In what seemed like a major step towards marriage equality, Singapore finally lifted the colonial-era ban on sex between men. But Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong stated that the government will not change the legal definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman. On top of that, Lee said the government will amend Singapore's constitution to "protect" the definition of marriage from being legally challenged -- effectively ruling out the possibility of marriage equality.
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While the decriminalization of sex between men is long overdue, it won't do much to end the discrimination of LGBTQ+ people in Singapore. The country's ruling party has established a conservative society with social benefits that mainly depend on marital status. For example, if you're under 35 years old and want to apply for government-subsidized housing, you can only qualify if you're married. This leaves the entire LGBTQ+ community in Singapore at an economic disadvantage.
Twenty-two LGBTQ groups in Singapore released a that a constitutional amendment painting LGBTQ+ people as unequal citizens is disappointing: "Such a decision will undermine the secular character of our constitution, codify further discrimination into supreme law, and tie the hands of future parliaments."
Sign the petition to decriminalize same-sex marriage in Singapore!
