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Loading ...Singapore gays hold first Pride
05.18.2009 1:37pm EDT
(Singapore) The gay community in tightly controlled Singapore held its first-ever rally Saturday, taking advantage of looser laws on public gatherings to call for equality.
About 2,500 participants wore pink clothing, played music and sang songs at a park known as Speaker’s Corner, according to the group Pink Dot, which represents Singapore’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents.“This is a great opportunity for us to make our pitch for the equal treatment of the LGBT community in Singapore,” said Roy Tan, a Pink Dot spokesman.
Singapore’s government has become more tolerant toward gays and lesbians in recent years, but sodomy is still illegal, Tan said.
Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng told the state-owned New Paper on Friday that gay people “have a place in our society” but warned they must “not assert themselves stridently as gay groups do in the West.”
The government eased a ban on public demonstrations last year, encouraging Singaporeans to air grievances at Speaker’s Corner as long as they don’t discuss race, language or religion. The government says public discussion of those subjects could inflame passions and create instability in the multi-ethnic city-state.
Congratualtions…on good plan, for good party! Thanks for the reort..have been fb fan of Pink Dot and wanted news.
Here is url for photos.
tinyurl.com/pu6yph
They’re more tolerant of gay people, yet sodomy is still illegal? How do they explain that one?
Singapore Penal Code (Amended in 2007) (”Outrages on decency”) states that:
Section 377 – [Repealed, 2007]
Section 377A – “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.”
I have been trying very hard to repeal this section with other gay activists, straight alliances – even celebrities are getting involved in the action to repeal s377A.
My action involved is here:
http://www.repeal377a.com/
Because the country receives so many western visitors, the prosecuting authority in Singapore has “assured” foreigners that retaining the sodomy law is “symbolic,” and that they will not charge anybody with sodomy for consensual sex in private.
While I’m sure that’s a comforting thought to everyone here, you could always go to China instead. They repealed their sodomy law in 1997. And, in truth, the shopping is probably just as good as Singapore.
So, according to the Penal (snicker) Code as quoted by Paul of Australia, lesbian sex is perfectly legal!
Yes that is correct Dave of Arizona, Lesbian sex is legal – 80 countries make all homosexuality illegal, while of that only 34 countries only make male homosexuality illegal – however lesbian sex is LEGAL!!!!
Wondering why??
This was caused by the British and since Britan had a HUGE Empire, there laws were taken from the year 1860 and 1886. For example in India, Malyasia, Singapore, plenty of southern African nations and Carribean Islands, Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea and the only south american country (Guyana, Guyana is the only south american country were people speak English) [these countries were British Colonies, but became indepentant countries].
The whole of Europe recently completly ABOLISHED ALL SODOMY LAWS!!!!!
A “sodomy law” is a law that crimilizes gay men, lesbians – even heterosexuals [for guess what] private, consensual sexual activity between two adults.
ALL SODOMY LAWS MUST BE FULLY ABOLISHED!!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_Law_Amendment_Act_1885