Why are we obsessed with LGBT?

Are the LGBT even any threat at all to Malaysians or their way of life? Are they demanding other people give up their personal freedoms on account of them? Are they intruding into or encroaching upon the religious practises of other people? Are they attempting to ‘convert’ straight people into their way of life?

Emmanuel Joseph, TMI

A FORUM was recently held in KL discussing the topic of LGBT. There was no representation from any of the sexual or gender orientation represented by any of the four alphabets present at that forum. Instead, it was mostly a group of people who disagree with LGBT rights, talking about their point of view to a crowd of people who probably felt the same way.

The forum was entitled “LGBT: A Chronic Cancer in Malaysia”. The choice of title is an interesting one. “Cancer” when used in this context, would usually spell certain doom and gloom, and a real adverse effect in society.

However, can someone’s sexual choices or gender expression really affect things like national identity or encroach upon sanctity of religion or social fabric? And can LGBT really be broadly termed as a movement or agenda in an “us versus them” kind of way?

This forum is just the latest in a string of talks, discussions, newspaper opinion pieces and books discussing the “LGBT problem”. But why are they seen as a problem in the first place?

First of all, as far as can be seen, there is no movement to ‘spread’ or convert people into becoming gays or lesbians or transgendered people in Malaysia. Rather the opposite, instead of an ‘offensive’ movement, most groups that look into LGBT issues would mostly be concerned with ‘defensive’ concerns – the creation of safe spaces, counselling (sometimes for abuse victims), sexual health and so on. The way some people paint it, though, is as though there is a hidden plot financed by a shadowy movement to convert half of Malaysia and proceed to host a gay parade in the middle of the Federal Highway.

Secondly, are the LGBT even any threat at all to Malaysians or their way of life? Are they demanding other people give up their personal freedoms on account of them? Are they intruding into or encroaching upon the religious practises of other people? Are they attempting to ‘convert’ straight people into their way of life? If no, what is the problem with having them around? They are tax paying, hardworking, voting Malaysians just like anyone else and contribute as much to nation building.

As such, labelling and abusing them is uncalled for. As a matter of fact, it would only make things worse. Have we not heard enough stories about effeminate men and boys being bullied, subjected to mental and physical abuse and in some rarer cases, even tortured and killed to uphold some weird form of honour or ideals on how a boy or man should behave?

How many times have we read in the news about transgendered people being mistreated and subjected to humiliating, degrading treatment, while their abusers go unpunished, or let off with barely a slap to the wrist? Why are people allowed to debase other human beings on life choices that do not affect them at all?

We shudder and shake our heads at faraway countries like Pakistan or India where this sort of thing used to occur but are we slowly becoming a resentful, intolerant and hateful country ourselves?

Even if the idea is one with religious and ‘good’ intentions, surely, engaging these people will have a better chance of success than rallying people against them. Oversimplifying a complicated topic would only serve to drive another wedge in our fragmented Malaysian society that seems to thrive on differences rather than commonalities these days.

We have bigger problems to be worried about than what other people do in the privacy of their bedrooms or manner in which they choose to express their gender.

Even if absolutely necessary, perhaps we could all learn from the gentler way of dialogue as demonstrated by the example of the good Mufti Wilayah Persekutuan who recently opened his office to a meaningful dialogue with members of the LGBT community. – February 20, 2018.

* Emmanuel Joseph firmly believes that Klang is the best place on earth, and that a motivated people can do far more good than any leaders with motive.