T3 Blog Prompt #1

Over the weekend, New York become the 6th state in the US to legalize same-sex marriage. Do you think that same-sex marriage will ever become legal in Singapore?

I think same-sex marriage will not become legal in Singapore. The government is against same-sex marriage and have strict laws to prevent such things from happening. This can be supported by " Same-sex marriages are not allowed in Singapore and determined by the National Registration Act of which the gender the person is born. Should the sex be changed at later stages, if the new sex is different from the partner, it is allowed by petition of court for Civil Marriages.
Section 377A of the Penal Code of Singapore is the main remaining piece of legislation which criminalises sex between mutually consenting adult men. Section 377A ("Outrages on decency") states that: Any male person who, in public or private, commits, or abets the commission of, or procures or attempts to procure the commission by any male person of, any act of gross indecency with another male person, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years." This shows that same-sex marriage is not allowed in Singapore and will not become legal in Singapore.

Also, I think that same-sex marriage will not become legal in Singapore as many people and also PM Lee are against it. This can be supported by "Opponents of the repeal of Section 377A based their arguments on the conviction that to decriminalise homosexuality would result in a breakdown of the family unit, compromise Singapore's position on procreation, and lead to future undesirable scenarios such as the approval of bestiality and paedophila. Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong was both cautionary and hopeful in his speech to the Singapore parliament. He argued that repealing Article 377A would not give gay rights activists the space and full acceptance they wanted because the majority of Singaporeans “strenuously oppose same sex marriage and parenting and granting [homosexuals the] same rights as heterosexual men and women.” He added, “Even people who are not anti-gay will oppose these moves.” Mr. Lee’s advice was not to force the issue. He insisted, “By repealing 377A we will polarize the nation... the more gay activists push their agenda the stronger will be the pushback from conservative forces in Singapore…. On moral values with consequences for wider society, we must be careful about radical departures from social norms and not be carried away by what other societies do.... We must not allow activists to champion gay rights like they do in the West.” This shows that many people oppose same-sex marriage and hence I think that same-sex marriage will not become legal in Singapore.

In addition, the government greatly disadvantages same-sex couples hence it would discourage them from being together. This can be supported " Legal and immigration rights are not awarded to binational couples, where one partner is a Singaporean or Singaporean permanent resident. Dependent visas, which are usually issued for heterosexual spouses, are not available for same-sex couples. Tax rights, wills, and spousal insurance benefits do not include LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) couples. There is no recognition of same-sex couples in most areas of concern such as hospital visitation and Central Provident Fund benefits. Same sex couples in Singapore, whether citizens or foreigners, currently have no possibility of owning their own homes through the public housing scheme, and many rent as they are unable to afford private housing. Same-sex partners - both must be above 35 and Singapore Citizens - can purchase a flat under the Joint Singles Scheme." Hence, I can see that the government is trying to prevent same-sex couples by giving them disincentives and hence would not allow same-sex marriage in Singapore.

Recently, New York became the 6th state in the US to legalize same-sex marriage. In the United States, same-sex marriages are not recognized federally, though same-sex couples can marry in six states and one district. Same-sex marriage is legally recognized nationwide in Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, and Sweden. In Mexico, same-sex marriages are only performed in Mexico City, but these marriages are recognized by all Mexican states.Israel does not recognize same-sex marriages performed on its territory, but recognizes same-sex marriages performed in foreign jurisdictions. Soon, more countries would follow and eventually the whole world would allow same-sex marriage. This would make more people think that same-sex marriage is fine, and there would be more gays and lesbians, and would lead to more problems.

As allowing same-sex marriage would lead to many problems ,I hope that the government will not allow same-sex marriage.