Highlight
Sex between men in Singapore can be punished with up to two years
Now this law will end
marriage rules will not change
Kuala Lumpur. Section 377A of the Singapore Penal Code, inherited from the British colonial era, provides for a prison sentence of up to two years for sexual intercourse between men. Now it will be ended. But this change will be limited and the rules of marriage will not change.
Singapore announced on Sunday that it would decriminalize sex between men by repealing a colonial-era law protecting traditional norms of marriage, according to AP news agency. During his speech at the annual National Day rally, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he believed it was the right thing to do now as most Singaporeans would now accept it.
He said that private sex between consenting adults does not raise any issue of law and order. There is no justification to prosecute people for this nor to make it a crime. Lee said the law decriminalizing homosexuality would be repealed and would have no impact on Singapore’s traditional family and social norms. Article 377A will be repealed with caution. Section 377A of the Penal Code was introduced in Singapore in the 1930s under British colonial rule.
Smaller than Mumbai, why is Singapore special? Learn…
British rule over Singapore ended in 1963, when Singapore became a state of Malaysia. It became independent two years later but retained the British Penal Code, which makes sexual relations between men punishable by up to two years in prison. Gay men say the law is a sword hanging over their heads and discriminates against them. Every year thousands of activists hold a rally called Pink Dot in Singapore in support of the LGBTQ community.
Read breaking news first in Hindi News18 Hindi | Read today’s latest news, live news updates, most trusted Hindi news website News18 Hindi |
Tags: gay relationship, Marriage, Singapore
First Published: 22 August 2022, 08:34 IST
