The Singapore Parliament revoked, Tuesday, November 29, a law criminalizing sex between men dating from the colonial era. This law, criticized as discriminatory and stigmatizing for the LGBT community, provided for a maximum sentence of two years in prison, but was no longer applied. The same Parliament has also just amended the Constitution to prohibit marriage for all.
From our correspondent in the region, Gabrielle Marshals
” One step forward, three steps back “. This is how this lesbian mother describes recent legislative changes in Singapore. Olivia Chiong, interviewed by Reuters, says she was unable to send her children to school, raised by an unrecognized homoparental couple in Singapore. For his family therefore, the change made in the Constitution of Singapore where marriage is now defined as the only union between a woman and a man, sounds like the end of all hope.
Homophobic forums
On the side of the LGBT association, Pink Dot, if we are delighted with the repeal of the colonial law penalizing male homosexuality, we deplore at the same time that the parliamentary debate which preceded it was able to be transformed by moment in homophobic stands.
Cleavages
Like this, the last few months in Singapore have clearly shown a very divided society and laws on the question of homosexuality, with on the one hand a certain joy welcoming the announcements of decriminalization, but at the same time, 80 churches rebelling against the abandonment of this law in the press. A film was also censored by the authorities of Singapore precisely evoking the question of the homophobic speech of a Singaporean pastor.
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