A Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis Approach to Same-Sex Relations and Marriage in Singapore

Yab Yi Tong

Abstract

The concept of marriage equality was highlighted by the LGBTQ+ community, government, members of the public as well as religious leaders, with the recent repeal of Section 377A which this law discriminated against homosexual men was introduced during the colonial period in Singapore. Social policy is not only the art of compromise, but also the balance of

interests among different stakeholders. Thus, this project aims to holistically evaluate the cost and benefits of implementing same-sex marriage to different stakeholders from the system engineering perspective using Decision Analysis tools. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) will be the main tool used to evaluate the optimal decision given various constraints and stakeholders' interests.

Even though sexual minorities are not a concern for the majority of the Singaporean population, it is imperative for us not to leave anyone behind as society progresses. This project will evaluate the implementation of same-sex marriage in various countries, especially one that shares similar Asian values as Singapore. There are various existing case studies and academic research on this social issue in other countries. While it is good that the government decided to repeal the age-old discriminatory law, discrimination against the sexual minority group only truly ends when the policymakers recognize the unity of the couple regardless of their sexual orientation. The question that we have to ask ourselves when analyzing this issue is: Should we defend the human rights of the minority at the expense of social cohesiveness, or neglect the sexual minority needs or even will this be a win-win situation for all?

This project will analyze the possibility of same-sex marriage in the relatively conservative Singaporean society after considering the rights and interests of different stakeholders.