A major Malaysian newspaper, Sinar Harian, recently published an article titled “How to Spot a Gay”, propelling the conservative nation to a top spot in international scorn from around the world. Unsurprisingly, the motivation for the piece seems to be religious in nature; it functioned as a sidebar of “useful info” for an interview with an Islamic cleric, Hanafiah Malik, who warned that homosexuality was on the rise in Malaysia and “must be stopped.”
Malaysia is already working hard to “stop” LGBQT people. A few highlights of the prevalent governmental and social pressures include:
- Homosexuality is punishable by 20 years in prison under secular law; for Muslims, it’s even worse as they can additionally be prosecuted in courts of Islamic law
- The country’s film censorship board has set standards for movies (foreign or domestic) that require any gay characters to “repent or die” by the end of the film
- The government has announced plans to open a clinic this year to “cure” trans women by means of so-called “corrective therapy”
- The nation’s health ministry has an article on its website that explains one reason why women might be lesbians is because they prioritize their careers rather than finding a husband
The country is clearly not LGBQT-friendly. Human Rights Watch says that discrimination is pervasive. Pew Research found that 86% of the population reject acceptance of gays in society, one of the highest rates of anti-gay attitude in the world. In addition to social and economic discrimination, LGBQT people face real dangers of physical violence as well as arbitrary arrest and abuse by police.
Perpetuating this sad legacy of medieval attitudes about sexuality and gender identity, the newspaper served up a checklist of gay and lesbian characteristics that the public could use to play “Where’s Gay Waldo?” when they’re out and about. The ridicule that they received wasn’t just because of the backwards thinking displayed — it was also because the traits are so general that just about everyone in the country could look in a mirror and say “OMG, I’m gay!!!”
If you are a man (and we assume that means genetically because it is highly doubtful Sinar Harian has a clue about transgender people), you may be a “friend of Dorothy” if:
- You have a beard
- Go to the gym
- Wear designer-label clothes
- Wear clothes that show off your physique
For women, those lesbo telltales include:
- Hate guys and love to belittle them
- Like to be alone/by yourself
- Like to hug or hold hands with other women
Well, damn, it turns out I’m gay. Who knew? Oddly, though, I just might be a lesbian — instead of the gay man I always thought I was — because the only characteristic I match is that I do enjoy spending time alone. Darn, now I’m going to have to trade in my sequined faux-leather chaps for a plaid lumberjack shirt.
Not all is lost in Malaysia, however. There are gays, lesbians, trans folks, and supporters working to change things but it’s going to be a long hard effort for them. You can watch Arwind Kumar, a Malaysian vlogger, tearing the newspaper’s checklist apart and building himself up to a righteous rant about discrimination based on fundamentalist religious values below.
Sources
Malaysian newspaper publishes ‘how to spot a gay’ checklist (Pink News)
Malaysian government funding conversion therapy to “cure” trans women (GayTimes)
Malaysian newspaper publishes 'how to spot a gay' checklist (Guardian)
Malaysian newspaper's 'how to spot gay person' list sparks anger (BBC)
'Spot a gay' list in Malaysian tabloid Sinar Harian sparks outrage (Times of India)
LGBT rights in Malaysia (Wikipedia)