End of gay sex ban in Singapore is a small step in Asia-Pacific

BANGKOK — Singapore’s decision to decriminalize sex between men has been hailed as a step in the right direction for LGBTQ rights in the Asia-Pacific region, a vast territory of nearly 5 billion people with varying laws and attitudes.

While many places have decriminalized same-sex sexual acts, only a few places allow same-sex marriages, partnerships, or unions. Singapore tempered its decision by saying it will amend its constitution to prevent such unions from ever taking place.

Many of the region’s prohibitions on sex between men were instituted under British colonial rule in the 19th and 20th centuries, and the laws describe such acts as violations of the “order of nature.”

Here are some details about the situation in the Asia-Pacific region:

AUSTRALIA

All states and territories repealed gay sex bans between 1975 and 1997, while parliament legalized same-sex marriage nationwide in 2017. The age of consent became the same for all sexual acts from 2016. illegally have their criminal records erased.

CHINA

Homosexuality is not legally punishable, but same-sex marriage is unlikely to be legalized in the near future. While the largest cities have vibrant LGBTQ scenes, the stigma remains strong in Chinese society. Furthermore, LGBTQ people have little recourse to the law in areas such as custody or property rights. In recent years, Chinese LGBTQ groups have faced increasing censorship and official pushback as part of general civil society restrictions, with one national-level organization focusing on advocacy for LGBTQ legal rights that was launched last year. forced to close under government pressure.

INDIA

In 2018, the Supreme Court overturned the law that punished same-sex sexual intercourse with up to 10 years in prison. Despite the landmark ruling, same-sex marriage remains illegal and multiple petitions for legal recognition have met resistance from the government. Over the past decade, the LGBTQ community has gained a degree of acceptance, especially in the major cities, but the community generally remains stigmatized.

INDONESIA

Sex between consenting adults of the same sex is not illegal in the world’s most populous Muslim nation, except in the conservative province of Aceh. However, only marriages between a man and a woman are legal. The LGBTQ community in the country of 250 million people complains of regular harassment and persecution.

JAPAN

Support for sexual diversity has grown slowly, but legal protections for LGBTQ people are lacking, who are often discriminated against in school, work and home, causing many to hide their sexual identity. A number of same-sex couples have filed lawsuits for the right to legally marry, but court decisions have been divided. Same-sex couples cannot inherit a house or other shared property and have no parental rights over each other’s children. They are often not allowed to rent apartments, hospital visits and services available to married couples. About 12% of municipalities have issued partnership certificates to same-sex couples since Tokyo’s Shibuya district was the first to do so in 2015. However, it is not a marriage certificate and does not provide equal legal protection.

MALAYSIA

Malaysia has strict laws against sexual intercourse that can carry up to 20 years in prison. A former deputy prime minister was twice convicted of sodomy. He was convicted in 2000 and again in 2014, in cases critics say were politically motivated. Parallel to its secular courts, Malaysia has an Islamic justice system for Muslims that often jails and caned gays and lesbians caught attempting sex by the Islamic moral police. Malaysia has even tried to censor or ban films it calls the LGBTQ lifestyle, including Disney’s recent animated film “Lightyear.”

NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand decriminalized gay sex in 1986. Sex between men was first made illegal in 1961, while sex between women was never specifically made illegal, although it was stigmatized. In 2005, New Zealand started recognizing civil unions between same-sex couples, granting many legal rights to gay couples, but not allowing them, for example, to adopt children together. In 2013, New Zealand became the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to legalize same-sex marriage. In 2017, lawmakers took the rare step to formally apologize for the “tremendous pain and suffering” inflicted on the hundreds of men convicted of homosexuality during the years it was illegal. The following year, lawmakers passed a law banning historic homosexual crimes.

TAIWAN

Taiwan legalized same-sex marriage in 2019, but LGBTQ activists want the law to be more inclusive. It currently says that both partners must come from a place where such marriages are already legal. So couples cannot register their marriage in Taiwan if a partner is from a place like Japan or another place where their marriage would not be legal.

Still, the island is a hotspot for LGBTQ life, and the annual Pride parade draws visitors from all over Asia. Taipei is known for its vibrant gay community and nightlife.

THAILAND

Thailand is also one of the most liberal countries in Asia regarding LGBTQ issues. Four bills legalizing either marriage equality or registered partnerships for same-sex couples were first read in the House of Representatives in June. A committee is working to consolidate them into a package expected to pass by lawmakers that would make Thailand the first Southeast Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage.

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Associated Press reporters from the Asia-Pacific region contributed to this report.