Oral, anal sex to be made legal in Singapore

dpa German Press Agency
Published: Wednesday November 8, 2006

Singapore- Oral and anal sex between consenting heterosexual adults in the privacy of their bedrooms will be officially made legal under proposed changes to Singapore's Penal Code, the government reported on Thursday. In a move greeted by many as long overdue, the section on sexual acts "against the order of nature" will be repealed.

The changes emerged from the most extensive review of the code's 511 provisions since 1984 carried out by various agencies in addition to the attorney-general's chambers and the ministry of law.

The proposed changes were put online Thursday at www.reach.gov.sg, the website of REACH, a government unit established in October 2006 for the public to give their views.

The section of the Penal Code which deals with acts of "gross indecency" will remain in force along with the penalty of a maximum of two years in jail.

The Home Affairs Ministry said homosexuality is not widely accepted or tolerated in the conservative city-state, so oral and anal sex will be decriminalized only if they take place between heterosexuals.

As a result, it is still technically illegal for men to have sex with other men.

The oral and anal sex prohibitions have been the subject of controversy since the court of appeal ruled in 1997 that oral sex is a crime except when it is prelude to intercourse between a man and woman.

Offenders faced either life imprisonment or a maximum of 10 years in jail and a fine.

In practice, prosecution against consulting adults, heterosexual or homosexual, has been unheard of in recent year. The law was typically invoked in cases involving minors.

Law professor Michael Hor questioned the validity of the reasons given for not decriminalizing homosexual acts.

"For example, adultery is similarly unacceptable, not tolerated and abhorrent, but there is no suggestion that adultery ought to be criminalized," The Straits Times quoted him as saying.

The gay advocacy group People Like Us said retaining penalties on homosexual acts is "an invasion of privacy, besides being discriminatory."

The government "should be doing all it can to overturn prejudice and discrimination," the group's statement said.

© 2006 dpa German Press Agency