Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Hi people.
Read the papers about a hot topic about repeal377a
Oh well, actually I've gotten to know about this petition about the repealing of 377a.
It's quite a heated debate in the parliament of whether to repeal or retain it. In the end it was retain.
I was pro this campaign, pro-repeal377a. I signed the petition for the repealing of 377a. Signing the petition doesn't make me a gay, give you an analogy, it's just like you supporting this football team doesn't make you a football player in the team. Is that true?
NMP Mr Siew Kum Hong brought up this controversial topic first. He was the one who started the petition and the one who brought it up to the parliament.
The Penal Code of Singapore, in Section 377a,
provides for a jail sentence for up to two years should a man be found to have committed an act of "gross indecency" with another man.This law is applicable whether it is perform in public or behind closed doors. There was a counter petition calling the keep377a. Many comments were on "certain religions do not condones homosexual" and "Singapore is a conservative society." and therefore this law has to be kept. What I wanna say is. Does what others do behind closed doors have to do with the rest of the world? It's their own freedom and choice to do what they wanna do. I certainly do not encourage homosexual to be holding hands and parading down orchard road, but, these gay men are being prosecuted of what they're gonna be doing behind closed doors. PM Lee says that these law will not be actively used to prosecute the gay men. Why keep the law, when it's not being enforced? This shows that the law is being kept for because the 'silent majority' wants it. It's certainly not fair for those gay people.
The Singapore pledge that every government schools' student recite every morning says:
...
based on justice and equality, so as to achieve happiness prosperity and progress for our nation.
Are they doing what they are preaching? Is the society being fair to them?
Certainly not. Gay people are labeled as 'criminal' and companies who found out that their employees are gay, therefore terminate their service causing them to lose their job. Many gay people migrate overseas as they feel that Singapore are not able to accept them. Singapore do not have natural resources, minerals and therefore rely a lot on their people. Most of the creative people are gay, no offense but take the fashion industry for example, you see the top designer, make-up artist and many more. Most of them are gay, does that mean we're sending our talents away. ( I don't mean that all gays come from the fashion industry. )
What they do behind closed doors is seriously not of any concerned to any other people. It's their own personal choice. Nobody likes anyone else to be involved with your personal life. At least for me. Why are the people kicking up such a big ruckus because of the repealing of 377a. With all the same old reason. Many also says that if 377a is successfully repeal-ed. ( Which was not. ) Gay activists would therefore push further more about having same-sex marriage and homosexuals adopting child. I personally do not support either both, but right now the issue is that gay men are prosecuted for something they are doing in private.
Another MP Mr Baey Yan Keng, MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC, he's also pro-repeal377a. He said, "I suspect a significant segment of our society does not really care, and some are just uncomfortable with this topic and choose the convenient way to stick with the status quo without knowing what the act exactly is and does," When he was having a meet-the-residents sessions. One said that she was glad that the government had decided to retain it "But when I asked her if she knew what 377A was about, she said no. " Many people decided to "follow the majority and vote for the retaining of 377A" because every does so. Because it's the majority. I was actually fuming when I read that. One who do not know what the Section 377A is about chose to go with the majority for convenient sake.
Give gay people their rights. They deserve it. They didn't choose to be gay, just like you didn't chose to be straight. Give them a break. Give them their rights.
*Disclaimer: All of the above are purely my own opinions.
TATA~
陈伟译上。
9:17 PM