SINGAPORE: More than a decade after a bruising and fractious debate that ended in a stalemate, the powder keg that is Section 377A of the Penal Code has been reignited, following a decision by India’s Supreme Court to strike down a law criminalising sex between men.

That the reverberations of a judicial ruling thousands of miles away could be keenly felt here could be attributed to the fact that the criminal laws of Singapore and India — both former British colonies — share the same historical roots, or to India’s reputation as a conservative society.

Either way, the lid on a simmering issue, which has occasionally gone off the boil, has now been taken off: In the space of a few days, prominent Singaporean figures waded into the debate, and petitions from opposing sides garnered tens of thousands of signatures.

Activists also sprang into action, making rallying calls on social media, as slick videos, heartfelt pleas and essays — some bordering on hysteria and exaggeration — went viral.

For example, a video entitled “Is this the Singapore you want” which has been circulating on WhatsApp warns that repealing Section 377A could lead to the “normalisation” of homosexuality which would eventually result in gay marriage becoming acceptable in Singapore.

The video, which lasts 3 minutes and 20 seconds, goes further to warn that pastors who refuse to solemnise same-sex marriages — or even bakers and florists who decline to be involved in gay weddings — may be thrown into jail.

The video also warn: “Imagine if teachers must teach that it is normal to be intimate with people of the same sex”, and “teachers who refuse to do so might lose their jobs”.

Support for the other camp has been vociferous as well, with LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer and gender-diverse) advocacy group Pink Dot understood to be campaigning for the repeal of Section 377A in gay clubs here.

The group said it has "organised multiple outreach sessions where our volunteers would go down to LGBTQ friendly businesses and events to raise awareness about the petition as well as to encourage the community to add their names to the petition (for repeal)".

Earlier, Pink Dot had taken issue with the "conspicuous omission" of Section 377A from the recent Penal Code review. This is "all the more glaring”, given that the review committee’s objective was to better protect vulnerable people and minorities here.

“Section 377A would have been the perfect candidate for such a review and and repeal. It is a colonial relic of Victorian values that was left behind by the British from before Singapore’s independence,” said Pink Dot.

The law treats an already unprotected segment of citizens as unequal by characterising them as unconvicted criminals.

Four years after the last legal challenge was squashed, and 11 years after Parliament decided to retain it, Singapore once again finds itself divided over an 80-year-old law.

Since the last major debate in 2007, the gay community here and elsewhere in the world have made great strides in the last decade. Read more via Channel News Asia