On Oct. 20, Singapore's government filed bills in parliament seeking to decriminalize sex between men, and to amend the constitution to prevent court challenges to laws and policies concerning marriage, Reuters reported.
The proposed legislation in socially conservative Singapore follows Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's August announcement of a plan to repeal Section 377A of its penal code, which carries punishments of up to two years in jail for sex between men.
The section, left over from British colonial rule, has not been used in decades.
Although repealing 377A has been largely welcomed by LGBT groups, some activists are disappointed that legalizing same-sex unions or pursuing more equal policies toward LGBTQ+ couples are not being considered.
The proposed amendment, to be debated by lawmakers on Nov. 28, seeks to protect the marriage definition and policies from being invalidated by court challenges over their constitutionality, according to the home affairs and social and family development ministries.