The following is an excerpt from "Taking Stock" in which organisers of Seksualiti Merdeka Pang Khee Teik and Jerome Kugan were interviewed by Melody Song from The Edge Malaysia shortly after the second annual sexuality rights festival was held Aug 12-16, 2009. For the full article, follow the link at the end of the page.
If you ask me who I’m really afraid of, I am most afraid of gay men,” says Pang Khee Teik. It’s a startling confession coming from the 36-year-old arts programme director of the Annexe Gallery, who had just days before organised the second annual Seksualiti Merdeka, an event aimed at affirming sexuality rights that first started in 2008.
Pang is not afraid of all gay men, however; just those who have given up exercising their rights to express their sexuality, and urging others to do the same.
“Some gay men feel that by being visible and out there, we are being crass. Others believe that being gay is a test of God and those who give in to their desires have failed. Some gay men said life is unfair anyway, so we should just put up and shut up.”
...
“The fear of being caught for being gay is not unfounded. Because people don’t understand their rights, and the authorities often misuse power to extort money... people are disempowered,” says Pang. “When they are disempowered, they panic. So they give in, they pay bribes.”
Pang and Kugan both attribute part of the disempowerment to negative portrayals of LGBT individuals in the media, and “witch hunts” carried out, especially by Malay-language newspapers such as the Aug 13 front-page sensational exposé in Harian Metro of a private party titled “Pesta lesbian” (lesbian festival).
“Often the local media censor words like ‘gay’ and ‘lesbian’ because they feel like we’re promoting homosexuality,” says Pang. “But you cannot ‘promote’ a biological function. We are not ashamed of promoting people being confident of whom they are.”
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Reader's Comments
Anyways, Malaysian gays fears are due to a simple fact. They consider it a shame to be gay. There is much fear in losing friends, family members, even careers should they come out admitting who they are, and this is partially the fault of government and media.
The government in Malaysia won't allow effeminate men to be teachers, regardless of whether they're straight or gay. I mean, we're talking about a nation that had a university coming up with a study to prove that eating okra and lady's fingers would make a person gay.
And of course, it does not help that the media would go out and brand gay night raids as 'kelab songsang', going so far to mention in Harian Metro recently, that the club on Bukit Bintang which was raided recently, had used condoms on the floor.
And personally, I blame some gay guys as well, because as Pang mentions, there are those that would condemn their own brothers and sisters of the same orientation in public.
And if I do find them in public, I'll definitely use the media to out them personally, considering adherence to the Frank Rule.
Hi Amir,
Here's a link from 2007, so it was probably after your time.
http://www.lgbt-education.info/en/news/local_news/news?id=29
And as I wrote in The Nut Graph some while back...
http://thenutgraph.com/beauties-and-the-beasts
A teacher caught in a drag queen beauty pageant was later removed from the post of teacher and given an administrative job instead.
Marginalisation happens to all communities, not just the GLBTI one, and many end up being cases and statistics of 'legal victimisation' due to the main reason of not pursuing for justice and the other perceived and real social hurdles one must leap over in order to be heard and 'different'. At the end of the day, for most, it is all about the rice bowl issues ironically.
The courts of law were meant as a recourse for attaining a redress for justice but the Malaysian experience of that hasn't been too positive, I'm afraid, where it's not about what you know but who you know....sigh...
And perhaps, the most powerful change I hope to see is my vote in the ballot of the next 13th General Elections of which was preceded by the 12th one, a small indicator for greater things and changes to come. Hopefully, with greater awareness and solidarity, we can confound those who seek to marginalise us and return back the rightful equitability and fairness to all.
Are we willing to sacrifice our personal interests for the cause?
Until then, it's just babbling...
Dare I say it, but a country run by its religion just does not support human rights or freedom of choice. And therein lies the rub. If politicians and religious folk would stay out of our bedrooms and as to what we like to do in private, it would be a much easier world to live in. What with terrorism, murders, the suicide rate, etc., one would think that these issues carry far more importance, than as to with whom I like to do what in my own private home.
Since when has what goes on in my have anything to do with any politician religious leader? Freedom of choice is basic human right – ALL OVER the world! The powers that be need to stop persecuting individuals for their religious beliefs and sexual proclivities! Maybe THEN they will have the time to centre their desperately required attention on the REALLY IMPORTANT issues hurtling this 3rd Rock from the Sun into oblivion!
Luv n Light
Zac Tooh
gosh, and I thought the M'sian policticians have made a name for being stupid and now the academicians want to share their limelight....
Okra can turn you gay eh? I guess that prove the quality of our education have gone down the drain. It seem the more modern we are the less we are accepting. It was ok to have effeminate teacher in the past but not now. How come? Have time really change that much. The Greek was full of Bi, Gays and lesbian yet , the society accepted it like it was the norm but no today.
Ironic Huh?
Such a feat is easier said than done, it could take a lifetime.
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