Singapore repeals gay sex ban, but will not legalize same-sex marriage

On Tuesday, Singapore’s government repealed their gay sex ban. The law, which is formally called Section 377A, penalized sex between men with a maximum of two years in prison.

On the same day, Singapore’s government also amended their constitution to block any future court challenges that in other countries have led to the legalisation of same-sex marriage.

The government has defended its decision to amend the constitution by saying decisions on such matters should not be dealt with by the courts. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his successor also ruled out any changes to the current legal definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman.

“We will try and maintain a balance…to uphold a stable society with traditional, heterosexual family values, but with space for homosexuals to live their lives and contribute to society,” Minister K. Shanmugam said in parliament this week, according to Advocate.

Parliament voted 93 in favor of the repeal, with three against and no absentees.

“I am happy that it had finally happened,” a member of the LGBTQ community told AFP. The man was identified only as Justin.

“One less reason for me to hide my true self, because of some archaic law. But this is just the first step to remove the social and religious stigma that has been upon the community because of outdated beliefs, and media censorship.”