Today Voices: Law highlights social fabric anchored on family culture

May 21, 2007

Today Voices: Law highlights social fabric anchored on family culture

Letter from LAI YEW CHAN

HOMOSEXUALITY is a lifestyle — not a mere idiosyncrasy — that carries overarching implications in our social and family spheres and even for our long-term demographic structure. The extent to which society embraces it determines the degree of its penetration in the recesses of society.

Therefore, economic benefits aside, the one overriding issue in this “pink dollar debate” is the kind of legacy we wish to leave for the next generation. If we still wish to see our social fabric anchored in the nucleus family, the gay lifestyle should remain a subculture and not be a part of mainstream
society. So long as it remains a subculture, we are conveying to our young the message that society still values the family culture.

Although Section 377A of the Penal Code is said to be more honoured in principle than in observance, it should remain enshrined in legislation. Its abolition will mean that even the lawmakers, the elected representatives of the people, are according public space for such acts.