Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced on Sunday that his country will repeal a colonial law that criminalizes sexual relations between men, although the government continues to “defend” that marriage is between a man and a woman.
“Government will cancel” [a lei] and sex between men is no longer a crime. “I think it’s the right thing to do and something that most Singaporeans will now accept.”
Lee added that traditions have changed since 15 years ago, when the government decided to leave the law in effect.
Gay men are “now gaining more acceptance” locally, especially among Singaporean youth, he said. Its repeal “will bring the law into line with existing social customs and hopefully give gay Singaporeans a breather,” Lee said.
The law, inherited from the British colonial era, criminalizes sexual relations between men with up to two years in prison.
Gay rights activists have long argued that the law goes against the increasingly modern city-state culture, and they’ve filed two lawsuits in the past to overturn it, but to no avail.
Still, Lee said the government is “aware that most Singaporeans don’t want it repealed”. [da lei] It leads to a drastic change in our social norms, including the definition of marriage and how marriage is taught in schools.
“Therefore, even if we cancel [a lei]We will defend and protect the institution of marriage,” he said, noting that Singapore “only recognizes the marital bonds between a man and a woman” under current law.
“Relaxation”
He added that the government will amend the Constitution to protect the current definition of marriage from being constitutionally challenged in court.
The first attempt to overturn the law was rejected in 2014, and last February the Court of Appeal dismissed a second appeal.
LGBTQIA+ rights advocates expressed “relief” at the government’s decision.
“The repeal of Section 377A is the first step on the long road to full equality for LGBTQ+ people in Singapore,” they said in a joint statement signed by more than 20 groups.
But the true impact of the cancellation will be determined by how Singaporeans react to it and treat each other in the days and months ahead,” they added.
Activists also cited the government’s plans to enshrine the definition of marriage between men and women in the Singapore Constitution.
“Any move by the government to introduce more laws or constitutional changes that highlight LGBTQ+ people as unequal citizens is disappointing,” they said.
source: Noticias
