The two other portions deemed “inconsistent” are: Article 12, stating that all persons are equal before the law and entitled to its equal protection and Article 14, which states that every citizen of Singapore has the right to freedom of speech and expression. (Photo courtesy of Today)Īccording to court documents, Mr Choong stated that Section 377A is inconsistent with Article 9 of the Constitution, which states: “No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty save in accordance with law.” In September 2018, Johnson Ong, who also goes by the stage name DJ Big Kid, filed his suit seeking to overturn Singapore’s anti-gay law. Mr Choong, 41, is the former executive director of Oogachaga, a non-profit organisation working with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. Mr Choong Chee Hong, better known as Bryan Choong, filed it at the Supreme Court in November last year.
SINGAPORE – An LGBT rights advocate has filed a case against the Attorney-General, stating that Section 377A of the Penal Code – which criminalises sex between men – is “inconsistent” with portions of Singapore’s Constitution, and “is therefore void”. LGBT rights advocate files case against Attorney-General, stating Section 377A of Penal Code is void Bryan Choong filed his challenge to Singapore’s anti-gay law in November 2018. In Singapore, a previous legal challenge failed in 2013 when Singapore’s High Court rejected a gay couple’s appeal to overturn Section 377A.Īn “Equal Eyes” news summary from UNAIDS and Straits Times reported on the latest legal challenge: (Photo courtesy of Yahoo)īoth constitutional challenges were filed after the Indian Supreme Court in September overturned that nation’s anti-homosexuality law, similarly named “Section 377” and similarly inherited from when the nation was part of the British Empire. It’s amazing what one kiss can do,” de Jong said in a statement to Business Insider.Īnd on that note, I think I know where my next suit is coming from.Singapore is facing two lawsuits asking the courts to overturn the nation’s colonial-era anti-homosexuality law, Section 377A.Īs many as 20,000 people gather in Singapore for the Pink Dot festival, which seeks recognition of the human rights of LGBTI people. However, the new followers and positive messages that have been prominent in our social media is a good indicator that this campaign has been well received and has impacted many people positively. “We do not aim to and cannot control the reactions. The response from CEO Fokke de Jong a few weeks ago aligned with that sentiment. While blatant homophobia has and will always exist, however, there’s comfort in knowing that brands like Suitsupply will continue to lead the charge by breaking down the concept of "masculinity," as well as the general acceptance of LGBTQ+ people. I’ve read countless stories just this week saying that the physical campaigns displayed around the Netherlands have been vandalized with messages and symbols of hate in an apparent gesture of reclaiming what heterosexual masculinity means to many. And what’s the difference between depicting two men, versus a man and a woman, in an embrace to sell suits? Because let’s be real-gay men, like all men, often buy suits. While I'm aware the brand has been slammed in the past for sexist ads (and it's honestly unclear whether or not this campaign was intended to turn that image around), it appears overall that we’re making strides in some way to push inclusivity and diversity. So you can imagine my curiosity when Amsterdam-based suit startup Suitsupply released its S/S 18 campaign featuring men in various acts of embrace, including kissing. Frankly, I’m just not the type of man that many of the campaigns for non-gay publications and websites typically showcase (i.e., hyper-masculine and attracted exclusively to women). For me personally, however, the issue with most male-focused ads is that unless they’re super fashion-focused or avant-garde (re: Gucci), I often can’t envision myself within those lifestyles. For the latter, I typically let my personal style and the market guide my purchasing decisions, but I do understand the importance of advertising as a medium to sell clothing as well-especially as it pertains to the “lifestyle” of the brand someone’s buying into. I also love fashion and, as the editorial director of this website, spend the majority of my day talking about clothes or shopping for my own wardrobe.