Hafidz Baharom wrote in the The Malaysian Insider, an online news portal, on Jan 4, 2011:
I was not threatened or bullied for coming out of the closet since I did it after college. Even then, I did so covertly; at first with my family members i.e. my brothers, my closest cousins, my youngest aunt before finally coming out to my parents and then openly at The Annexe Gallery in 2008, which was mentioned very quietly in The Star [newspaper].
There is no problem being yourself in this nation. However, the government does frown upon your being too loud about it in public.
And that is where we need to change, and that is what I’m fighting for in my own way by talking to politicians from both sides of the divide. We may be a minority. However, we are a minority of Malaysian citizens with the equal right to vote even if we don’t have the right to openly declare our love or preference for members of the same sex.
It does get better, but we need to change the nation for the betterment of everyone regardless of their race, religion, politics and sexual orientation.
And with that, I thank Azwan Ismail for bringing us one step forward towards that goal.
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The strategy to deal with Islam is not to confront it head on. The strategy is to side-step it, and get society and government to stop any & all violence against GLBT people. You want to assure your protection & rights as a law-abiding citizen. Stop the violence - start the living. All the rest will fall in place.
Frankly speaking, Malaysian society may be able to change to accept gay but the laws against gay will stay forever. What do u expect a Muslim country would do for gay people? Officially a muslim country, I am sure the Muslim nations all over the world will against Malaysia if Malaysian politicians or laws change to accept gay. Any attempt will cause economic problems in foreign trade with Muslim nations for sure. Isn't it too expensive to loss in economy simple making Malaysian gays more acceptale by law? I do encourage Malaysian gays to come out but they have to be careful what their government can do to them. Economic and Religion point of view. Malaysia will remain anti gay forever by law as long as the official religion is Islam. Good to challenge the society and government. Be strong and don't forget your safety. Good luck !
What is against by God & Quran, just follow even ur heart cant accept it. No means no! We just ask for forgiveness everyday in our pray frm God wat we had done wrong...
Hooray! WE ROCK!!
And really, #15, are you kidding me with that post? Come on. I'm strongly agnostic, so I have an admittedly fair degree of disdain for ALL organized religion (especially Christianity, Islam, and Judaism), but to say that ALL Muslims are terrorists is just ridiculous and really makes you look like an exceptionally small-minded person, and hopefully that's not the case. Moreover, the vast majority of Muslims in Malaysia never even had a choice in the matter -- the onerous constitution in this country ensures that a Malay or Bumiputra baby is Muslim at birth, which is completely outrageous to me. So give them at least a bit of a break.
Oh My Gosh. Where is your brain? Are u American or Korean? Shame ! Did you go to school?
Everyone here, read his profile below (really fuck man!)
"About Me
Read my profile; unwelcome visitors will be blocked.
getting fed up wit all those chinese men who sent their friend requests but the fact is we r not friend nor we ever chat before.
for all chinese out there, get a life!!! please dont bother me.
who turn me off: Chinese and Muslim.
Frankly speaking, I was speechless and shocked when I read your comment. Did ever Chinese or Muslim guy fuck you and damp u? Why u hate them so much?
Eveyone here, please spank him. Your opinion is inhuman. You are 26, your mentality is below 6.
Hey #15, read your comment again. Are u a human being?
"who care those homo malays come out of closet or not. they're all muslim and they're all terrorists. all malay regardless gay or straight should be wiped out from this world. their lazy asses do not worth a penny. dont blame i am racist. you will understand if you live there long enough."
Where do you live? In the jungle of USA? One word I want to give u. Being Compassion. Enough for u to live until u die. Ask your President Obama, Is your comment represent USA or Korea? U r not racist, you are animal. I am really pity you. Time to go back to school or home and ask your mother to spank your head until u wake you.
All human beings are equally good regardless their race and religion.
and maybe one day return to a better home.
It is just this kind of negativity that divides the gay community in my country ( Australia ) I wish more people were as open minded as Hafidz Baharom.
This is a really nice uplifting article and I enjoyed it immensely, the individual who tried to spoil it failed in his attempt and his views are as thin as smoke in the wind .
ALL Gay people deserve to live in peace and harmony throughout the world and we will always fight for this simple freedom :-)
Frankly speaking, you are highly dump. In my sincere opinion, you should go home and ask your parents to teach you some manners (if they have any).
I did not come out of the closet in support of Azwan Ismail. I was openly gay since 2008 after my announcement during The Annexe Heroes awards that year, which was highlighted in The Star newspaper here in Malaysia.
While I thank Fridae for their support in highlighting my column piece in The Malaysian Insider, I just have to note that the title is very misleading.
I hope i'll be able to contribute a bright step like this for my homeland too... Which is still very taboo about LGBT thing..
Love You Fridae...
dun fight like kids, lets b 2gether s one. Ok?
I have been in Asia now for more than 12 years, almost 9 of them in Malaysia, and I have to truly say that Malaysia is one of the nicest, easiest and safest places in the world to live in. As far as the gay issue is concerned, things have changed drastically already. It just all depends on the learning curve. If one looks at middle America as an example, narrow mindedness still prevails to a large extent, so gay issues are not intrinsic to the east alone. Maybe there’s been more progress in the west than here; it’s hard to say. If any statisticians are reading this, it could be interesting how various learning curves compare.
Religion, no matter what kind, denounces homosexuality - We all know this! So there, the learning curve could be much bigger. But with recent reports, that the pope may relent on contraception, it shows that changes are ever present already, however minute or slow they may be.
#8 – If your country bans clubs and alcohol, it’s just another kind of discrimination, by robbing people of their freedom of choice, so that’s not any good either, is it?
#15 - Unfortunately I did not have the chance to read their post, I can only gather by the ensuing comments, that it must have been quite a ‘humdinger’ :D
Just curious... and wondering... whats so "laughable" about the whole concept of "buddyship" between God and Muhammad?!? It seems to me that you know a lot!!!
Its more of a misconception on your part sweetheart and my advice is... if you don't know much about things, you don't freely comment at will! I think its more of you having misconceptions instead of the other way round!
Be Sensitive!
I agree with you on the above-mentioned 100%! That was exactly what i had wanted to say and you have nicely put it in words or rather in one complete sentence! Thank You sir! :)
Islamic homosexualities : culture, history, and literature / Stephen O. Murray and Will Roscoe ; with additional contributions by Eric Allyn ..
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