New Delhi: Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced on Sunday that the country will repeal a colonial-era law that criminalised gay sex, but he insisted that the government will “uphold” marriage as between a man and a woman. Section 377A of Singapore’s penal code, inherited from the British colonial era, punishes sex between men with up to two years in prison.
Gay rights activists have long argued that the law contradicts the affluent city-increasingly state’s modern and vibrant culture, and have filed two unsuccessful legal challenges.
During a major policy speech on Sunday, Lee stated that attitudes have shifted since the government decided to keep the law in place 15 years ago, even though it has not been actively enforced.
“It is timely to ask ourselves again the fundamental question: Should sex between men in private be a criminal offence?” Lee said.
“The government will repeal section 377A and decriminalise sex between men. I believe this is the right thing to do, and something that most Singaporeans will now accept.”
He added: “This will bring the law into line with current social mores, and I hope, provide some relief to gay Singaporeans”.
However, the repeal of section 377A stops short of full marriage equality.
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