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26/04/2007
Enough of enigmatic words, time for government to act
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Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew Questions Gay Sex Law
From People Like Us
According to the Straits Times, Lee was speaking in answer to a question from Young PAP activist Loretta Chen, who had asked where censorship was headed in the next two decades. Young PAP is the youth wing of the People’s Action Party. The event was a gathering of this youth group at the St James Power Station, a trendy night spot, on 21 April 2007.
Especially as these comments were made extemporaneously, their meaning is open to interpretation. There remains considerable uncertainty as to what Lee had in mind when he spoke of taking a “practical, pragmatic approach” and not upsetting anti-gay groups’ “sense of propriety and right and wrong.”
People Like Us has long argued that equality for the GLBT minorities is more than just a matter of being practical. Fundamental rights are at issue. It is detrimental to fundamental conceptions of justice and equality as well as the constitutional development of Singapore not to respect these rights, whether with regard to GLBTs or other minorities.
Nonetheless, if the government thinks that it can sell the idea of decriminalisation – if indeed that was what Lee had at the back of his mind – through reliance on the argument of pragmatism, then so be it. The important thing is for the government to act. For many years now, it’s been one minister after another muttering words that have so far not translated into any meaningful change in policy or legislation. Enough.
10:33 Posted by soci | Permalink | Comments (2) | Email this | Tags: Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew
Comments
That is so true. If homosexuality is a genetic disposition (you are born homosexual) then how can you criminalize it since you are not making a conscious choice to be homosexual. Cause, heaven forbid that you actually make a choice to be something that is against the norms of what a single minded religious society believes. After all, isnt it religious fanatic followers that have given us the great things like the Crusades, Holy Wars, Inquisitions, Witch Trials/burnings? Nothing like taking a bit of guidance and leadership from those tomes for sure.
So, I wonder, if it is being proven that sociopathy and psychopathy (bringing in serial killers) is actually a genetically born disposition, does that mean we can stop making killing illegal for these people? I mean, they didnt choose to do something against the beliefs of society, they are just predispositioned to do that. Guess that means if you want to save your neck in Singapore if you commit a murder, you have to prove that you are genetically predispositioned to violence and murder and then you might just get a light prison sentence for 're-education' instead of having your neck stretched a few inches.
Posted by: darren barker | 26/04/2007
The reason there is so much divisiveness relating to heterosexual vs homosexual is that the state is involved in the one-on-one relationships between individuals.
For starters, IMO the state should be OUT of marriage. The institution of marriage is a matter for religious or spiritual organisations —even agnostics and atheists can form their own "humanistic" institutions. The CONTRACT of marriage can be protected under common law, which protects all contractual arrangements anyway.
When the state is allowed to interfere with relationships, you get all sorts of complications: the tax code is no longer uniform — people with kids get breaks, singles don't, gay couples luck out all together, "legally" married couples are "more entitled" to get their HDB... etc etc.
The state does nothing but CORRUPT the nature of voluntary associations and relationships by sticking its nose in (once again) where is doesn't belong. People are quite capable of administering their own relationships, and those who can't won't be able to anyway — whether there is a state there or not.
Ever wondered why the divorce rate is so high?
Posted by: Matilah_Singapura | 27/04/2007