TodayOnline.com: Don't Send Mixed Signals (Sept 9)

Don't send mixed signals

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never be superseded by the moral posturing of any group, regardless of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.

http://www.todayonline.com/articles/274855print.asp