LGBT Rights

At UN women’s rights review, Putrajaya claims LGBT treated ‘equally’ in Malaysia

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Source: The Malay Mail Online

The committee also expressed concern over protection of LGBT students in schools, especially against rape, stalking, harassment, and intimidation, since Malaysia does not recognise their existence. — AFP pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 — Putrajaya representatives claimed yesterday that the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community is being treated “equally”, when queried by a United Nations (UN) committee on women’s rights in Geneva, Switzerland yesterday.

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) committee in its 39th session had asked the Malaysian delegate about how its laws can protect the LGBT when it is criminalised, and many resources are spent on anti-LGBT measures.

The committee was also concerned about attacks on women’s and LGBT human rights defenders.

“The LGBT are treated equally as per other genders, and we are open to dialogue and suggestions,” replied Datuk Suriani Ahmad, the secretary-general of the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development, who leads Malaysia’s 24-member delegation.

The dialogue was broadcasted live through internet streaming on UN’s website. Read more →

Transgenders meet mufti to end discrimination against them

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Source: Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: A non-governmental organisation (NGO) met Federal Territory mufti Zulkifli Mohammad in an effort to help promote understanding and end discrimination against the transgender community.

Pertubuhan Kesihatan dan Kebajikan Malaysia (PKKUM) said the discussion between transgender activists and the Federal Territory Mufti’s Office yesterday had strengthened ties between the transgender community and religious authorities.

The discussion came after Zulkifli expressed interest in helping them.

The founder of PKKUM, Elisha Kor Krishnan, said the meeting discussed the need to encourage interpretation of the Quran and Hadith to create greater awareness among the general populace on transgender issues.

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FT Mufti backs call to revisit edict against transgenders

HAKAM_Intern

Source: Malay Mail Online

PETALING JAYA, Feb 15 — Religious authorities should revisit a fatwa (edict) declaring transgenderism as un-Islamic, according to Federal Territories Mufti Datuk Zulkifli Mohamad al-Bakri who said the phenomenon is not inherently wrong.

In a meeting with Pertubuhan Kesihatan dan Kebajikan Umum Malaysia (PKKUM) founder Elisha Kor Krishnan yesterday, Zulkifli also expressed his intention to work closely to help the group.

Citing Islamic teachings, he said there was a need to distinguish between men who impersonate as women (Mukhannath bi al-takalluf) and those who are born physically male but possess a female gender identity (Mukhannath min Kalqin).

Read more →

Survey shows LGBTQ+ rights believed to be a key issue in GE14

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Source: Malay Mail Online

PETALING JAYA, Feb 6 — Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) rights will be among the significant issues in the 14th general elections (GE14), said 72 per cent of respondents in a survey conducted by an LGBT rights group.

Those aged 20 and below were the most common age group (84.5 per cent) to believe LGBTQ+ rights would be an important issue in the coming elections, followed by those aged 21 to 30 (72.7 per cent), people aged 41 to 50 (72.4 per cent), the 31-40 age group (67 per cent), and less than half of those aged 51 and above at 46.2 per cent.

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Femme & Queer: Redefining Gender Expression

Facebook event here

What does being femme mean to you? How are queer people breaking the gender binary by embracing their femininity? Whether it’s queer women taking ownership of their femininity or queer men challenging the norm of what being a man should be like, how the celebration of femininity can shape the struggle for fairness and equality? These are just some of the issues that we will be talking about in the third of our “Millennials in Malaysia: Defining Our Generation” chat series.
Joining our conversation are :
1) Thilaga, Justice for Sisters
2) Dhinesha Karthigesu, spoken word poet
3) Cat Brogan, poet, educator, and LGBT event organiser

All are welcome to be part of this conversation on sexuality, gender identity and gender expression. Share your stories and experiences of how your identities intersect with one another. Let us know what is your relationship with femininity. This chat is a safe space for everyone to come together and celebrate the universality of humanity.

Event artwork

Artwork by Lynnie Z, Olaf Hajek from Facebook event page

Blaming LGBT won’t cure HIV, AIDS, council says

Intern Post

Source: Malay Mail Online

The Malaysian Aids Council said hate attitudes against people with HIV or AIDS will worsen the current situation in the country. — Reuters pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 — Taking a combative and homophobic or transphobic attitude towards people with HIV or AIDS will not stop the disease from spreading, the Malaysian Aids Council (MAC) said today.

It added that such hate attitudes, especially if adopted by medical professionals, will worsen the current situation in the country where infection rates have already reached a whopping 84 per cent.

“With the rise of sexually transmitted HIV (which accounted for 84 per cent of new infections last year), certain quarters were quick to point the finger of blame to these sexual minorities and the LGBT community.

“In response, we warned about the harms of hate and fear mongering and spoke against allowing homophobia and transphobia from pervading the HIV/AIDS discourse,” ,” MAC president Bakhtiar Talhah said in a statement to mark World AIDS day today. Read more →

Perkasa told to show respect to LGBT community

Coordinator

Source: FMT News

The Malay rights group had called on Muslims to boycott Starbucks as the American cafe chain is a supporter of the LGBT community and same-sex marriage. Pic from FMT News.

PETALING JAYA: A human rights lawyer has called on Perkasa to accord due respect to minority groups like the LGBT, reasoning that every person has equal rights to others.

Annou Xavier said companies that hired individuals from different gender, racial, religious and sexual orientation backgrounds were upholding the principle of equality before the law.

“Some companies, like perfume distributors and fashion outlets, hire the transgender community to sell their products because they do not discriminate against the minority group,” he told FMT. Read more →

Malay nationalist group urges Muslims to boycott Starbucks over LGBT support

Nicole Geschke

Source: Asian Correspondent

Customers sit outside of a Starbucks cafe in Jakarta, Indonesia July 1, 2017. Source: Reuters/Agoes

FAR-RIGHT, ethnic nationalist group Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia has echoed calls by Indonesian Muslims to boycott Starbucks and other western companies over their public support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities.

“Perkasa urges Muslims in this country to boycott Starbucks because this United States-based international coffee chain supports LGBT and same-sex marriage,” said spokesman Amini Amir Abdullah in a statement, as quoted by the Malay Mail Online.

Coming just a day after similar calls from a senior Muhammadiyah figure in Indonesia, Amini said his statement was spurred by reports that Starbucks’ CEO Howard Schultz supports same-sex marriage.

Read more →

‘Developed nation status is about accepting others, even LGBTs’

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Source: FMT News

Malaysian Youth Council’s Mohammad Rizan Hassan says LGBT community is only asking for access to basic human rights, not gender equality. Pic from FMT News.

KUALA LUMPUR: Despite Malaysia’s goal of becoming a developed nation, discussions on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community are often met with hesitation or outright rejection.

Malaysian Youth Council (MBM) information chief Mohammad Rizan Hassan said many failed to realise that members of the LGBT community were living without access to basic human rights.

Often, they are denied support for education, job opportunities and access to certain medical treatment, he said, adding that they are discriminated against and treated like “animals” despite being rightful citizens of Malaysia.

“For a country to achieve developed status, it’s not about tall buildings. It’s about a community that is accepting of one another. Read more →

Watchdog calls for end to state laws criminalising gender, sexual identity

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Source: The Malay Mail Online

Taylor’s University had explained that it cancelled LGBT awareness event at its campus because the organisers did not obtain its approval. — AFP pic

A Human Rights Watch (HRW) report on Malaysia noted that attacks against trans women have become increasingly brutal. — AFP file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 — Malaysian laws criminalising activities like cross-dressing has led to increased discrimination and violence against transgenders and those of different sexual identities and orientations, an international human rights watchdog said.

In its latest report to the United Nations committee on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) on Malaysia released Friday, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) noted that attacks against these peoples, especially trans women, have become increasingly brutal.

It highlighted the February murder of a trans woman named Sameera in Kuantan, Pahang whose body was also mutilated as a recent example of the growing phobia taking against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in the country.

The organisation further noted the increased frequency of state-sanctioned raids, arrests and prosecution of transgenders who are subjected to rough treatment under detention, and added that these have far-reaching socio-economic repercussions. Read more →