Same-sex marriage in Singapore

It is perhaps premature to talk about same-sex marriage in Singapore when, at a more basic level, Section 377A of the Penal Code still criminalises sex between men.

However, the fact that male gay sex remains a crime has not prevented gay Singaporeans from forging stable long-term relationships and from living together as couples.

Many of them have gone overseas to register civil unions there or even get married to their partners in countries like Canada and some states in the USA where gay marriage has been legalised.

Others celebrate their loving relationships via videos posted on YouTube.

Even though gay marriage is not yet legal, gay weddings are in Singapore, unlike the case with Vietnam where it was illegal until as recent as 2014. However, the "marriages" that the wedding ceremonies of dinners celebrate cannot be registered with the Registry of Marriages and are therefore not legally recognised.

There is much less discrimination against lesbian relationships, especially after lesbian sex was decriminalised during the Penal Code review in 2007 when the former Section 377, which criminalised "carnal intercourse against the order of nature" (theoretically including penetrative lesbian sex) was repealed.

Therefore, if there is a push by LGBT activists to legalise gay marriage in Singapore, it will be spearheaded by lesbian couples serving as role models as there is much less mainstream resistance against their relationships.

=See also=


 * Same-sex marriage
 * LGBT parenting in Singapore
 * Section 377A of the Singapore Penal Code

=References=

=Acknowledgements=

This article was written by Roy Tan.