the world crimalise gay sex, maly Ai and the Middle EastThe issue remas sensive Sgapore, though some polls show a greater acceptance of homosexualy.

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

”Here are some tails on the suatn the Asia-Pacific regn:AUSTRALIAPolil Cartoons on World Lears Polil CartoonsAll stat and terrori repealed gay sex bans between 1975 and 1997, while Parliament legalized same-sex marriage throughout the untry 2017. Parallel to s secular urts, Malaysia has an Islamic urt system for Mlims that often jails and n gays and lbians ught by Islamic moral police for attemptg to have sex. In 2005, New Zealand began regnizg civil unns between same-sex upl, which nferred many legal rights to gay upl -- but didn’t, for stance, allow them to jotly adopt children.

In 2017, lawmakers took the rare step of issug a formal apology for the “tremendo hurt and sufferg” flicted on the hundreds of men who were nvicted of homosexualy durg the years that was illegal. Sgapore Tak Ct Step to Abolish Ban on Sex Between MenUpholds marriage fn as beg between a man and womanCy-state has vibrant LGBTQ muny and holds pri ralliSgapore Ups Ante for Top Global Talent, to Repeal Male-Sex LawSgapore Prime Mister Lee Hsien Loong said the ernment will repeal a lonial-era law that crimaliz sex between men, a major step forward a regn where homosexualy fac discrimatn and said removg the legal ban on sex between men, known as Sectn 377A of the Penal Co was “the right thg to do, and somethg that most Sgaporeans will now accept.

Lee ma clear that Sgapore would not bee a bastn of rights for lbian, gay and transgenr people, strsg that many social benefs will rema available only to heterosexual married upl.

SGAPORE KEEPS LGBTQ CONTENT CURBS DPE GAY-SEX BAN REPEAL

Organizatns affiliated wh gay rights are not allowed to register wh the ernment, rtrictg their abily to raise funds and apply for licens to hold issue of Sectn 377A — which subjects men who engage “any act of gross cency” wh other men to two years prison — has long divid liberals and relig nservativ Sgapore. Shanmugam, clarified that the nstutnal amendment would ensure the right of Parliament to fe marriage as beg between a man and a ernment pledged 2007 to stop enforcg the law agast gay sex, but activists said jt havg on the books ntributed to discrimatn. In a untry where the majory tak s cu om official ernment policy, the law was seen as a tac endorsement of the ia that gay people were sexual Choong, 45, a management nsultant, served the Sgapore Air Force om 2000 to 2008.

Parliament voted to repeal the origal law, which prohibed oral and anal sex between nsentg adults, but left Sectn 377A on the books, a cisn that galvanized gay-rights Huiyg for The New York TimThe ernment me unr creasg prsure for beg one of 69 untri that crimalized nsensual gay sex. Lee, the prime mister, acknowledged that the attorney general and his law mister had both advised that there was a “signifint risk” of Sectn 377A beg stck down future legal challeng bee vlated equal rights protectns the Tan is hopeful that the repeal will eventually lead to chang other polici that discrimate agast gay men. ”“People will qutn why is that, sce gay Sgaporeans are now regard as moral as their heterosexual unterparts, the discrimatory differenc still rema, ” Dr.

SGAPORE SEX-BAN REPEAL COM WH HURDLE FOR GAY MARRIAGE

But many gay men say they are now foced on healg om the years of pa ed by the Lim, who wh his partner, Kenh Chee, mounted a legal challenge agast Sectn 377A 2013, said the repeal meant that he no longer has to “feel like a crimal” if he shows affectn to Mr. More about Sui-Lee WeeA versn of this article appears prt on, Sectn A, Page 5 of the New York edn wh the headle: For Sgapore’s Gay Men, Repeal of Colonial-Era Sex Ban Brgs Hope. Schools’ curriculum cludg sexualy tn remas based on “tradnal valu” cludg the fn of marriage as between a man and a NextSgapore Keeps LGBTQ Content Curbs Dpe Gay-Sex Ban Repeal.

He 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”.

SGAPORE TO END BAN ON GAY SEX

But 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. Meanwhile, nservativ have anised social media mpaigns and events llg for the prervatn of tradnal valu, and some church have promoted ntroversial gay nversn programm. Rearch published this year found that more than 400, 000 people who are gay, transgenr or non-bary had been subjected to someone tryg to change, “cure” or supprs their sexual orientatn or genr a letter to Sunak seen by the Guardian, those phg for the ban to be enacted speedily said the ernment’s “moral failg” not yet publishg the legislatn “should ncern all”.