Introduction Religious Proscriptions Abrahamic Religions Eastern religions Arguments against Religious Proscriptions Secular insecurity Arguments against Secular insecurity External links

 

Introduction

 

Homophobia in Singapore stems from two main factors derived from the cultural characteristics of her population: 1) religious proscriptions and 2) secular insecurity.

 

There are numerous websites featuring homophobic and counter-homophobic arguments. This article focuses on statements actually made by Singaporeans themselves.

 

Religious Proscriptions

 

Abrahamic Religions

 

Christianity

 

Islam

 

Judaism

 

Eastern religions

 

The Eastern religions such as Hinduism, Daoism and Buddhism have ideologically and historically been much more tolerant of homosexuality than their Abrahamic or Middle Eastern counterparts.

 

Buddhism

 

Daoism

 

Hinduism

 

Arguments against Religious Proscriptions

 

Secular insecurity

 

Being historically an immigrant nation, insecure about economic survival and anxious to ensure the continuity of an intact society, the following categories of arguments have often been voiced by Singaporeans to maintain institutionalised homophobia:

 

Arguments against Secular insecurity

 

External links

 

• An archive of the homophobic and counter-homophobic arguments made in the online Remaking Singapore forum: 1, 2, 3 and 4.

 

• Alex Au's lecture at the National University of Singapore Society (NUSS) forum entitled "Legislating Sexual Behaviour- Should the State be in our Bedrooms?" on 29 March 2004.

 

• Question & Answer session, following the above lecture.