Gay sex in Singapore: Country to repeal colonial-era law criminalizing sex between men, PM says
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« Sex between consenting men should not be criminalized. There is no justification for prosecuting people for it, or making it a crime, » he said during his annual policy address, the National Day Rally, broadcast live on television.
« I think (repeal) is the right thing to do, and something most Singaporeans will now accept. It will bring the law into line with current social mores, and hopefully bring some relief to gay people. Singaporeans, » the prime minister said. .
« Like any human society, we also have gay people among us. They are our fellow Singaporeans. They are our colleagues, our friends, our family members. They too want to live their own lives, participate in our community and contribute fully to Singapore,” he added.
However, the government will not change the country’s legal definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman, Lee said, implying laws will be strengthened to protect that definition.
A community statement from more than 20 LGBTQ groups in Singapore called the planned decriminalization of sex between men « long overdue » and « an important step and a powerful statement that state-sanctioned discrimination does not has no place in Singapore ».
As for the definition of marriage, the statement stressed that « any government initiative to introduce new laws or constitutional amendments that flag LGBTQ+ people as unequal citizens is disappointing. We urge the government to disregard calls recent religious conservatives to enshrine the definition of marriage in the constitution.”
Colonial era law
Section 377A of the Penal Code of Singapore was enacted in 1938 by the British colonial government when Singapore was a British colony. It punishes homosexual relations – even if they are consensual, between adults and in private – with a sentence of up to two years in prison.
Similar laws were imposed in territories ruled by the British Empire, such as India, and some of these countries have since repealed these laws over the years.
Singaporean LGBTQ activists have long called for the law to be abolished.
In 2007, the Singaporean government repealed parts of Section 377 of its criminal law after extensive review, but retained Section 377A.
In February 2022, the Singapore Court of Appeal ruled that the section would remain in law, but it cannot be applied to prosecute men for having same-sex sex.
The trilingual Prime Minister delivered his speech in Malay, Mandarin and English, a speech reflecting Singapore’s diverse demographics.
During his speech, Lee addressed long-standing concerns expressed by conservative religious groups and leaders over other related issues such as same-sex marriage, which is currently not legal in the country.
Lee said: « We have to find the right way to reconcile and accommodate both the traditional mores of our society and the yearning of gay Singaporeans to be respected and accepted.
« Most Singaporeans would like our society to stay that way. That’s also the position of the government, » he said. « We have confirmed and reinforced the importance of families through many national policies, and we will continue to do so, » he said.
While societal attitudes in Singapore are still largely conservative, campaigners say that is changing and the government was « considering the best way forward » on these issues.
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