Last Monday, the Singapore High Court dismissed 3 appeals against a law that criminalizes sex between men. This law has existed since colonial times and although it isn´t enforced nowadays it still might mean a sentence up to two years in jail.

After India´s Supreme Court eliminated a similar law in 2018, activists in Singapore started challenging the law. arguing that it is unconstitutional.

In the end, the court decided to maintain “this archaic and discriminatory law” which show that “the court has reaffirmed that all gay men in Singapore are effectively unapprehended criminals” as stated by Téa Braun, director of Human Dignity Trust. 

 Growing concerns of intolerance against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community arises in some parts of the city-state and according to the New York Times “Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has previously said that society in Singapore “is not that liberal on these matters.” “

 This might mean that changes may not be in a near future, as this is the second failed attempt to strike that the law.