Sri Lanka To ‘Decriminalise’ Same Sex Relationships

The Sri Lankan government will decriminalise same-sex relationships, says Foreign Minister Ali Sabry. “There is a Private Member Bill initiated by Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Premnath C. Dolawatte. The government will support its position of decriminalising same-sex relationships. We are, however, not legalising same-sex marriage. But we would decriminalise it. I think that there is a lot of consensus for that, so let that come to Parliament, ”Sabry told The Daily Morning. Last year, a Bill to amend the penal code with the aim of protecting the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) communities was handed over by Dolawatte to President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Dolawatte told The Daily Morning that the draft Bill to amend Sections 365 and 365A of the penal code by decriminalising the offences was referred to the Attorney General to clarify if it conformed to the Constitution.