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On Aug. 21, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that the Singapore government would repeal Section 377A, and decriminalise sex between consenting men in Singapore.

In the same speech, he also said that Singapore would amend Singapore's constitution to protect the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman from legal challenges.

Section 377A frequently mentioned by foreigners

Section 377A is often brought up by foreigners, sometimes in a critical context, as most recently seen in an interview between Deputy Prime Minister Lawerence Wong and Bloomberg Chief Editor John Micklethwait.

The status of Singapore's LGBTQ community was also brought up during a recent visit by United States' Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, prompting the Ministry of Home Affairs to issue a warning to foreign companies about interfering in domestic issues.

Pink Dot, an annual LGBTQ advocacy event, is often covered in foreign media, drawing international attention to the status of Section 377A.

So here's a quick snapshot of what some of the international media said about repeal of Section 377A.

International Snapshots

Many touched on very similar points, with the main difference being the level of emphasis placed on particular aspects of the announcement.

All the outlets surveyed delved into the law's colonial era origins, the long struggle for repeal that many activists have gone through, as well as PM Lee's statements that the definition of marriage will remain between a man and a woman, and protected from legal challenges.

Articles, such as these by the South China Morning Post and CNN, balanced amongst all these points, without having a significant emphasis on any one point.

CNN has covered Pink Dot events as far back as 2017, but it also sometimes has trouble figuring out if Singapore is, in fact, a country.

The BBC noted the elation of advocacy groups:

"The law is also at odds with Singapore's image as an open, diverse global financial hub and multinational companies based in the state have said it would hinder their efforts to attract talent."

New York Times mentioned last Parliament debate in 2007

The New York Times documented the history of Section 377A, especially during the time between since the last time 377A was debated in 2007. It characterised Singapore as:

"Singapore is famously known as a “nanny state” and the government often interferes in even small aspects of people’s personal lives, going so far as to organise social events to help young people find prospective mates. It also still metes out harsh punishments for offences that are increasingly decriminalised in the West, including possession of small amounts of drugs."

They covered PM Lee's 2007 speech, where he chose not to support repeal, but also stated that the LGBTQ community should not be discriminated against.

"In 2007, he gave a lengthy speech arguing that Singapore should retain the law because it was a conservative society based on the traditional family and should remain so. At the same time, he said, homosexuals should have a place in society and were entitled to their private lives."

The Associated Press, whose article was picked up by outlets such as NPR, noted a personal connection that PM Lee had to the LGBTQ community, as one of his nephews is gay, although it did not suggest if that had any bearing on the government's decision.

Interviews with Singaporeans

Perhaps amongst the most detailed coverage of the news came from The Washington Post (WaPo) and the Sydney Morning Herald.

WaPo wrote about the reactions of LGBTQ advocacy groups, noting the sense of relief they felt at the announcement of repeal of 377A, but also worry about the looming changes to the constitutional definition of marriage.

WaPo's headline also emphasised the protection of the definition of marriage in its headline, while other news outlets highlighted 377A's repeal instead.

"Section 377A has caused “immeasurable pain and suffering” for LGBTQ people in the country, said Jean Chong, co-founder of Sayoni, a queer rights organization in Singapore.

Chong said she feels “deep regret” that the removal of the law has to come alongside added protections to the government’s definition of marriage."

The Sydney Morning Herald profiled the former executive director of Oogachaga Bryan Choong, his experience of coming out as gay in Singapore, and his efforts in advocating for 377A's repeal.

"The armed forces is not the first place you’d image a gay person would come out in,” he told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age on Monday."

Malaysia's brief coverage

Regional newspapers, as noted, mainly used wire service stories when publishing in English, with little original coverage on the issue.

Malaysian national news organisation Bernama's Malay language coverage focused on the  National Day Rally Speech as a whole, but briefly covered the 377A in its final two paragraphs without offering further commentary.

Reuters' coverage was picked up by several regional newspapers such as the New Straits Times in Malaysia, Laos News, as well as in Indonesia's Tempo, albiet translated into Bahasa Indonesia.

Reuters wrote about the resistance to the change in the law, noting

"An alliance of more than 80 churches expressed strong disappointment on Sunday over the government's decision."

Pave the way

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, welcomed the announcement of repeal, saying:

“This colonial era law has more broadly impacted and stigmatised the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) people as a whole”

Bachelette's statement went on to describe the repeal as a "win for humanity", calling on the government to "expedite the repeal process".

She hoped that the repeal would help "pave the way for constructive dialogue and greater understanding and acceptance of and safety for LGBTIQ+ individuals in Singapore."

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