Do Singaporeans care strongly about the LGBTQ cause? Here's what an AsiaOne survey found

Following the announcement to repeal Singapore's gay sex ban in August, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) tabled a bill in Parliament yesterday (Oct 20) to repeal a law that criminalises sex between men.

On the same day, the Ministry for Social and Family Development (MSF) has also sought to amend the Constitution to protect the definition of marriage. 

While the Government has acknowledged that attitudes towards homosexuality have shifted appreciably, is this truly the case? 

Findings from a survey by AsiaOne recently showed that surprisingly there is a significant proportion of people who do not care much for, or do not actively voice their opinions about LGBTQ causes. 

The survey, which asked 4,693 respondents about their attitudes towards homosexuality, found out that about 65 per cent of them either do not care much for, or do not actively voice their opinion on this matter.

Is it fair to suggest that Singaporeans are nonchalant about the LGBTQ community? Here's what else we learnt about their attitudes towards the community.

'The Asian society is conflict averse'

When asked about their thoughts about the LGBTQ cause, 15.8 per cent of the respondents indicated that they do not care much about the cause, and 49.3 per cent do not actively voice their opinions on the matter.

Out of the latter statistic, 28.3 per cent is against the LGBTQ cause, while 21 per cent supports the cause.

Edmund Chua, who heads AsiaOne's consumer insights and analytics office, said it is likely that this group of people who do not actively voice their opinions on LGBTQ causes do not feel strongly enough for this cause to do so. 

"The Asian society is also conflict averse. Hence, many might prefer to quietly agree or disagree on this issue," he added.

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Anti-LGBTQ doesn't necessarily mean support for Section 377A

Notably, the survey also showed that people who are against the LGBTQ cause might not necessarily support retaining Section 377A.

Although 45.4 per cent of respondents indicated that they do not support LGBTQ causes, about 37.6 per cent feel that Section 377A should not have been repealed.

From the findings, it shows that Singaporeans' perspective on the issue of homosexuality is varied and nuanced along multiple dimensions, Chua observed.

"Prolonged social discourse on this issue is needed to foster greater understanding between segments and to avoid caricaturisation of those who hold a contrary opinion."

The survey also sought to find out if religion plays a part in affecting their views on LGBTQ-related issues, and particularly Section 377A.

At 65.9 per cent, Christians and Muslims are more than twice as likely to be against the LGBTQ cause compared to those who belong to other religious groups (27.3 per cent) or have no religion (30.5 per cent).

On the other spectrum, some 23.9 per cent of the Christian and Muslim respondents say that they support the LGBTQ cause, compared to 51.7 per cent for those who belong to other religious groups and 48.8 per cent for those who have no religion.

When it comes to Section 377A, more than half (55.6 per cent) of the Christians and Muslims believe that it should not be repealed.

This figure dwarfs those from other religious groups (21.7 per cent) and those who do not have a religion (24.0 per cent).

Gen Zs more likely to be supportive of LGBTQ causes

Age also plays a factor in whether one supports the LGBTQ cause or not.

Out of the respondents from the different age groups, 60.7 per cent of those who are between 18 to 24 say that they are supportive of the LGBTQ cause.

On the other hand, only 36.9 per cent of the respondents aged 45 to 54 say that they are.

And the percentage of those who say that they support the LGBTQ cause is even smaller for those 55 and older – at 21.7 per cent.

"It is possible that Western influence starts to displace parental influence when respondents move into the 18 to 24 age group. It is also possible that much pro-LGBTQ influence comes from content with higher film rating," Chua said.

ALSO READ: 'I pray for kindness and temperance': Here's how some netizens are reacting to repeal of Section 377A

chingshijie@asiaone.com

At AsiaOne, communications is both an art and a science. We conduct polls 24/7 to understand our users' perception and opinions towards social issues, as well as their consumer preferences.

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