Singapore's LGBT Community Wants The Country To Go The Way of India's Landmark Decision
Singapore’s LGBT community wants the country to end a ban on gay sex after India scrapped the same law a few days ago. India’s landmark ruling on Thursday axed the law, which was reinstated five years ago and punishable by up to 10 years in jail. ‘Thanks to all that fought for this, braving the worst sort of prejudice.
This is a good day for human rights,’ one activist said. Singapore has campaigned for some time for the gay sex law to be axed (Picture: AFP PHOTO / Roslan RAHMAN) Now, the gay community in Singapore is mounting pressure on its government to do the same. It has flooded Twitter and Facebook with messages. ‘There are many strong moral and economic arguments,’ said one woman. ‘The heterosexual community need to stop staying silent and playing dumb, and actually advocate and stand up for the rights,’ said another Facebook user. ‘It’s a horrible law that discriminates. It should really go very soon,’ wrote one man.
Tommy Koh, ambassador-at-large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has encouraged the country’s LGBT community to put pressure on the government Tommy Koh, ambassador-at-large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Singapore, himself took to Facebook. The veteran politician wrote: ‘I would encourage our gay community to bring a class action to challenge the constitutionality of Section 377A.’ Under section 377A of Singapore’s Penal Code, a man found to have committed an act of ‘gross indecency’ with another man.
Professor Koh was reminded on Facebook how previous attempts to end the 2014 law failed, to which he wrote ‘try again’. MORE: WORLD North Korea leaves nuclear missiles out of huge 70th military parade British man dies after emergency medical treatment on flight to Ibiza Woman, 92, left for 25 hours in hospital chair with painful kidney infection The law in Singapore does not apply to homosexual acts between women. Chief of government communications in the country Janadas Devan supported Professor Koh. ‘Speaking personally, I support Tommy’s position. 377A is a bad law; it is bad law. ‘Sooner or later, it will go. Pray sooner rather than later,’ he wrote.
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