On 22 August, Singapore announced that Section 377A of the penal code, a colonial-era law which criminalises sex between men, will be repealed.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that "I believe this is the right thing to do..." and "...will bring the law into line with current social mores".

This move has been lauded by activists as "a win for humanity".

This is a huge milestone for the Singapore LGBTQ+ community, and a testament to the hard work led by LGBTQ+ community groups, allies and activists over the past decades.

Yet, it is also only a small step in the right direction in Singapore. There remains no law that specifically protects LGBTQ+ people from discrimination at work or in public services.

There is also a caveat. In the same speech, Lee asserted, "Even as we repeal 377A, we will uphold and safeguard the institution of marriage."

The government would ensure the legal definition of marriage remains one between a man and a woman, and prevent constitutional challenges to marriage, just like how Section 377A has been repeatedly challenged as unconstitutional in the past.

There’s still a long way to go in conservative Singapore.

Yet, many had thought that the state's continued hardline insistence on keeping 377A meant that a repeal would not be possible during their lifetimes.

So perhaps this small victory can ignite a spark of greater changes to come.

"Change happens slowly, and then all at once."

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