377A

The repeal of a colonial-era law will effectively legalise homosexuality in the conservative state.

Several former British colonies such as Kenya, Malaysia and Myanmar still have some version of 377. This would effectively make it harder for gay marriage to be legalised. Today we are very, very happy," gay activist Johnson Ong told the BBC. Singapore is not the only former colony with a version of 377 - the law continues to exist in many parts of Asia, Africa and Oceania. There's a sense that maybe it took a little too long, but it had to happen, you know. LGBT activists in Singapore have hailed the move as "a win for humanity".

SINGAPORE will repeal a colonial-era law that criminalises sex between men, but also amend the Constitution to prevent legal challenges to the definition of ...

Even after the repealing of Section 377A – the law criminalising sex between men – the Government will maintain the "prevailing norms and values" of ...

“Judges interpret and apply the law. “Most Singaporeans would like to keep our society like this. This will bring the law into line with current social mores, and I hope, provide some relief to gay Singaporeans.” This is the Government’s position too. “They also worry that this may encourage more aggressive and divisive activism on all sides. They are our colleagues, our friends, our family members. “Many national policies rely upon this definition of marriage, including public housing, education, adoption rules, advertising standards, film classification. I believe this is the right thing to do, and something that most Singaporeans will now accept. “They are our fellow Singaporeans. “We have to take that advice seriously. Mr Lee said the Government understands these concerns and does not want the repeal to trigger “wholesale changes” in society, and that it will maintain its current family-oriented approach and prevailing norms and values of Singapore society. Mr Lee said on Sunday that Mr Shanmugam and the attorney-general have advised that there is a “significant risk” of Section 377A being struck down in a future court challenge, on the grounds that it breaches the equal protection provision in the Constitution.

The government will also amend the Constitution, to protect the definition of marriage from being challenged in court.

We have to amend the Constitution to protect it, and we will do so." He said many national policies rely upon this definition of marriage, including public housing, education and adoption rules. PM Lee said: "Singaporeans still have differing views on whether homosexuality is right or wrong. But by and large, it has enabled all of us to get along. Thus, PM Lee said he believes that repealing 377A is the "right thing to do", and something that most Singaporeans will now accept. They are our colleagues, our friends, our family members.

Scrapping of colonial-era section 377A law hailed as 'a win for humanity' by LGBTQ+ rights groups.

“To the past victims of section 377A and its cascading effects, including those who have faced threats of police entrapment, raids and criminal charges, repeal will never be able to fully right the historic wrongs that you faced.” “For everyone who has experienced the kinds of bullying, rejection and harassment enabled by this law, repeal finally enables us to begin the process of healing. The decision was “a win for humanity”, it said. More recently Disney and Pixar’s Lightyear was rated unsuitable for children aged under 16, because it features a lesbian couple. Section 377A, which was introduced under British colonial rule, criminalises “any act of gross indecency with another male person”. Under the law, only marriages between one man and one woman are recognised in Singapore,” he said.

SINGAPORE — Religious leaders and groups said that they were assured by the Government's plans to protect the definition of marriage in the Constitution, ...

The provisions of the Constitution can only be amended by Parliament. “Everyone should be treated equally as part of God’s creation, regardless of their sexual orientation,” he added. The council called for the definition of marriage to be expressly defined in the Constitution rather than for the amendments to merely include a provision that references relevant portions of the Women’s Charter or the Interpretation Act that already define marriage as being between a man and a woman. Dr Nazirudin said that religious groups should continue to work with the Government to strengthen the institution of marriage and families and to educate the community on the values of the religion. - Religious groups said they were assured that the Government plans to amend the Constitution to protect the definition of marriage SINGAPORE — Religious leaders and groups said that they were assured by the Government's plans to protect the definition of marriage in the Constitution, but some of them expressed concern about the repercussions of overturning the law penalising sex between men.

Religious groups stress that traditional values must be preserved even if the law changes. Read more at straitstimes.com.

ASME supports the Government's well-thought and timely move to repeal 377A." The alliance also reiterated that the party whip should be lifted so MPs can vote freely on the matter when it is debated in Parliament. Venerable Seck Kwang Phing, the president of the Singapore Buddhist Federation, said traditional family values have to be preserved. Mufti Nazirudin Mohd Nasir, Singapore's top Islamic leader, said it is important that religious values remain the same, even as laws change. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore urged the Government to define marriage in the Constitution before repealing Section 377A. "(But) we cannot force our values onto others or instil our own ideas, especially in the young.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the government will repeal a colonial-era law that criminalizes sex between men, but will look to bolster ...

SOUNDING BOARD: We ask the industry what this means for LGBTQ+ representation in advertising.

The PM was very careful to say that same-sex imagery and content will still not be allowed to be included in schools, films, TV and yes that means advertising too. You will also not see any local firms changing their logos to rainbow, as the international firms do here, as they have to still appeal to the section of society who would not understand or agree to being associated with a brand that is LGBTQ-friendly. With the repeal of 377A, it does remove one barrier to brands being more vocal about their support for the community, particularly from brands that were on the fence. The fact that homosexuality will be decriminalised does not mean that suddenly you will see lots of gay orientated adverts in Singapore or more local firms supporting LGBTQ. I believe brands that depict and represent everyone in the society will increase step-by-step as will businesses playing an important role in creating an equitable world, fuelled by this historic step. Coming into more recent times, and even before the repeal happened, we continued to see a gradual increase in brands (both local brands and international brands with local presence) openly voicing their support. However, I am also concerned that the proposed constitutional ban will harm the Singapore brand as we seek to attract high-calibre talent, many of whom come from places where same-sex marriage is the norm. However, personally and for many LGBTQ+ Singaporeans, we will continue to forge ahead and rise above the hateful rhetoric that we continue to be inundated with every day. Many in the conservative segments believe our next priority is to battle for marriage equality, and now want to enshrine in Singapore’s Constitution the definition of marriage to be only between a man and a woman. Now we begin the hard work, to heal the hurt and pain this law has done to countless numbers of LGBTQ+ Singaporeans and their families. We also ask them if more brands and organisations might be more vocal about issues pertaining to the LGBTQ+ community. MCI said that this "does not mean that we are changing the tone of society".

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's announcement on Sunday (Aug 21) that Singapore will repeal a law that criminalises sex between men is a ...

“We have to take that advice seriously. "But to the social conservatives, it was an extremely important marker of what is acceptable and what is the social norm," she added. "It is not ideal for society for the pace of significant social change to be imposed on it in without there being democratic accountability," he added. "We pledged ourselves to be a democratic society and so the key locus of authority must be Parliament and that is the most important takeaway of how he delivered this plan," Dr Koh said. The "twin move" of repealing Section 377A and amending the Constitution to protect the definition of marriage "seeks accommodation from all sides of the fence", she added. Referring to the repealing of the law, Assoc Prof Tan said: "It is a careful step in the right direction even if it is controversial and may be seen as reinforcing the status quo.

SINGAPORE — Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) rights groups said on Sunday (Aug 21) that the Government's move to repeal Section 377A of ...

"We cannot allow this to polarise us, deepen fissures, or make an already vulnerable community more susceptible to contempt." "Hopefully, there will be more conversations about LGBTQ lives here in Singapore... Among them was Mr Benjamin Xue, co-founder of LGBTQ youth support group Young Out Here. "Our immediate priorities in the wake of Section 377A will be to tackle the areas of discrimination that we continue to face at home, in schools, workplaces, and in housing and health systems," the groups added. The LGBTQ groups said in the joint statement that repealing Section 377A is the "first step on a long road towards full equality" for LGBTQ people in Singapore. SINGAPORE — Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) rights groups said on Sunday (Aug 21) that the Government's move to repeal Section 377A of the Penal Code was long overdue, describing the prime minister's announcement of the decision as a "historic moment".

In his National Day Rally, PM Lee Hsien Loong said the Government will repeal the law that criminalises sex between men but will amend the Constitution to ...

“Any move to formalise, strengthen and protect this definition of a marriage i.e. There are known generational repercussions and long-lasting impact of this alternative lifestyle that now threatens our nation’s social fabric," said Reverend Dominic Yeo. Amending the Constitution will help authorities repeal 377A in a "controlled, carefully considered way", he added. "This will bring the law into line with current social mores, and I hope, provide some relief to gay Singaporeans." SINGAPORE: Religious groups have expressed support for the Government’s decision to amend the Constitution to protect the definition of marriage - as that between a man and a woman - from being challenged in the courts, as Singapore looks to In his National Day Rally, PM Lee Hsien Loong said the Government will repeal the law that criminalises sex between men but will amend the Constitution to protect the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman.

The Singapore government has taken a monumental step forward in accepting the LGBTQ+ community as it announced the repeal of Section 377A of the Penal Code.

He added that there are many segments in Singapore who feel that it is not just about the law, but the law is a marker for other things such as society, societal values, family, and marriage. The percentage of those who remain supportive of the penal code fell to less than half - from 55% in 2018 to 44% in 2022. While the older age group remains largely opposed to same-sex relationships, a significant percentage also reported a softening in their stance. “For those that long for a more equal and inclusive Singapore, the repeal signifies that change is indeed possible,” the statement said while noting that the change did come late for many. Organisers of Pink Dot said they were relieved by the government’s intention to repeal Section 377A, and said this is a “significant milestone and a powerful statement that state-sanctioned discrimination has no place in Singapore”. It is not something that the Government in Singapore introduced. Meanwhile, AWARE Singapore also lauded the striking of the law saying that Section 377A served as a primary barrier to dignity and well-being for LGBTQ people in Singapore. We urge the government not to heed recent calls from religious conservatives to enshrine the definition of marriage into a constitution.” The announcement comes 15 years after the last debate in 2007 regarding Section 377A and PM Lee said that attitudes have “shifted appreciably” since then. Less that 19% disapproved of the decision to repeal Section 377A, and less that 19% also expressed disappointment towards same-sex marriage still not being legalised. The data added that many understood that the move as a means to gain political power, and some felt that PAP holds too much political power. Meanwhile, around 20-39% expressed disappointment towards the decision to repeal Section 377A, stating that they did not expect PAP to “give in” to the masses.

This is different from enshrining the definition of marriage in the highest law of the land. Read more at straitstimes.com.

"We are committed to strengthening the current structure of marriage, strengthening the family structure and the policies that surround that structure of family. The definition of marriage is not going to be in the Constitution. That's not the intention." And in fact, we are amending the Constitution to strengthen their position." Why shouldn't it be possible for two men or two women to be married? Shanmugam said on Monday (Aug 22).