Sgapore to Decrimalize Gay Sex | Human Rights Watch

Contents:

• 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
• OOGACHAGA IS A MUNY-BASED, NON-PROF, PROFSNAL ANISATN WORKG WH LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENR, QUTNG & QUEER (LGBTQ+) DIVIDUALS, UPL & FAI SGAPORE SCE 1999
• LEAKED SGAPORE GAY VIOS
• LGBTQ: THE PODST TELLG SGAPORE'S HIDN GAY STORI
• SGAPORE TO CRIMALIZE GAY SEX BUT WON’T ALLOW SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
• END OF SGAPORE'S GAY SEX BAN A 'SMALL STEP' FOR SOME LGBT UPL
• SGAPORE’S LATT RULG ON GAY SEX IS ‘COLD COMFORT,’ ACTIVISTS SAY
• SGAPORE TO DECRIMALIZE GAY SEX
• A YEAR AFTER SGAPORE DECRIMALIZED GAY SEX, ITS LGBT COMMUNY TURNS ATTENTN TO FAY
• FOR SGAPORE’S GAY MEN, REPEAL OF SEX BAN BRGS HOPE AFTER YEARS OF PA
• 377A: SGAPORE TO END BAN ON GAY SEX
• SGAPORE REPEALS GAY SEX BAN BUT LIMS PROSPECT OF LEGALISG SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
• SGAPORE GAY SEX BAN: COURT REJECTS APPEALS TO OVERTURN LAW
• KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY
• BT GAY CLUBS SGAPORE
• SGAPORE GAY TRAVEL
• GAY SGAPORE SGAPORE CY GUI
• HOW A GAY MAN OM SGAPORE FOUND ACCEPTANCE ATRALIA

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

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. 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 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.

OOGACHAGA IS A MUNY-BASED, NON-PROF, PROFSNAL ANISATN WORKG WH LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENR, QUTNG & QUEER (LGBTQ+) DIVIDUALS, UPL & FAI SGAPORE SCE 1999

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.

LEAKED SGAPORE GAY VIOS

“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. Prented var formats, wh each lastg around 5 mut, the vios provi answers to qutns about sexual orientatn, g out and sexual health, and tackle issu like bullyg and what parents n do to support their March 2012, Oogachaga nducted a survey tled 'Impact of Homophobia and Transphobia on LGBTQ dividuals Sgapore'.

We hope that through this, young people out there – whether they intify themselv as gay, lbian, bisexual, queer, qutng, or straight – n have accurate and appropriate rmatn about sexualy.

”About the vio seri:The vio ntent was veloped by profsnal staff Oogachaga, based on rearch and evince, over a perd of 12 the full list of vios below:Episo 1 Unrstandg SexualyEpiso 2 What is homosexualy? Sgapore's ernment argu that the ban mt rema to reflect society's nservative views, and as a promise has said will not enforce the LGBTQ activists argue that as long as remas, perpetuat a stigma and fuels SG Boys tell the BBC about the challeng of livg as a gay person Sgapore, and how they hope their podst will spread love and empathy for their by Tsa Wong. 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.

LGBTQ: THE PODST TELLG SGAPORE'S HIDN GAY STORI

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. 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.

Stg alone at the park on Saturday, wearg a pk wig and large sunglass, the 50-year-old tells TIME that, here at Pk Dot, he do not have to hi his inty as a gay Mlim man—a secret that he has kept om his fay for s and has no plans of divulgg.

Phuong Nham, a Vietname gay man who moved to the Southeast Asian cy-state about 13 years ago, tells TIME that every Pk Dot event he has attend sce 2016 has been filled wh explic lls for the repeal of Sectn 377A, the law which crics say has long formed the basis for a host of discrimatory polici agast the LGBT muny. 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 TO CRIMALIZE GAY SEX BUT WON’T ALLOW SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

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. 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. 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".

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

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.

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

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. 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.

SGAPORE TO DECRIMALIZE GAY SEX

"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. In other words, where Bud Light has buckled unr prsure as bigotry grows agast the LGBTQ+ muny, Gay Water’s creator Spencer Hodson wants his new boozy brand to be the anthis of that.

A YEAR AFTER SGAPORE DECRIMALIZED GAY SEX, ITS LGBT COMMUNY TURNS ATTENTN TO FAY

“The key issue that Bud Light tapped to was the fact that they didn’t unrstand their re dience and know enough about them,” Hodson, a gay man, told CNN about the ntroversy that began when the Anhser-Bch beer brand sent fluencer Dylan Mulvaney a n of beer. Hodson built up a strong social media followg on TikTok and Instagram durg Covid-19 and is g some of the money om that (as well as om iends and fay) to help fund Gay Water.

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

“Gay is an umbrella term and the ia behd the brand is to be as clive as possible, which means we want alli, we want straight people to be part of this muny we’re buildg.”. Gay Water might not have the ep pockets pared to s petors, like Whe Claw, but “even at small sle, pani of many siz are havg succs makg spir-based seltzers and premixed cktails,” Bryan Roth, an analyst for Feel Goods Company and edor of the alhol beverage newsletter, Sightl+, told CNN. “There’s lots of space the spir-based seltzer tegory which Gay Water n play, pecially if the brand n offer a cultural or emotnal nnectn that will feel more excg than the prospect of another peapple-flavored vodka seltzer om natnal or ternatnal rporatns,” Roth said.

Of urse, other drks e the word “gay,” too, cludg Gay Beer and So Gay Rosé, Hodson noted, which are also tryg to reach the queer muny and offer them an alternative the straight-domated space.

377A: SGAPORE TO END BAN ON GAY SEX

Per Outsports, Maxen is the “first publicly out male ach a major Amerin men’s pro sports league, ” wh WNBA ach Curt Miller, who publicly me out to the media as gay 2015, also a publicly out male ach an Amerin profsnal sports league.

"Prime Mister Lee Hsien Loong announced the end of Sectn 377A on TV on Sunday, sayg that would align Sgapore's legal systems wh "current social mor, and I hope, provi some relief to gay Sgaporeans. AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTIn announcg the move, Prime Mister Lee Hsien Loong took a step long sought by gay rights advot, but he said same-sex marriage would ntue to be illegal.

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

Wallace Woon/EPA, via ShutterstockPrime Mister Lee Hsien Loong of Sgapore said on Sunday that the ernment would repeal the untry’s lonial-era law crimalizg sex between men, a step long sought by gay rights advot, but that would propose a nstutnal amendment fg marriage as between a man and a woman. ”Those advotg rights for gay people have long argued that 377A, even if is not enforced, perpetuat discrimatn at all levels of society, cludg schools, workplac, health re and the Lee acknowledged that a urt lg a se brought by three gay men challengg the law this year had put prsure on the ernment to Court of Appeal, the natn’s hight urt, cled to overturn Sectn 377A Febary, lg that the three men did not have legal standg bee the ernment had pledged not to enforce the urt said was Parliament’s rponsibily to ci the issue, notg that the high urt was “not a ont-nner for social change or an archect of social policy.

”“We should strive to mata a balance: to uphold a stable society wh tradnal heterosexual fay valu, but wh space for homosexuals to live their liv and to ntribute to the society, ” he said at the the urt lg Febary, gay rights advot have stepped up their efforts to w repeal of the Su/RtersAt this year’s annual Pk Dot pri rally June, participants highlighted how the law’s prence the penal enuraged discrimatn agast members of the L. ”In recent weeks, bet misters have been nsultg relig and muny lears and gay rights advot on the bt way to crimalize gay sex while leavg tact the law that f marriage as beg between a man and a woman.

SGAPORE GAY SEX BAN: COURT REJECTS APPEALS TO OVERTURN LAW

SummaryUnr existg law men face up to 2 years jail for gay sexLaw has not been actively enforced for sPM Lee says Sgapore society is ready for this changeReaffirms support for tradnal fn of marriageSINGAPORE, Aug 21 (Rters) - Sgapore will crimalise sex between men but has no plans to change the legal fn of marriage as beg between a man and a woman, Prime Mister Lee Hsien Loong said on groups weled Lee's cisn to repeal Sectn 377A of the penal , a lonial-era law that crimalis sex between men, but also exprsed ncern that lg out same-sex marriage would help to perpetuate his annual natnal day rally speech, Lee said Sgaporean society, pecially young people the cy-state, were beg more acceptg of gay people. Sgapore be the latt Asian untry to move toward endg discrimatn agast members of the LGBTQ 2018, India's hight urt scrapped a lonial-era ban on gay sex, while Thailand has recently edged closer to legalisg same-sex Sgapore's Sectn 377A, offenrs n be jailed for up to two years unr the law, but is not currently actively enforced. Lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, and queer (LGBTQ) groups have brought multiple legal challeng attemptg to strike down the law, but none has Sunday, several LGBTQ rights groups said a jot statement they were "relieved" by Lee's announcement.

RESISTANCEIn Febary, Sgapore's hight urt had led that sce the law was not beg enforced, did not breach nstutnal rights, as the platiffs had argued, and reaffirmed that the law uld not be ed to prosecute men for havg gay relig groups cludg Mlims, Catholics and some Prottants ntued to rist any repeal of the law, Lee alliance of more than 80 church exprsed strong disappotment on Sunday over the ernment's cisn.

On 1 January 1994, Sgaporean performance artist Josef Ng protted agast the police entrapment, arrt and ng of 12 homosexual men at the reclaimed land and beach off Tanjong Rhu, a popular gay cisg ground (see ma article: Fort Road beach: gay aspects).

KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY

Gays were perceived of as somewhat of a threat to Asian valu some quarters of the tablishment and plats ma by members the straight public agast rampant cisg led to the implementatn of police entrapment the early 1990s. In rponse to both the entrapment exercise and the sensatnalistic treatment of this and other gay-related news stori by the prs, two Sgaporean artists, Josef Ng (born Thailand) and Shannon Tham, created performance piec that the ernment clearly found threateng to the domant orr. About an hour later, graphic art stunt Shannon Tham, 20, burned a py of The New Paper prott agast s “unfair reportg" of the 5th Passage's screeng of a censored tape of a movie featurg gays and homosexual acts.

Lol NewsMIAMI – The diplomatic ti between the Uned Stat and Jamai uld soon be jeopardy.There are reports that Jamai is refg to accred the spoe of a gay Amerin diplomat.“Our culture is not really acceptg of ,” said Renae Stevens, who was visg the Jamain nsulate Miami Wednday.Attorney Wayne Goldg is an advisor to Jamai’s ernment.“The whole ia of legislatn to legalize same-sex marriag, I thk they still have a long way to go,” he said. While male homosexual sex remas illegal Sgapore, homosexualy is openly tolerated, as per Prime Mister Lee Hsien Loong’s parliamentary speech 2007: “"We regnise that homosexuals are part of our society.

BT GAY CLUBS SGAPORE

Photo urty of Nirvana Bistro & BarSet a Chatown shophoe amongst the cy's most popular gay bars, Nirvana Bistro & Bar offers a relaxed atmosphere for food and drks at reasonable pric.

Photo urty of electrierve/flickrebar Karaoke lounge and bar is loted on Neil Road, amongst the majory of Sgapore's popular gay bars and clubs, and oppose the ever-popular Tantric Bar. Suated wh a betifully rtored herage shophoe, this classy karaoke jot pulls a fun-lovg gay, largely younger crowd who e here to enjoy reasonably-priced drks and give their vol chords some exercise. Loted among many other popular gay bays on Neil Road the heart of Chatown, DYMK has s home a betifully rtored double-storey herage shophoe, unmissable by s bright red and yellow faça.

As for the gay thg (sigh), anti-gay laws are still on the books, however, Sgapore's got a gay pri para, a vibrant gay scene and you n hold your partner’s hand and feel wele everywhere you go (unls you’re chewg gum, of urse).

SGAPORE GAY TRAVEL

For your five Sgapore gay gui, all s glory, you’ve e to the right and mischievo, the motto of the Vagabond Club is “If you mt get trouble, do at The Vagabond Club”The bt hotels SgaporeLet’s start this gay Sgapore travel gui wh a roundup of the bt plac to stay Sgapore. Origally om Sgapore, 54-year-old Row is a gay man who has been livg Atralia – a untry where the LGBTIQ muny recently acknowledged the 40th anniversary of the crimalisatn of homosexualy – for nearly 20 years.

While 377A specifilly crimalis the sexual act between men – and not simply the person’s sexual preference – “the perceptn of many people is that is illegal to be gay, ” Vasey told Al Jazeera.

And while former Brish Prime Mister Thera May has said that she “eply regrets” Bra’s legacy of anti-gay laws, Row believ the Uned Kgdom should take more rponsibily for some of the more unsavoury lonial laws left behd.

GAY SGAPORE SGAPORE CY GUI

HOW A GAY MAN OM SGAPORE FOUND ACCEPTANCE ATRALIA