The Indian Penal Code became a model for the legal systems of British colonies, including Singapore.Īlthough Singapore ceased to be a colony in 1963, both Sections 377 and 377A remained until 2007, when Parliament repealed Section 377, replacing it with a new law criminalising necrophilia. Section 377, which outlaws “carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal”, was introduced to India by the British in the 1800s. Earlier this month, the Indian Supreme Court delivered a historic verdict decriminalising consensual gay sex and effectively defanging Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. Prominent signatories include academics, civil society advocates, businesspeople and former Nominated Members of Parliament.ĭevelopments in other former British colonies have also given the Singaporean LGBT community a boost. While the 2007 campaign garnered 8,120 signatures in an open letter to the prime minister and 2,341 signatures in a parliamentary petition, this year’s “Ready 4 Repeal” petition counts, at time of writing, over 43,700 signatures.
