Singapore To End Law Criminalising Gay Sex but Says 'No' to Same-Sex Marriages

"We can finally begin the process of healing," a Singapore LGBTQIA+ rights group said, in a statement.

(Photo: The Quint)

In an announcement that preceded years of debate, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Sunday, 21 August, that the country will decriminalise Section 377A – a colonial law that penalised sex between men.

However, in the same announcement, he added, that the city-state has "no plans to change the legal definition" of marriage – which the law currently 'allows' only between the conservative definitions of man and woman.

In his National Day rally speech, Lee said that Singapore, as a society, was "becoming more accepting of gay people."

"I believe this is the right thing to do, and something that most Singaporeans will now accept," he said, reported BBC.

While there is no clarity on when exactly the law will be repealed, Singapore now joins other Asian countries like India, Taiwan, and Thailand that have decriminalised gay sex.

What is 377A?

Like India's Section 377, Singapore too inherited 377A from the British when they were a colony.

However, the country, like many others, chose to retain it after its independence in 1965. While the law, in verbatim, criminalises sex between men, it is seen as a blanket ban on homosexuality.

According to the BBC, the law also led to any content deemed as "promoting homosexuality" being banned from broadcast in Singapore, and TV shows and films with same-sex characters censored.

'A More Equal, Inclusive Singapore'

In a statement, several LGBTQIA+ rights groups welcomed the repealing of 377A, stating that members of the community can finally 'begin the process of healing'.

"For everyone who has experienced the kinds of bullying, rejection, and harassment enabled by this law, its repeal finally enables us to begin the process of healing. For those that long for a more equal and inclusive Singapore, the repeal signifies that change is indeed possible."

LGBTQIA+ Rights Groups, reported by Reuters

However, many pointed that Singapore's promise to make constitutional amendments to ban same-sex marriage furthered their discrimination in society.

An alliance of more than 80 churches expressed "strong disappointment" over the announcement, Reuters reported.

"The repeal is an extremely regrettable decision which will have a profound impact on the culture that our children and the future generations of Singaporeans will live in," the alliance said in a statement.