Today-Aug 21
Singapore will be repealing Section 377A, the controversial law that criminalizes sex between men. At the same time, the Constitution will be amended to protect the definition of marriage — as that between a man and a woman — from being challenged in the courts. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced this during his National Day Rally speech on Sunday (Aug 21), in which he laid out several reasons for the move. For one thing, attitudes towards gay people have “shifted appreciably” and they are better accepted here, Mr Lee said. He added that several court challenges to Section 377A have been made seeking to declare the law unconstitutional. While they have been unsuccessful, it would be “unwise” to ignore the risk of the law being struck down during a future court challenge, Mr Lee said.
He also gave assurances that the repeal of the law will not trigger wholesale changes in society and that the current family-oriented approach, as well as the prevailing norms and values of Singapore society, will be maintained. Singapore is still a largely “traditional society, with conservative social values”. He added that the Government has upheld and reinforced the importance of families through various national policies and will continue to do so. However, that there are also gay people who are part of Singapore society, who also want to “live their own lives, participate in our community and contribute fully to Singapore”. “We need to find the right way to reconcile and accommodate both the traditional mores of our society and the aspiration of gay Singaporeans to be respected and accepted,” he added. “I hope the new balance will enable Singapore to remain a tolerant and inclusive society for many years to come.” Read more at: https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/ndr-2022-section-377a-repeal-constitution-1974206
