Proceedings to decriminalize gay sex begin in Singapore
Singapore, Oct 20 (EFE).- Singapore’s law and home affairs minister K.Shanmugam on Thursday presented a parliamentary bill that would invalidate section 377A of the country’s penal code, a 19th century British colonial-era rule banning gay sex as a criminal offense.
In addition to this bill, an amendment to the constitution to protect the current definition of marriage as a union exclusively between man and woman was also introduced, which shuts the door for legalizing same sex marriages in the nearby future.
Both laws will be discussed by parliament on November 28 and then will be voted on separately.
With the introduction of these two reforms, Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), in power since 1965, was responding to the criticism of section 377A while attempting to appease the most conservative groups in the country, which still hold political sway.
The announcement of the bills was given by prime minister Lee Hsien Loong back in August.
The LGBTI+ community has welcomed the initiative to decriminalize gay sex, but has criticized the government’s decision to amend the constitution, saying it would worsen the discrimination they are already subjected to.
One example of this is the priority given to married couples in the allocation of public housing.
Section 377A, a colonial-era law that has been in force since 1938, punishes sex between men with a maximum jail term of two years and it is still valid in other ex-colonies like Malaysia and Brunei. EFE
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