Don't send mixed signals

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From TODAY, Voices

Tuesday September 9, 2008

Letter from Felicia Tan Ying Yi

I REFER to the commentary “Stop making a mockery of rule of law: Let’s accept gays” (Sept 8). I fully agree with Mr Ho Kwon Ping.

The Government’s stand on homosexuality in Singapore seems to pander to religious fundamentalists who are vocal.

Such an attempt to pacify those who believe that it is their place to impose their value system on others should not happen in a country that prides itself on openness, secularism and pluralism.

It is all too convenient for the Government to “appease” the gay community by not taking action against them, while at the same time continue to pacify the conservatives by keeping the law in name.

However, this merely cheapens what the rule of law means. Laws should not be made or retained to reflect the views of a vocal minority; in fact, their purpose should not even be to reflect the views of the majority.

Instead, they are there to protect the rights of the citizens. In this way, section 377A of the Penal Code achieves nothing.

I feel that the Government should be courageous enough to finally decide that everyone, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race or religion, has an equal right to privacy, and this right should never be superseded by the moral posturing of any group, regardless of how vocal or influential.

Or, if the Government should still choose to retain this archaic law, then it should enforce it instead of sending mixed signals.

But it should also be ready to expect the exodus of not only the gay community, but also of liberal, tolerant people like me, who refuse to settle down and start families in such a country.