Singapore: LGBTQ community fears enshrining traditional marriage will cause inequality

LGBTQ community in Singapore on Monday (August 22) welcomed government's plan of decriminalising gay sex. However, the community warned that amendment in the constitution to enshrine traditional definition of marriage may promote inequality. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday made an announcement in which he said that the city-state will repeal section 377A, the colonial-era law that penalised sex between men. The section prescribed punishment of up to two years in jail.

Gay rights campaigners have long said section 377A runs counter to the affluent city-state's vibrant culture and have unsuccessfully challenged the law in court.

Roy Tan, one of several people who had unsuccessfully challenged the law in court, said repealing 377A would make him "feel more like I belonged in Singapore, now that the state no longer regards me as a criminal".

"Removing the stigma wrought by Section 377A would make it easier for more closeted gay men to come out and embrace their sexuality instead of hiding their identities in shame, together with all the psychological damage that it causes," he told AFP.

"Too many elderly LGBT people are living their lives alone and it would be a tragedy if most died solitary and uncared for."

In spite of the repeal, Singapore PM's announcement on Sunday also created obstacles on the path to full marriage equality. As of now, people can still challenge the constitutionality of the definition of marriage, but Lee said doing so would risk the court stepping into policy-making.

"Judges interpret and apply the law... They have neither the expertise nor the mandate to settle political questions, nor rule on social norms and values," Lee said.

He said that in order to prevent this, the government would amen constitution to "safeguard the institution of marriage". The definition of institution of marriage will be that between a man and a woman.

The LGBTQ community -- in a statement signed by more than 20 groups -- said they opposed to any further laws and constitutional changes to protect the traditional definition of marriage as doing so would promote unequal treatment.

"We urge the government not to heed recent calls from religious conservatives to enshrine the definition of marriage into the constitution," they said in the statement issued late Sunday.

"Such a decision will undermine the secular character of our constitution, codify further discrimination into supreme law, and tie the hands of future parliaments."

(With inputs from agencies)

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