Li Huanwu, grandson of Lee Kuan Yew, married his boyfriend Heng Yirui in South Africa on May 24.
Heng shared a picture of him and his partner on Instagram that day, both dressed in a white button-down and brown pants while in a safari where an elephant lingered. “Today I marry my soul mate,” he said.
Li is the son of Lee Hsien Yang and also a nephew of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Prior to their wedding, Li shared pictures of them at the Mana Pools National Park, a safari in Zimbabwe. “Safari before our big day. #lovewins,” he wrote.
On Sunday, May 26, Li posted a picture of him and his new husband along with their friends: “Grooms and groomsmen. #justmarried.” He also shared a picture of a rainbow that appeared after their wedding.
Li is the business development vice president of multinational data and software company Afiniti in Southeast Asia, while Heng works as a veterinarian.
He came out publicly in 2018 through the photo exhibit “Out in Singapore,” where he was featured with Heng.
In Singapore, same-sex sexual activity is illegal and there are no anti-discrimination laws for the LGBTQ+ community.
Singapore founding father Lee Kuan Yew said on multiple occasions that being gay was genetic. In his book “Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going” released in 2011, Lee said of homosexuality, “There’s a genetic difference, so it’s not a matter of choice. They are born that way and that’s that.”
He was asked in the book how he would feel if he had gay grandchildren. “That’s life. They’re born with that genetic code, that’s that.”
Of his son’s wedding, Li’s father said, according to the South China Morning Post on Saturday, May 25: “I believe my father would have been thrilled to know this.” /ra
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