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Politics

Singapore declines to follow Taiwan, Thailand on LGBT+ rights

Move to lift ban on gay sex comes with vow to enshrine male-female marriage

LGBT+ supporters calling for the repeal of Section 377A of Singapore's penal code, which criminalizes gay sex, are about to get their wish. But the city-state also plans to enshrine male-female marriage in its constitution.   © Reuters

SINGAPORE -- Singapore is casting itself as a more open society with a decision to decriminalize sexual relations between men, but the city-state has also made it clear that it will not be one of the few places in Asia blazing a trail for recognizing marriage outside traditional confines.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong staked out this carefully calibrated position in a speech on Sunday, framing a move to repeal the colonial-era prohibition as "a political accommodation that balances different legitimate views and aspirations among Singaporeans."

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