The politics of compromise: analyzing the repeal of section 377A in Singapore
This article discusses the repeal of Singapore’s Section 377A, the anti-gay sex law, which was announced by Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong during the 2022 National Day Rally. I contend that the declaration by PM Lee demonstrates the possibilities and limits of advocacy coalition-building in Sin...
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
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2023
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/168764 |
| _version_ | 1826130404183113728 |
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| author | Walid Jumblatt Bin Abdullah |
| author2 | School of Social Sciences |
| author_facet | School of Social Sciences Walid Jumblatt Bin Abdullah |
| author_sort | Walid Jumblatt Bin Abdullah |
| collection | NTU |
| description | This article discusses the repeal of Singapore’s Section 377A, the anti-gay sex law, which was announced by Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong during the 2022 National Day Rally. I contend that the declaration by PM Lee demonstrates the possibilities and limits of advocacy coalition-building in Singapore. Utilizing the concept of calibrated social liberalization, I postulate that the repeal of Section 377A was the government’s response to shifting societal attitudes and years of strategic and adroit advocacy coalitionbuilding. However, predicated upon this success is that LGBT issues are not critical to the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) legitimacy, which is why it is willing to allow for contestations in this sphere. The PAP engages in social liberalization, without significant political liberalization; even then, the cultural liberalization is not absolute, as the government attempts to strike a political-electoral compromise with conservatives. Ultimately, calibrated social liberalization occurs in areas where there is significant public support, and on issues regarding which the government has no clear ideological predispositions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-10-01T07:55:55Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | ntu-10356/168764 |
| institution | Nanyang Technological University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-10-01T07:55:55Z |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | ntu-10356/1687642023-06-25T15:30:28Z The politics of compromise: analyzing the repeal of section 377A in Singapore Walid Jumblatt Bin Abdullah School of Social Sciences Social sciences::Political science Singapore Homosexuality This article discusses the repeal of Singapore’s Section 377A, the anti-gay sex law, which was announced by Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong during the 2022 National Day Rally. I contend that the declaration by PM Lee demonstrates the possibilities and limits of advocacy coalition-building in Singapore. Utilizing the concept of calibrated social liberalization, I postulate that the repeal of Section 377A was the government’s response to shifting societal attitudes and years of strategic and adroit advocacy coalitionbuilding. However, predicated upon this success is that LGBT issues are not critical to the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) legitimacy, which is why it is willing to allow for contestations in this sphere. The PAP engages in social liberalization, without significant political liberalization; even then, the cultural liberalization is not absolute, as the government attempts to strike a political-electoral compromise with conservatives. Ultimately, calibrated social liberalization occurs in areas where there is significant public support, and on issues regarding which the government has no clear ideological predispositions. Published version 2023-06-20T01:09:19Z 2023-06-20T01:09:19Z 2023 Journal Article Walid Jumblatt Bin Abdullah (2023). The politics of compromise: analyzing the repeal of section 377A in Singapore. Pacific Affairs, 96(1), 105-118. https://dx.doi.org/10.5509.2023961105 0030-851X https://hdl.handle.net/10356/168764 10.5509.2023961105 1 96 105 118 en Pacific Affairs © 2023 Pacific Affairs. Published by The University of British Columbia. All rights reserved. This paper was published in Pacific Affairs and is made available with permission of Public Affairs. application/pdf |
| spellingShingle | Social sciences::Political science Singapore Homosexuality Walid Jumblatt Bin Abdullah The politics of compromise: analyzing the repeal of section 377A in Singapore |
| title | The politics of compromise: analyzing the repeal of section 377A in Singapore |
| title_full | The politics of compromise: analyzing the repeal of section 377A in Singapore |
| title_fullStr | The politics of compromise: analyzing the repeal of section 377A in Singapore |
| title_full_unstemmed | The politics of compromise: analyzing the repeal of section 377A in Singapore |
| title_short | The politics of compromise: analyzing the repeal of section 377A in Singapore |
| title_sort | politics of compromise analyzing the repeal of section 377a in singapore |
| topic | Social sciences::Political science Singapore Homosexuality |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/168764 |
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