Singapore will decriminalize sex between men, the prime minister said on Sunday, adding that society in the city-state is increasingly accepting of homosexuals, Reuters reported.

But he added that the government has no intention of changing the legal definition of marriage, which means a marriage between a man and a woman.

“I think this is the right thing to do and something that most Singaporeans will now accept,” said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, adding that the government would repeal Section 377A of the Penal Code, a colonial-era law that criminalized sex between men. .

“Even if we repeal Section 377A, we will uphold and protect the institution of marriage… According to the law, only marriages between a man and a woman are recognized in Singapore,” Lee added.