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While the recent controversy surrounding the LGBTQ community in Malaysia has its spotlight focused on our new Youth and Sports Minister, Syed Saddiq and his former "temporary" press secretary, Numan Afifi Saadan who "resigned" from his "temporary" position on July 9th after homophobes insisted that it was inappropriate for a “champion of LGBT causes” to be a government staff member, I would like to propose that we direct some of the spotlight to these homophobes instead.
As for Saddiq, his unwillingness to take a definite stand is certainly disappointing but I am unable to comment on what conversations he had with Numan regarding this and if Numan's resignation was a personal choice, which he had no say in. He should bear in mind, however, that while the "game" of politics may require some sacrifices to be made, he must ask himself to what extent can principles be overlooked for long-term political gain? We don't need another KJ, who only apologised after the fact, "regretful of his actions", to seize an opportunity. A politician's asset is the people's trust and if he chooses to toe the line, playing both sides, he must bear this in mind. I would rather hear him say that he is against the LGBTQ community than to face his silence on the issue.
To the homophobes or people who are against the appointment of LGBTQ individuals as Government staff, I have this to say:
Let’s talk about it.
Contrary to popular belief, people who are against the LGBTQ community are not just Muslims. They may be our Christian friends, or our aunts and uncles. I know of Christian friends that are open to gay couples but not to the legalisation of gay marriage. It should be noted that being against gay marriage is also a form of discrimination and as such this post is also dedicated to these group of people as well. They are everyday Malaysians that you may see walking down the street buying some groceries or having a cup of teh tarik, yelling “Goal!” at a mamak during football season.
This goes both ways. The LGBTQ community consists of everyday Malaysians as well. Your co-worker or your friend or that nice person that helped you when you needed some assistance may have a different sexuality or gender preference than you but just because they don’t announce it publicly doesn’t mean that they don’t exist. The fact that our society tends to be prejudicial towards the LGBTQ community may further discourage any public announcement of such sexual or gender preference. Many tend to keep their sexuality or gender preference a private matter, fearing the repercussions that may follow from indulging in an inherent trait within them that they may have a lack of a choice in deciding.
To imply that the LGBTQ community should be treated unequally when it comes to employment, is to also imply that the LGBTQ community is somehow less deserving than others, that they are in a way less human. I wouldn’t know about you but this saddens me. I have LGBTQ friends that feel as much as I do. Dream as much as I do. Have passions and emotions and a great love for humanity that is perhaps greater than mine. To tell them that their love for another human being that defies gender or sexual boundary is inhumane breaks my heart. To me the only difference is where the penis or vagina go and if I don’t want to know about where yours go then why should I be so hung up about what they do with theirs?
If your perception of the LGBTQ community is based on stereotypes such as those that were put out in a newspaper concerning “ciri-ciri orang gay”, I urge you to change that perception. Gay people are not just fashion designers, they are chefs, policeman, fire fighters, teachers and humanitarians. They can also be mean people or nice people. If you or I do not wish to be defined by stereotypes such as Malay: lazy, Cina: mata sepet or Indian: 7/11 then let’s not cage the LGBTQ community into one as well. The truth is gay men can be even more of a man than me or you and I’m not insecure or uncomfortable in my masculinity to admit that and neither should you.
If the reason you oppose the LGBTQ community is because of the way they make you feel, I suggest that you should perhaps explore that feeling a little more. What are you really afraid of? If the answer to that question is your fear of being attracted to gay men or lesbian women, then you need to start having a serious self-reflection on where this fear comes from. It may very well be that you are afraid of your hidden attraction to the same-sex. It may not simply be a coincidence that there are countless of scandals where politicians who were opposed to homosexuality end up being exposed as homosexuals themselves. There is research to suggest that that some who oppose homosexuality do tacitly harbor same-sex attraction. This may be because gays and lesbians remind people of similar tendencies within themselves and they may be quick to advocate against the LGBTQ community in fear of suffering the same persecution that those who are openly gay do.
As a comparison, I’m perfectly fine with holding a male’s hand regardless of whether the male is gay or not, reason being that I’m completely comfortable with my own sexuality. I know that I’m not gay as I’m simply not sexually attracted to males. For certain individuals, they may be opposed to the idea of doing so because of several reasons such as public perception or because they are afraid of awakening something inside of them they would rather not face.
Homosexuality is not illegal in Malaysia. It is not outlawed in the Federal Constitution and it is not expressly prohibited in any legislation. It is the carnal intercourse against the course of nature that is a criminal offence under the Penal Code. The law is a by-product of the colonial era and while the British have moved on to legalise gay marriage, Malaysia is still stuck in their shadow, bounded by the law the British enacted decades ago. It should be noted under the law that blowjobs and anal sex regardless of gender are also illegal. So, the next time you have or give a blowjob, keep in mind that you are supporting an act “against the course of nature” but we can choose to be picky about which act we prefer, right?
In any event, supporting the LGBTQ community or being against them is not a legal argument. It is a moral one.
While those who are religious may claim the moral high ground, your business with God is a personal one. As such the interpretation you have of your faith is personal and they do not validate the restriction of another person’s sexuality or gender preference. If you wish to be literal in your interpretation of your faith then you ought not to cherry-pick. If you do, however, then maybe you ought to reconsider why certain things are to be taken literally and why some are not. Is it to help justify the discrimination of certain groups of people to cover up personal bias and bigotry? In a multiracial society such as Malaysia, where it is conceded that we have the freedom to practice any religion or to practice no religion at all and where differences in ethnic, racial, religious or cultural beliefs can be accepted and not imposed upon another, why is difference in sexual preferences suddenly unacceptable? In any event, those who don’t follow your religious beliefs are the ones that will go to hell not you. Let them take care of themselves, you focus on you.
To me, it’s not immoral to love someone else even if they’re of the same sex. It’s not immoral to want to be given equal opportunities as every other human being especially in the area of employment where sexual preference has most likely no role to play at all.
Disagree with me all you want and I know for a fact, that there are some on my friend’s list that would. To my LGBTQ friends, hold your head up with #pride. There’s nothing wrong with you. You deserve to love and be loved.
Unless you are an asshole (no pun intended).
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