200 Years of LGBTQIA+ History

From Shadows to Pride — UK & Global Timeline

29 November 2022

Singapore Repeals Section 377A — Decriminalises Gay Sex

Legal International

Singapore's Parliament voted to repeal Section 377A of the Penal Code, which had criminalised sex between men since British colonial rule in 1938. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had announced the repeal in his National Day Rally, acknowledging that the law was 'long outdated.' However, Parliament simultaneously amended the Constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman, preventing future legal challenges for same-sex marriage.

Impact & Significance

Ended a colonial legacy of criminalisation in one of Asia's most influential city-states, though the constitutional amendment on marriage tempered celebrations.

Reference Record

Date
29 November 2022
Era
2020-present
Sources
1

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Topic Guides

Global Decriminalisation and Marriage Wins Recent global LGBTQ+ legal wins show courts, legislatures and civil-society campaigns removing colonial-era criminal laws and expanding relationship recognition.

Questions This Event Helps Answer

Q How did international law change LGBTQ+ rights? International law changed LGBTQ+ rights by challenging criminalisation, creating partnership recognition, protecting sexual orientation in constitutions and opening marriage equality. Q How did LGBTQ+ asylum protection develop? LGBTQ+ asylum protection developed as refugee law recognised persecution based on sexual orientation and gender identity, then tested whether asylum systems treated claimants safely and fairly. Q Which global LGBTQ+ legal wins changed rights? Major wins included decriminalisation in Mozambique, Belize, India, Botswana, Angola and Singapore, plus Thailand's marriage-equality law.

Related Events

1533 Buggery Act 1533 — First English Sodomy Law 2018 India Decriminalises Homosexuality — Section 377 Struck Down

Sources

First Reading of the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill and the Constitution Amendment Bill government Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs
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