LGBT Rights in Singapore

Homosexuality: ⚢
✔ Legal
Gay Marriage: ⚭
✖ Unrecognized
Censorship: ✔ No censorship
Changing Gender: ✔ Legal, but requires surgery
Non-binary gender recognition: Unknown
Discrimination: Illegal in some contexts
Employment Discrimination: Ambiguous
Housing Discrimination: Ambiguous
Adoption: Ambiguous
Military: ✔ Legal
Donating Blood: ✖ Banned (indefinite deferral)
Conversion Therapy: Ambiguous
Age of Consent: ✔ Equal

Public Opinion

Acceptance of homosexuals as neighbors

Ranked #26 out of 79 regions surveyed. (Source: World Values Survey, 2017-2020)

Question: "On this list are various groups of people. Could you please mention any that you would not like to have as neighbors?"

(26.1%) Mentioned homosexuals

Did not mention homosexuals (73.9%)

Justifiability of homosexuality

Ranked #45 out of 79 regions surveyed. (Source: World Values Survey, 2017-2020)

Question: "Please tell me for each of the following statements whether you think it can always be justified, never be justified, or something in between."

(59.1%) Not justifiable

Justifiable (16.9%)

Opinion on same-sex couples as parents

Ranked #35 out of 74 regions surveyed. (Source: World Values Survey, 2017-2020)

Question: "Homosexual couples are as good parents as other couples"

(39.2%) Disagree

Agree (28%)

By The Numbers

28^%

believe that Singaporeans should be able to participate in same-sex relationships

38^%

DO NOT believe that Singaporeans should be able to participate in same-sex relationships

(Ipsos, 2018)

72.9^%

of Singaporeans are against same-sex marriage

(Institute of Policy Studies, 2014)

78.2^%

of Singaporeans feel that sexual relations between same-sex adults is always or almost always wrong

(Institute of Policy Studies, 2014)

History

Homosexual activity in Singapore

Homosexual activity in Singapore is legal.

Current status
Since Nov 29, 2022

Legal

On 21 August 2022, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced at the National Day Rally that the Government will repeal section 377A. Later, on the 29 November 2022, the Singaporean parliament voted to decriminalise gay sex.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Until Nov 29, 2022

Male illegal, female legal

Offenders can face a penalty of imprisonment of up to 2 years.
Penal Code, Chapter XVI, Article 377A (Decriminalization pending)

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Same-sex marriage in Singapore

Same-sex marriage in Singapore is unrecognized.

Current status
Since Aug 21, 2022

Unrecognized

At the same time as Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced the clause in the penal code known as Section 377A would be repealed, he reiterated that the institution of marriage would remain "between a man and a woman".
Further restrictions were imposed on gay marriage in Singapore on Nov 29th the same year.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Sep 8, 2018–Aug 21, 2022

Not legal

Same-sex marriage is not legal in Singapore.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Jan 1, 1999–Sep 8, 2018

Unrecognized

No laws in the legal system.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Censorship of LGBT Issues in Singapore

Censorship of LGBT Issues in Singapore is no censorship.

Current status
Since Nov 29, 2022

No censorship

LGBT media has no censorship since legalization

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Until Nov 29, 2022

Ambiguous

Local media often encourages "familial social norms", but LGBT film and media content are common and not banned, although it often warrants higher age ratings.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Until 2000

State-enforced

Over the decades, LGBTQ film and content on local media was liberalised.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Right to change legal gender in Singapore

Right to change legal gender in Singapore is legal, but requires surgery.

Current status
Since Jan 24, 1996

Legal, but requires surgery

Gender reassignment surgeries are legal in Singapore, and in 1973 the government allowed patients to change their identity cards. This change implicitly recognized marriages that included an individual that had undergone surgery.

However, later in 1990, such marriages were deemed illegal after a marriage between a woman and a transgender man (Lim Ying v Hiok Kian Ming Eric) was declared void by the High Court.

In 1996, MP Abdullah Tarmugi made an announcement that individuals who have undergone surgery could marry someone of the opposite sex.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Jan 24, 1996–Sep 7, 2018

Legal, but requires surgery

Requires surgery to changes documents. Missing non binary options on documents.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Singapore

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Singapore is unknown.

Current status

Unknown

LGBT discrimination in Singapore

LGBT discrimination in Singapore is illegal in some contexts.

Current status
Since Oct 7, 2019

Illegal in some contexts

The Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act (MRHA) was amended in 2019 to include protections for individuals from the LGBTQ community.

In 2021, Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam stated that “LGBTQ persons, non-LGBTQ persons, we are all equal. We are not any lesser by reason of our sexual preferences.”

Details · Accurate? Yes No

LGBT employment discrimination in Singapore

LGBT employment discrimination in Singapore is ambiguous.

Current status

Ambiguous

It is generally ambiguous whether protections from the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act (MRHA) amendment in 2019 also applies in a workplace context.

In 2021, Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam stated that “LGBTQ persons, non-LGBTQ persons, we are all equal. We are not any lesser by reason of our sexual preferences.” and added that action will be taken if anyone stirs hate speech either for or against any sexual or religious community.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

LGBT housing discrimination in Singapore

LGBT housing discrimination in Singapore is ambiguous.

Current status

Ambiguous

No laws ban or have no protections.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Same-sex adoption in Singapore

Same-sex adoption in Singapore is ambiguous.

Current status

Ambiguous

In 2018, a gay Singaporean man won a landmark appeal in the local court to adopt a surrogate child.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Jan 1, 1990–Sep 1, 2018

Single only

No laws for same sex couples.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Serving openly in military in Singapore

Serving openly in military in Singapore is legal.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 2017

Legal

No restrictions on lgbt serving.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Until Jan 1, 2017

Ambiguous

Medically downgraded to a Physical Employment Status of C (PES C), and put through modified Basic Military Training. On graduation, they are deployed in a vocation which has no security risks, posted to non-sensitive units and given a security status which restricts their access to classified documents.

Details · Accurate? Yes No