Words by Smiley Team
Singapore has announced it will decriminalise homosexuality.
The city-state made the announcement at the end of August that they would be abolishing the colonial-era law in a landslide victory for LGBTQ+ Singaporeans.
"We finally did it, and we're ecstatic that this discriminatory, antiquated law is finally going to be off the books,” said gay activist Johnson Ong to the BBC. “There's a sense that maybe it took a little too long, but it had to happen, you know. Today we are very, very happy.”
An LGBTQ+ rights coalition stated that the news signifies a "hard-won victory and a triumph of love over fear", toting this decision as the first step toward equal rights for LGBTQ+ Singaporeans.
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Singapore is the latest place in Asia to make positive changes to homophobic laws; others who have made similar moves in recent years include Taiwan, Thailand and India.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said, "This is the right thing to do, and something that most Singaporeans will accept". In recent years, the law has not been enforced, but the Singaporean government was hesitant to make the change official, in hopes of appeasing those who are more conservative.
The decision to act for LGBTQ+ rights is a hugely exciting one, that will have a ripple effect throughout the city-state, as well as the rest of Asia.
GET INVOLVED: Get stuck in with Oogachaga, a Singaporean LGBTQ+ charity aiming to support LGBTQ+ Singaporeans.
DONATE: Give to the Kaleidoscope Trust, to help end homophobic laws in Commonwealth countries.
