In Singapore, LGBT rights for males are sadly lacking, particularly for same sex marriage, although LGBT rights for females are recognized.
This is not surprising as we are known for our draconian and rigid laws and many people all over the world may liken our country to a dictatorship or chastise our laws, but the government does take a pragmatic and more conservative approach to things than many other western countries. The Singapore government prioritizes economic growth and racial and religious harmony over freedom of speech and rights. This may also be due to the Singapore society being more conservative and stigmatizing same-sex marriage and gay couples, with the government upholding an anti-LGBT stance towards male same sex marriage in order to avoid tension and inflame certain segments of society, in their own words. After all, we are a multi-racial and multi-religious society and there is no one size approach that fits all, and I gather that not everyone or every segment in society views LGBT rights negatively, likewise positively.
Personally, I do not discriminate the LGBT community. To me, they are normal human beings like you and me, and we should respect them as such. I just hope that our government can loosen a bit on their anti-LGBT stance, but yet at the same time I understand that there may be back lashes from certain segments of society and there may still be stigmatization from certain segments of society towards the LGBT community. Our government has relaxed a lot on its laws, but I just hope they do view the LGBT community in a more positive light.
12-Dec-2017 16:50:45
- Last edited on
12-Dec-2017 16:51:57
by
Tanah Merah