by Rex Wockner
International News Briefs
The recent court-ordered legalization of gay sex in India, the world's second-most populous nation, is unlikely to stir a similar advance in Singapore, Law Minister K. Shanmugam said July 6.
Both nations' gay sex bans are part of a penal code imposed during British colonialism.
Shanmugam suggested that Singaporeans do not accept homosexuality but even as he said the ban won't be repealed, he also said it will not be enforced.
"We have the law," he said. "We say it won't be enforced. Is it totally clear? We, sometimes in these things, have to accept a bit of messiness. And the way the society is going, we don't think it's fair for us to prosecute people who say that they are homosexual."
"It's not for the government to say we are going to force something against the wishes of the people," Shanmugam added. "We won't change the law, but how that is interpreted is up to the courts. It is not our position to tell the courts what to do."
So, in summary: Gay sex is illegal, but no one will be arrested for having gay sex, but the government won't repeal the ban, but the courts are free to strike it down if they want, and maybe they should. Do Ask, Do Tell, Don't Repeal, Do Sue.
