The Singapore government has lifted Act 377A, which criminalises gay sex, but is still strictly against gay marriage. The Colonia-era act was passed down by the British, and much like India's Section 377, Singapore too chose to retain it after gaining independence in 1965.
While Singapore has not enforced the law heavily in recent years, several gay rights activists believe it was the root cause of discrimination against and stigmatisation of the LGBTQIA+ community. Generally, the ban on gay sex is seen as a ban on homosexuality.
What did the government say?
BUT,
Singapore PM Lee said that the government has no intention of changing the definition of marriage and no decriminalisation of same-sex marriage will take place. According to him, it underlies numerous government policies. "Many national policies rely on this definition of marriage, including public housing, education, adoption rules, and advertising standards, " he said.
However, Singapore is not the only country that has restricted same-sex marriage.
It's 2022, and still, at least 69 countries have imposed restrictions on gay rights and have punishments including the death penalty.
Here, check out the complete list of countries that have outlawed homosexuality:
Atrocities against the LGBTQIA+ community have become less hostile, and more countries have started making amendments for the betterment of the community.
As of July 2022, 32 countries recognised same-sex marriage.