SENT BY EMAIL

22 October 2007

The Prime Minister
Mr Lee Hsien Loong
Prime Minister's Office
Istana Annexe, Orchard Road
Singapore 238823

Dear Sir

KEEP S377A OF THE PENAL CODE (“S377A”)

1. Why and When we started the Petition:

1.1 Sir, we as concerned citizens started this Petition on 18 October 2007 at 1230 hours. In the interest of free debate and accurate feedback, arguments for and against S377A should be clearly articulated. Singaporeans who do not support the repeal of S377A should have a platform to express their views.

1.2 We would like to make clear that we do not hate homosexuals who are our fellow citizens. What we oppose is those who lobby for the homosexual agenda which will undermine the interests of our society. Sir, we do not wish to see homosexuality mainstreamed in Singapore because we care deeply about this country which we have chosen to live in, work and raise our families. We hope that Singapore will continue to be a safe, secure and wholesome place for our children and grandchildren to grow up in. We believe that repealing S377A will prevent such a future.

1.3 A copy of our online open letter to you, and screen shots of our website are enclosed.

2. The Results:

2.1 15,742 signatures were gathered when we closed the online petition on 21 October 2007 at 2359 hours, of which, 15,559 belong to individuals who indicated their names.

2.2  Sir, that such a large number of Singaporeans have taken the time to express their views for the retention of S377A in under 4 days, is indicative of the majority’s sentiment.

3. Who Responded to the Keep 377A petition?

3.1 From a Broad Cross Section of Society: Feedback was received from grandparents, parents, “baby-boomers” and youths, from citizens with or without religious beliefs. There was also feedback from gays who supported the retention of S377A.

3.2 Permanent Residents: Permanent residents cited the wholesome family environment to raise their children as the reason for making Singapore their home.

3.3 Overseas Singaporeans: Overseas Singaporeans drew on their experiences from living in more permissive societies, and expressed support for keeping S377A.

3.4 Non-Singaporeans: Some non-Singaporeans voiced their support for our laws which reflect our strong family values.

4. Issues Raised By Petitioners:

The petitioners raised many diverse views. Many pointed out S377A had nothing to do with rights, equality or tolerance; the key issue being our common good.

The other points included:

• protecting our families and children, and the institution of marriage;
• maintaining our morality;
• safeguarding the education system from being hijacked by the homosexual agenda;
• debunking the myth that creative industry requires homosexuals;
• pointing out a safe and morally sound environment is an economic asset attractive to trade and foreign investment;
• raising concerns about health especially HIV and STDs;
• preserving racial and religious harmony.

5. Providing Feedback

We enclose a detailed summary including selected posts as a representative sample of the views. We hope this will be a source of valuable feedback for the government.

6. In Conclusion:

Sir, we respectfully appeal to you and your government to retain S377A. We do so to safeguard the heritage and future for our children. We thank you for your kind attention.

Yours sincerely,

Martin Tan
on behalf of the petitioners

Open Letter to the Prime Minister

Mr Lee Hsien Loong

Prime Minister

Prime Minister's Office

Orchard Road

Istana

Singapore 238823

Dear Mr Prime Minister,

RETENTION OF SECTION 377A, PENAL CODE

As concerned citizens of Singapore, we support the government in wanting to retain S377A of the Penal Code for the good of our children, our families and all Singaporeans.

There are many reasons why the retention of S377A is so important:

S377A is a reflection of the sentiments of the majority of society. Most Singaporeans hold conservative family values and do not accept homosexuality as the norm. (see Singaporeans’ Attitudes toward Lesbians and Gay Men and their Tolerance of Media Portrayals of Homosexuality, by Benjamin H. Detenber, Mark Cenite, et. al., International Journal of Public Opinion Research)  Repealing S377A is a vehicle to force homosexuality on a conservative population that is not ready for homosexuality.

Sexual preference is not about civil rights and has nothing to do with equality or tolerance. Repealing S377A would in fact be the first step towards mainstreaming the homosexual lifestyle, which has been shown elsewhere to lead to:

• Calls to specify the minimum age for consensual homosexual sex;
• A public education system that teaches acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle under the banner of "tolerance";
• The redefinition of marriage to include (gay) civil unions and same-sex marriages, and to extend marriage and parenthood benefits to them;
• Adoption by same-sex parents.

In short, repealing S377A could lead to the modification of core family values and the family unit as we know it.

The majority of Singaporeans want our children to grow up in a traditional environment that espouses healthy and wholesome traditional family values.  We do not want the homosexual lifestyle to be promoted or celebrated.

We ask the Government to do what is right and retain S377A for the future of our children and our nation.

Yours faithfully,

15,559 Signatories