Singapore drops ban on homosexual activity

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Sunday that the Singaporean government would repeal Section 377A of the country’s penal Code, a colonial-era law that prohibited sex between men and punished it with up to two years in jail. Lee said that the country would amend its constitution to safeguard the institution of marriage and prevent any future amendments from instituting a right to same-sex marriage. He also said the decision will not change what will be taught in public schools or depicted on public television and broadcasting. The Singaporean Parliament had previously voted in 2007 to keep Section 377A but not enforce it. The prime minister said societal norms have shifted in the country and many Singaporeans are now ready for decriminalization.

How have Christians responded? Singapore’s National Council of Churches said it wants pastors and church workers protected from “hate speech” accusations and from pressure to be “LGBTQ-affirming” in counseling sessions. The Alliance of Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches of Singapore called the decision “extremely regrettable.”

Dig deeper: Read Janie B. Cheaney’s column from the WORLD archives about how Christians should respond to changing cultural norms of sexuality.