What Singapore's Decriminalisation Of Gay Sex Means For LGBTQIA Community In Asia Pacific

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the city-state바카라�s leader, said Sunday that he believed repealing the law is the 바카라�right thing to do now바카라� as most Singaporeans will now accept decriminalization. During his speech at the annual National Day Rally, Lee vowed the repeal will be limited and not shake Singapore바카라�s traditional family and societal norms including how marriage is defined, what children are taught in schools, what is shown on television and general public conduct.

바카라�Private sexual behavior between consenting adults does not raise any law and order issue. There is no justification to prosecute people for it nor to make it a crime,바카라� Lee said. 바카라�This will bring the law into line with current social mores and I hope provide some relief to gay Singaporeans.바카라�

Repealing a colonial-era law

Many of the bans on sex between men or same sex intercourse in the Asia-Pacific region,  a vast area of nearly five billion people with different laws and attitudes, were instituted under British colonial rule in the 19th and 20th centuries, and the laws describe such acts as violations against the 바카라�order of nature.바카라�

Section 377A of the Singapore Penal Code was introduced under British colonial rule in the 1930s. British rule over the island ended in 1963 when Singapore became a state of Malaysia. It became independent two years later but retained the Penal Code, which made sex between men punishable by up to two years in jail.

Since 2007, when Parliament last debated whether to repeal Section 377A, its position was to keep the law but not enforce it. But gay men have long maintained that the law hangs over their heads and discriminates against them. Thousands of activists annually stage a rally in the city-state known as the 바카라�Pink Dot바카라� in support of the LGBTQ community.

Protecting the sanctity of marriage

While the decriminalisation is being seen as a step in the right direction, the government's emphasis on maintaining the sanctity of the institution of marriage spells caveats for the LGBTQIA community. To prevent any constitutional challenge on the ban on same-sex marriage, the Singapore government is set to amend the constitution to ensure the same. Although many places in the Asia-Pacific area have decriminalized sexual acts between people of the same sex including India, only a few allow same-sex marriage, partnerships or unions. 

바카라�Even as we repeal Section 377A, we will uphold and safeguard the institution of marriage,바카라� Lee said. 바카라�We have to amend the constitution to protect it. And we will do so. This will help us repeal Section 377A in a controlled and careful way," Singapore PM Lee said.

Lee said he hopes the government바카라�s move will help reconcile and accommodate both the concerns of conservative religious groups and the desires of gay Singaporeans to be respected and accepted.

바카라�All groups should exercise restraint because that is the only way we can move forward as a nation together,바카라� he said. 바카라�I hope the new balance will enable Singapore to remain a tolerant and inclusive society for many years to come.바카라�

This new change puts a spotlight on gay marriages as the next bastion of LGBTQIA rights in Singapore as it would effectively mean that any decision on gay marriage will now be in the hands of the government, not the courts.

LGBTQIA rejoice 

Singapore바카라�s gay community has hailed the decision as 바카라�a triumph of love over fear바카라� but have also warned there is still a long way to equality and new bans on same-sex unions could entrench discrimination against them.  More than 20 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups 바카라� including Pink Dot SG that organizes an annual rally that attracts thousands of supporters 바카라� said the repeal was long overdue to show that 바카라�state-sanctioned discrimination has no place in Singapore.바카라�

(With inputs from Associated Press)