(Photo Credits: Watsamon Tri-yasakda from Shutterstock)
Being gay as well as sex between men are now both legal in Singapore.
Speaking on Sunday during his annual policy address, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that the government will finally repeal Section 377A of their Penal Code, a British colonial-era law that criminalizes sex between men. However, Singapore will also prevent same-sex marriages by simultaneously amending its constitution “to protect existing laws barring marriage equality.” Read more here.
Lee said that repealing Section 377A “will bring the law into line with current social mores, and I hope, provide some relief to gay Singaporeans” while amending their constitution aims to “protect the definition of marriage from being challenged constitutionally in the courts.”
Further, he explained, “This will help us repeal S377A in a controlled, carefully considered way. It will limit this change to what I believe most Singaporeans will accept, which is to decriminalize sexual relations between consenting men in private.”
Moreover, he said, “But it will also keep what I believe most Singaporeans still want, and that is to retain the basic family structure of marriage between a man and a woman, within which we have and raise our children.” Read this story in full here.
Way back in 2007, PM Lee spoke about the law, saying it was not being “proactively enforced.” Lee said during his address on Sunday, “It would have been too divisive to force the issue then.”
He added, “Now, 15 years later, attitudes have shifted appreciably. While we remain a broadly conservative society, gay people are now better accepted in Singapore, especially among younger Singaporeans.”
Further, he said, “Private sexual behavior between consenting adults does not raise any law and order issue. There’s no justification to prosecute people for it, nor to make it a crime… The government will repeal Section 377A and decriminalize sex between men.” Read more about this story here.
Meanwhile, Singapore constitutional law expert Suang Wijaya explained, “One reason must be that the government needed to achieve a balance between competing interests.” He added, “They want to be seen as giving something to the LGBT community, but also not give a defeat to the conservatives. They don’t want it be a ‘I win and you lose’ situation as it would result in division.” Read more about it here.
Any male person who, in public or private, commits, or abets the commission of, or procures or attempts to procure the commission by any male person of, any act of gross indecency with another male person, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years.
Reportedly, the last attempted prosecution for consensual same-sex sexual activity was in 2010. Meanwhile, all nine convictions under 377A provisions between 2007 and 2013 “involved minors or public acts of gross indecency.” Read more here.
Legalizing “Gay Sex” while banning “Gay Marriages”
is playing both “Ends-To-The Middle.
It is “Political Move” to ensure “Giving Some-Of-The-People” what they want…
while
ensuring “Giving-The-Rest-Of-The-People” what they want…too!
Eventually,
once the “Gay Marriage” routine becomes de facto and mainstream, the ban on “Gay Marriages” will be lifted.
You kill two birds with one stone: you immediate placate and you eventually mandate.
It will work and it is a prime example of using Politics in an enlightened manner to ensure societal cohesiveness and political longevity!
“… the government needed to achieve a balance between competing interests.”
Now there’s a thought. No one political group forcing their one-sided, extremist agenda on everyone else. If Singapore can do it …
Balance is the “Key.”
Asians tend to see the world as it is;
Americans tend to see the world as they would like it to be.
I’m afraid that is more to the truth about Americans typically, delusional, across the board, too.
Most Western Societies are Ethnocentric – less so – in Europe because of the two World Wars and, now, The Ukraine.
America’s last native war was The Civil War so we Americans have not had any indigenous catastrophes since 1861 – 1865.
We are whom we are and circumstances have spared us the grim realities of war on our native soil.
Ok, whatever, it still stands, “delusional” hence the politics/oppression.
“Greenville” Oklahoma, they air raided and bombed a whole 3 square mile city dubbed as “Black Wall Street” 1920, so, really, Kasper? not to mention “Wounded Knee” but i know, that doesn’t count, right? (eye role)
Very true about war on our native soil. I’m fortunate to maintain relationships with friends and family across the political Liberal/Conservative spectrum. What worries me is hearing from them (both ends) that they’re fed up with the direction the country has been heading for the past two decades or so and are ready to take up the fight. A large part of California is ready to secede from the rest; we already had multiple marches on DC by both sides; whenever one political group announces a rally or Convention in a city, opposition calls for people to “storm the location… Read more »
Very not true, actually, guess that’s why they want to rid the country of some of its hist., referred to as African Amer., hist. We seem to be quite close to ANOTHER civil war. But what I do agree with, is the separation of some states or splitting of states, hearing the same thing about Florida. However, based on certain recently past events, I can see where and what would go down with an arrangement like that.
FACTS!
yes, more Asian countries need to do this, and need to be more accepting .. unfortunately some countries have a long way to go in terms of gay rights and equality, honey
so fake gag a maggot
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