DLNews Staff:

SECTION 377A WAS ABOLISHED!

Sex between men is no longer a criminal offense in Singapore. This was decided by the Parliament of the Asian city-state on Tuesday, repealing a law dating back to British colonial times.

The LGBTQ community reacted with relief to the decision. "The air I'm breathing definitely feels a lot lighter," said gay Singaporean Benjamin Xue. Doctor Roy Tan said the law's repeal marked the "birth of a new chapter" in the history of Singapore's LGBTQ community.

Repealing the law is correct because "consensual sex between men can no longer be considered a crime," Justice Minister Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam (63) said at the end of the parliamentary debate.

Consensual adult sexual relations are a private matter, Singapore Prime Minister said.

Colonial-era Article 377A carried a maximum sentence of two years in prison for homosexual practices but has not been used for years.

Nevertheless, activists have long criticized the paragraph as contradicting the increasingly modern and dynamic way of life in the Southeast Asian city-state.

Marriage is still reserved for heterosexuals.

However: The Parliament in Singapore also passed a constitutional amendment on Tuesday that clarifies that marriage can only be concluded between a man and a woman.

The traditional definition of family is the foundation of society, explained the social and family minister Masagos Zulkifli (59). Therefore, there are no plans to change this definition to include same-sex marriages.

However, if societal attitudes change, it is possible that Parliament could change the definition of marriage.

Homosexuality is illegal in over 70 countries worldwide, and it is punishable by death in eleven of them.