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LGBT Rights in Singapore

    Homosexuality
    ✔ Legal
    Gay Marriage
    ✖ Unrecognized, same-sex marriage and civil unions banned
    Censorship
    ✖ State-enforced
    Changing Gender
    ✖ Legal, but requires surgery
    Non-binary gender recognition
    ✖ Not legally recognized
    Discrimination
    ✖ Illegal in some contexts
    Employment Discrimination
    ✖ Sexual orientation only
    Housing Discrimination
    Ambiguous
    Adoption
    ✖ Single only
    Military
    ✔ Legal
    Donating Blood
    ✖ Banned (indefinite deferral)
    Conversion Therapy
    ✔ Banned
    Age of Consent
    ✔ Equal

Recent surveys in Singapore have revealed a mixed response towards LGBTQ+ rights and issues.

Singapore Surveys

(Ipsos, 2018)
believe that Singaporeans should be able to participate in same-sex relationships
DO NOT believe that Singaporeans should be able to participate in same-sex relationships

of Singaporeans are against same-sex marriage

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

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 29th of November 2022, the Singaporean parliament voted in favor of decriminalising gay sex.
Added by cxtclxw  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

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)
Sources:
Penal Code (Cap. 224, 1985 Rev. Ed.)
sg.news.yahoo.com/america-l…

statutes.agc.gov.sg/aol/sea…page=0;query=DocId%3A%22025e7646-947b-462c-b557-60aa55dc7b42%22%20Status%3Ainforce%20Depth%3A0;rec=0
Added by zxzxlch  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Same-sex marriage in Singapore

?

Same-sex marriage in Singapore is unrecognized, same-sex marriage and civil unions banned.

Current status
Since Aug 21, 2022
Unrecognized, same-sex marriage and civil unions banned
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as Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced the clause in the penal code known as Section 377A would be repealed, he reiterated that the institution of marriage would remain "between a man and a woman".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.
Sources:
www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2022/9/6/marriage-definition-raises-new-concerns-for-lgbtq-singaporeans

dw.com/en/singapore-parliam…

straitstimes.com/singapore/…
Added by Ro_Guy  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Sep 8, 2018–Aug 21, 2022
Not legal
Same-sex marriage is not legal in Singapore.
Added by danlev  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Jan 1, 1999–Sep 8, 2018
Unrecognized
No laws in the legal system.
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Censorship of LGBT Issues in Singapore

?

Censorship of LGBT Issues in Singapore is state-enforced.

Current status
Since Nov 29, 2022
State-enforced
LGBT topics are censored in media and education by the Ministry of Communications and Information, and the Infocomm Media Development Authority.
Added by Pizzaslices412653  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

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.

In 1996, Member of Parliament (MP) Abdullah Tarmugi made an announcement that individuals who have undergone surgery could marry someone of the opposite sex.
Added by danlev  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Singapore

?

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Singapore is not legally recognized.

Current status
Not legally recognized
No legal recognition.
Added by Notdog1996  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

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.”
Added by vviet93  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

LGBT employment discrimination in Singapore

?

LGBT employment discrimination in Singapore is sexual orientation only.

Current status
Sexual orientation only
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.
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

LGBT housing discrimination in Singapore

?

LGBT housing discrimination in Singapore is ambiguous.

Current status
Ambiguous
No laws ban or have no protections.
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Same-sex adoption in Singapore

?

Same-sex adoption in Singapore is single only.

Current status
Single only
Limited rights
Added by danlev  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Serving openly in military in Singapore

?

Serving openly in military in Singapore is legal.

Current status
Legal
No restrictions on LGBTQ+ serving.
Added by Ausyk  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Until 1990
Don't Ask, Don't Tell
If declared, it previously led to a medically downgraded status of Physical Employment Status C (PES C), and put through a 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.
Added by zxzxlch  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Blood donations by MSMs in Singapore

?

Blood donations by MSMs in Singapore is banned (indefinite deferral).

Current status
Banned (indefinite deferral)
Indefinite deferral for males; 1 year for females.
Sources:
web.archive.org/web/2016061…//www.hsa.gov.sg/content/hsa/en/Blood_Services/Blood_Donation/Can_I_Donate/When_Not_to_Donate/About_AIDS_and_HIV.html

hsa.gov.sg/blood-donation/c…
Added by Ro_Guy  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Conversion therapy in Singapore

?

Conversion therapy in Singapore is banned.

Current status
Banned
In 2021, the Singapore Psychological Society (SPS) denounced conversion therapy, and advocates affirmative treatment for LGBTQ clients.
Added by danlev  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Equal age of consent in Singapore

?

Equal age of consent in Singapore is equal.

Current status
Equal
The age of consent in Singapore is 16 for opposite-sex sexual activity, female-female sexual activity and male-male sexual activity.
Added by danlev  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log


LGBT Rights by District

View the LGBT laws in each individual district of Singapore.