Singapore sexisms  

My brother (a Singaporean citizen) shared the good news --sex between men in his country would be decriminalized.

My brother is wont to share interesting tidbits from his home base from time to time. This time he shared a video of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announcing the repeal of Section 377A of the country’s penal code.

To those not in the know, this is the law dating back to Singapore’s colonization, which penalizes consenting male adults when they decide to give in to their earthly desires for each other. The funny thing is, it ignores women with sapphic leanings, creating an imbalance when it comes to sex between people of the same sex (no, the solution isn’t to criminalize both).

For the longest time, Singapore’s activists lobbied to get this law repealed, holding the annual Pink Dot rally. Instead of bringing understanding and compassion, however, the rallies have met with continuing resistance from authorities.

Remember when Singapore banned foreigners from participating in the Pink Dot rally? Barriers were set up to corral rallyists, and identity cards were reportedly checked prior to entry (my paranoid mind thought it would have been so easy to pepper the gay community with bullets once they were inside that pen). Foreign companies couldn’t even sponsor events, lest they be accused of interfering with internal politics.

That didn’t faze activists, including Alan Sean, former owner of the Happy gay club, and his Filipino-Australian partner, Laurindo Garcia, who could only watch rallies from a safe distance. The activists brought court cases that stressed the unconstitutional infirmities of the law, but alas, these cases were met with firm rejection by Singapore’s conservative judges. Setback after setback, however, were met with optimism, and even more resolute calls for continued vigilance and action.

Good thing they held on to hope. Turns out they could count on their highest leader, a worthy successor to his father (I mean, how could he turn his back on his gay constituents when his very own nephew, a grandson of Lee Kuan Yew, is gay).

In measured tones, Prime Minister Lee said his legal bench had advised him of the problematic constitutionality of Section 377A, and thus, his government would take the appropriate steps to repeal it. Instantaneous celebrations by the local gay community! Cue screaming fits by drag queens. Now, they could openly do whatever it was they had already been doing in secret.

This was a major victory, something that should be relished and treasured. At long last, there would be none of the psychological and penal stressors accompanying just even trying to get physical intimacy within this island nation. A lot less paranoia, a lot more loving.

But Prime Minister Lee wasn’t done yet. After giving this major concession to the gay community, he also announced that they would amend the constitution to protect traditional notions of marriage. I assume that means that marriage between persons of the same sex would officially become taboo --and I guess Pink Dot just found its new purpose.

What he giveth away with one hand, he took away with another. He bestowed freedom from persecution, but denied marriage. Prime Minister Lee is dancing a very nimble dance. He appeased the gay community by telling them they would not be prosecuted, but at the same time, he also tried appeasing the more conservative members of his society by letting them know he would protect the institution of marriage.

He probably hoped that by giving both sides their own bone to contentedly chew on, he could dampen the potential flames that could explode. Of course, for the gay community, the battle lines were just redrawn.

It’s on to marriage (or for my more practical nature, a trait enjoyed in buckets by my Singaporean friends, its functional equivalent).