Striking a good balance for society

Decriminalising gay sex while upholding the current definition of marriage strikes an important balance between different social interests and perspectives. This is the task of a responsible Parliament elected by Singaporeans. The House did so on Tuesday by voting to repeal Section 377A of the Penal Code while endorsing changes to the Constitution to protect the current definition of marriage from legal challenge. The repeal saw 93 MPs voting in favour of the move, and the constitutional amendment to introduce Article 156 saw 85 MPs voting in favour.

The need for the twin votes is manifested by the danger that, if Parliament had voted only to repeal Section 377A, it would have left the issue of marriage and created a potential threat of the current definition being ruled unconstitutional. Prevailing family values and social norms, which most Singaporeans wish to uphold, include the family as the cornerstone of society’s fabric and marriage being defined as that between a man and a woman. Now, Singaporeans would be reassured that the institutions of marriage and the family would be protected by the laws of the land even as the nation moves forward after having decriminalised gay sex, the criminalisation being the legacy of a colonial-era law long gone from the statutes of Britain itself.