Singapore conducts a survey on the legality of gay relations

Singapore, 23 Mar The Government of Singapore has conducted a survey to test popular sentiments about the possible repeal of section 377A of the penal code, which criminalizes gay relations and which a court decided not to repeal at the end of February. “This survey is open to anyone, regardless of sexual orientation. Your response will be shared with relevant agencies and could be used by the Government for regulatory changes and updates,” says Reach, the government agency responsible for polling and interaction with citizens. According to Reach, the online survey that concluded this Wednesday received an “overwhelming” reception, and was answered by more than 30,000 people, above the average of other polls, published by The Straits Times. Some questions directly inquired about section 377A, inherited from the British colonial period and which criminalizes homosexual relations between men: one of them asked the respondent to consider whether the regulations should be “repealed”, “maintained”, “modified” or whether they were “indifferent”. The poll launched on Tuesday comes less than a month after the Singapore Court of Appeals upheld a lower court award that had rejected a constitutional claim against the law, which provides for up to two years' imprisonment for men who engage in “acts of gross indecency” with another man. Shortly after the judicial decision, lamented by the island's LGBTI collective, the Minister of Justice, K.Shanmugam, assured that the Government was “carefully considering the best path from now on in terms of the law”, which the authorities argue is not a threat as they consider it not applied. “We must respect different points of view, consider them carefully and talk to all groups,” the minister said in a speech in parliament on March 3. The survey, unusual for its theme on the semi-autocratic island, also investigates the perception of the population about the integration of the LGBTI community; there are, for example, the statements “I feel they are accepted”, or “I support the LGBTI community and its cause”, followed by five possible responses ranging from “strongly in agreement” to “very much in agreement” disagreement”. Inherited from the British colonial period, Singapore's LGBTI community has been fighting for the repeal of section 377A for years, more vigorously since India, where it also existed, revoked it in 2018, although the authorities have so far ruled it out, even arguing that its elimination would lack popular support. CHIEF pav/raa/jac