Anti-gay musical tours Malaysian schools and universities
Human-rights groups fear increase in violence towards LGBT community after latest state-backed propaganda
(The Guardian) – A government-backed musical in Malaysia that aims to warn young people about the perils of being lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) in this Muslim-majority country has sparked controversy over its “state-sponsored bigotry” and potential to incite hatred.
Asmara Songsang (Abnormal Desire) follows the lives of three LGBT friends who throw loud parties, take drugs and have casual sex, thereby incurring the wrath of their religious neighbours, who attempt to reintroduce them to the teachings of Islam. Those who repent are spared, while those who don’t are killed in a lightning storm.
Rahman Adam, 73, who wrote and directed the musical, said his aim was “to educate the youngsters and their parents [on] the bad things about LGBT”.
“Nowadays in Malaysia you read so many things in newspaper articles or write-ups about LGBT … because [LGBT] are going into schools and influencing the children,” he said. “Children need to recognise that men are for women, and women are for men. They [LGBT] are all out to have homosexual and lesbian sex, and although right now it is not so serious [in Malaysia], we need to act, to do something, to say something, to say that this is bad and not to follow it.”
The musical features some of Malaysia’s most famous TV actors and opened this month at the national theatre in the capital, Kuala Lumpur. It has since toured schools, universities and teacher-training colleges – with free tickets provided.
Read more at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/28/anti-gay-lgbt-musical-malaysia
