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 đŸłď¸â€đŸŒˆ LGBTQ Community, Discussion regarding LGBTQ

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TSinternaldisputes
post Nov 20 2020, 02:40 PM

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Queering Theology: Mengubah Naratif LGBTQ Sebagai Pendosa
Source: https://www.queerlapis.com/queering-theolog...ebagai-pendosa/

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“Mereka sangat kasar. Salah seorang daripada mereka memicit buah dada saya. Saya berasa sangat malu….Mereka melucutkan pakaian saya sepenuhnya. Salah seorang daripada mereka mengambil baton polis dan mencucuk kemaluan saya. Semua orang memandang saya…Mereka mengambil gambar saya dalam keadaan bogel. Mereka melayan saya seperti binatang. Saya berkata, ‘Mengapa awak melayan saya seperti binatang? Saya pun manusia biasa. Saya juga diciptakan oleh Tuhan’…” cerita Victoria seorang transgender sewaktu mengimbas penahanannya pada 2011 di Negeri Sembilan."

Ini mungkin sebahagian kecil daripada sekian banyak pengalaman hitam yang terpaksa dilalui oleh teman-teman transgender yang dimuatkan dalam Laporan Human Rights Watch berjudul “Saya Takut Untuk Menjadi Wanita” – Pencabulan Hak Asasi Terhadap Golongan Transgender Di Malaysia.

Saya selalu terfikir, berapa ramai lagi yang harus terkorban kerana menjadi dirinya sendiri? Sampai bila kita mahu menggunakan agama untuk menjustifikasi kezaliman hanya kerana orientasi seksual dan identiti gender yang berbeza?

Tidak berapa lama dahulu, saya pernah diceritakan oleh Numan Afifi, aktivis LGBTIQ tentang seorang remaja lelaki yang diikat dan dipaksa untuk melihat kedua ibu bapanya melakukan hubungan seks kerana ketahuan orientasi seksualnya yang berbeza. Mungkin si ayah dan ibu beranggapan dengan menyaksikan sendiri hubungan intim antara pasangan heteroseksual boleh ‘memulihkan’ sang anak. Barangkali mereka lupa, dalam dunia yang serba canggih si anak hanya perlu memuat turun ‘proxy’ di internet dan boleh mengakses laman-laman pornografi yang tumbuh bagai cendawan selepas hujan. Daripada Pornhub yang terkenal dengan kerja sosialnya membantu membersihkan pesisir pantai yang kotor dan tercemar, Redtube, X-Hamster sehingga OnlyFans yang khabarnya turut digemari oleh sebahagian orang politik – akses kepada bahan pornografi menjadi lebih mudah dan terjangkau sehingga idea untuk memaksa sang anak melihat sendiri kedua ibu bapanya melakukan hubungan seks adalah sesuatu yang berada di luar nalar pemikiran manusia sihat.

Tidak kurang juga trend menyalahkan jin, syaitan dan perkara-perkara yang tidak terlihat mata hanya kerana orientasi seksual yang berbeza. Saya pernah dan masih dihubungi oleh ahli keluarga dan individu yang bertanyakan samada boleh atau tidak saya meruqyah anak atau diri mereka sendiri kerana khuatir ada jin yang bergayut di mata atau di ‘ding ding dong’ mereka yang menyebabkan mereka lebih berminat dengan pasangan sesama jenis. Pernah juga tular di media sosial tidak berapa lama dahulu tentang teknik ruqyah pukulan menggunakan kayu atau lada hitam yang disembur di mata kononnya sebagai usaha untuk mengeluarkan jin yang bersarang dalam badan yang menyebabkan seseorang itu menyukai dan berahi kepada sesama jenis.

Queering Theology

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Islam dan LGBTIQ sentiasa diposisikan secara berseberangan, setidaknya oleh mereka yang memakai jubah agama. Naratif bahawa minoriti seksual sebagai seorang pendosa, terkeluar daripada fitrah kemanusiaan dan dilaknat Tuhan ternyata membuatkan mereka berasa jauh hati daripada agama dan Tuhan.

Masakan tidak, kalau di ‘swipe left’ di Tinder atau di ‘ghosted’ di aplikasi zaman moden lain sahaja kita oleh boleh termenung hilang keyakinan diri inikan pula di ‘swipe left’ oleh agama yang sejak dari kecil kita didoktrinkan sebagai agama yang merangkul semua manusia tanpa kecuali, agama kemanusiaan serta pembela kepada minoriti dan kelompok rentan. Tidak jarang saya temukan, teman-teman LGBTIQ yang memilih untuk menjauh daripada agama kerana merasakan mustahil Tuhan akan berbagi kasih-Nya kepada mereka.

Keragaman seksualiti dan gender bukanlah sesuatu yang asing dalam sejarah kemanusiaan. Islam sebagai agama juga tidak terlepas daripada membicarakan tentang seksualiti. Di dalam Al-Quran misalnya dalam Surah Al-Nuur ayat 31 menceritakan tentang ‘ulil irbah min al rijal’ atau lelaki yang tidak ada ketertarikan seksual kepada perempuan yang nantinya diceritakan secara lengkap dalam beberapa hadith seperti yang diriwayatkan oleh Aishah RH dan Ummu Salamah RH yang bergaul secara langsung dengan mereka yang dipanggil mukhannath dan mempunyai fungsi dan peranan sosial tertentu pada zamannya.

Di dalam Surah Al-Insan ayat 19, Surah Al-Waqi’ah ayat 17 dan Surah Al-Thuur ayat 24 diceritakan bahawa di syurga nanti lelaki-lelaki penghuni syurga akan dikelilingi oleh para wildan dan ghilman atau pemuda-pemuda yang siap melayani keperluan mereka. Al-Zamaksyari dalam tafsirnya Al-Kasyaf sewaktu menceritakan perihal wildan menyatakan bahawa mereka adalah anak-anak muda yang tampan dan lincah serta siap menjadi pelayan kepada penghuni-penghuni syurga. Mereka juga akan berhias dengan memakai anting-anting.

Setarikkan nafas dengan Al-Quran, Hadith juga turut menceritakan tentang realiti keragaman gender dan seksualiti yang terjadi di zaman Rasulullah SAW, misalnya al-mukhannath dan al-mutarajilat yang masing-masing boleh diertikan sebagai perempuan trans dan lelaki trans. Begitu juga dengan istilah khuntsa atau interseks.

Tidak berhenti di situ, teks-teks fiqh juga turut membicarakan perihal tersebut dalam konteks yang jauh lebih besar misalnya tentang amrad dan ghulam yang bererti lelaki muda yang masih belum ditumbuhi janggut yang dianggap eksotik dan memiliki tarikan secara seksual khususnya buat para lelaki, sehingga nanti para amrad ini dilarang untuk hadir ke tempat tumpuan umum seperti bersolat di masjid, menghadiri majlis-majlis ilmu bahkan berjabat tangan dan berdua-duaan dengan lelaki lain. Mungkin istilah yang lebih kontemporari bagi amrad dan ghulam buat kita di Malaysia adalah anak ikan atau jambu.

Nah, itu baru sebahagian kecil daripada khazanah perbahasan di teks-teks klasik Islam tentang keragaman gender dan seksualiti yang boleh saya sebut secara ringkas. Terdapat banyak lagi perbahasan-perbahasan lain daripada teks klasik sehingga kontemporari tentang perihal ini.

Fatwa juga kelihatannya beragam dikeluarkan oleh para ulama di berbagai belahan dunia dari masa ke masa sekitar isu-isu keragaman gender dan seksualiti. Persoalannya bersediakah kita berlapang dada menerima perbezaan dan kepelbagaian ini?

Manusia Separuh Tuhan

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Sebagai manusia kita sentiasa melalui proses untuk mencari jalan dan solusi terbaik bagi menyelesaikan masalah umat—termasuk umat yang berbeza identiti gender dan seksualnya daripada kita. Dari tahun 2009 sewaktu saya turun ke lorong mendengar dan belajar dari pekerja-pekerja seks transgender di sekitar Kuala Lumpur, hidup sebagai minoriti seksual tidak mudah. Kata mereka, “kalau diberi pilihan, tidak mungkin kita memilih menjadi seperti sekarang”.

Teks-teks suci yang dibaca buat melaknat, menghina dan mendosakan minoriti seksual tidak berhujung berbanding memberikan kebahagiaan kepada manusia. Ada di antara mereka yang dihalau oleh keluarga, dinafikan peluang pekerjaan, tidak mendapat akses perkhidmatan kesihatan yang selayaknya dan dinafikan hak untuk beragama semata-mata kerana berbeza.

Sudah tiba masanya teks-teks yang diskriminatif yang sarat dengan tafsiran-tafsiran patriarki dan heteronormatif dibaca ulang supaya lebih merangkul semua khalayak dan manusiawi. Usaha-usaha untuk melahirkan ijtihad baru yang lebih kontemporari dan ‘queer friendly’ perlu dilakukan. Ingat, dunia ini bukan milik heteroseksual semata. Saya yakin Tuhan yang menciptakan kita jauh lebih besar rahmat dan kasih sayang-Nya kepada semua ciptaan tanpa kecuali.

Bukankah Dia juga menciptakan manusia yang beragam identiti seksual dan gendernya untuk kita saling kenal-mengenali?

Afiq M Nor adalah seorang peguam dan penyelidik isu-isu perundangan Islam, gender & seksualiti.
TSinternaldisputes
post Nov 22 2020, 02:40 PM

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TSinternaldisputes
post Nov 23 2020, 01:49 PM

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Legalising gay marriage has caused a surge in divorce rates among lesbians, says same-sex fertility chief
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-89...s-lesbians.html

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The founder of Britain’s first fertility clinic for same-sex couples believes the legalisation of gay marriage has resulted in a soaring divorce rate among lesbians.

Government figures last week showed that divorces among lesbian couples last year were about three times higher than those among gay men. It came as the overall number of divorces in England and Wales saw their largest rise for nearly half a century.

Fertility clinic boss Natalie Drew’s concerns over gay marriage, which was introduced in 2014, have grown since she discovered that about a third of the 586 lesbian couples she helped to have babies between 2011 and 2015 have split up.

Ms Drew, 45, whose own same-sex marriage ended last year, believes the breakdown of many lesbian relationships today is caused by couples rushing into traditional married life that they may be unsuited for.

‘I don’t think the law should have changed from allowing gay people to have civil partnerships to actually getting married,’ she said.

‘The legalisation of gay marriage has done more damage than good. It hasn’t done lesbians any favours.’

The Office for National Statistics revealed that there were 107,599 divorces of opposite-sex couples in England and Wales last year, up by nearly a fifth from 90,871 the previous year.

But the sharpest rise involved divorces between same-sex couples, with the figures almost doubling from 428 in 2018 to 822 in 2019 – nearly three- quarters of which were lesbian relationships.

Ms Drew suggested that getting married put pressure on lesbians to adopt roles more typically associated with heterosexual couples.

‘You get caught up in these expected roles, one being the breadwinner, going out earning the money, and one being the mother,’ she said.

‘There’s an expectation you’ll fit into these traditional roles because you’ve done the norm, you’ve done what everyone else has done and got married.

‘But we are not the norm. And I think this causes an imbalance, because the one going out to work feels left out of motherhood.’

She feels too many female couples had rushed into marriage, saying: ‘With lesbian couples, everything happens so fast. They move from a relationship into marriage, sometimes within months. There’s no steady, easy-going dating process.’

Ms Drew regrets converting her own civil partnership to a marriage in 2015. ‘We were much more relaxed as civil partners than as a married couple,’ she said.

The former teacher set up the first online fertility service for same-sex couples in 2007 with her partner Ashling Phillips, with whom she has two children through a sperm donor.

Four years later, they opened the Gay Family Web Fertility Centre in the West Midlands, but it closed in 2016.

‘We kept in contact with many of the couples – through Facebook and other means,’ she said.

‘You drop them a line from time to time saying how are you getting on and that’s when you start seeing just one person in the picture.’

Kanak Ghosh, of the ONS, said that since same-sex couples have been able to marry in England and Wales from 2014, there has been an increase in divorces year on year.

He added: ‘Unreasonable behaviour, which includes adultery, was the most common ground for divorce among same-sex couples this year, as almost two-thirds of couples divorced for this reason.'


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Homosexual couples should stop basing their relationship on straight people. sweat.gif

This post has been edited by internaldisputes: Nov 23 2020, 01:51 PM
TSinternaldisputes
post Nov 24 2020, 09:37 AM

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Young boy leaves social media 'in tears' with a heartbreaking letter to Father Christmas
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-...d-love-gay.html

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A young boy has left social media users 'in tears' after writing an emotional letter to Santa in which he opens up about being gay — and asks if God and Santa still love him.

The youngster, named Will, penned the note to Santa Claus and mailed it to the North Pole, and it has since turned up online.

In the handwritten note, Will asks St. Nick if he supports the LGBTQ community, and if he happens to talk to God, whether he can ask him the same thing.

'Dear Santa,' the letter begins in the messy scrawl of a school-age child.

'Do you support the LGBTQ community and if you can speak to God, can you tell him I love him, and if he loves me for being gay[?]

'Thank you,' he signs off politely. 'Love, Will.'

Will appears to have mailed the letter to the North Pole, and it's been intercepted by the USPS and included in the USPS's Operation Santa.

USPS Operation Santa takes letters mailed to Santa and shares them online, allowing individuals and organizations to 'adopt' them and fulfill Christmas wishes — which could be for anything from toys to basic necessities.

The letters are uploaded to a designated website, which is where Twitter user Nancy Cruz-Garcia spotted Will's note and shared it on her own Twitter page.

'This letter to Santa broke my heart,' she wrote.

As of Monday morning, her tweet has earned over 18,700 likes, and has been swiftly inundated with comments from users who were overcome with emotion.

'That is the most heartbreaking thing. And the worst part is that if this kid is asking this, then there is a huge chance they might not be receiving the love they need,' wrote one.

'Oh my goodness!! God loves you with his whole entire heart Will!! Don’t listen to all the haters out there kiddo!!' responded another.

'Dear Will, Santa does support the LGBTQ+ community because he has special helpers to makes sure they know they are loved. I promise,' added someone else.

'WHO IS TELLING THESE QUEER CHILDREN THAT SANTA DOESNT LOVE THEM?' one more demanded.

'YES, WILL. YES SANTA LOVES YOU. Also, God loves you. Jesus loves you. Period. No asterisks. No notes. Just love. I wish I knew that when I was Will's age,' another Twitter user said.
TSinternaldisputes
post Nov 25 2020, 09:28 AM

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'The fight doesn't stop here': what LGBTQ+ advocates want from a Biden presidency

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Joe Biden has promised to undo years of anti-LGBTQ+ policies by Donald Trump’s administration, but advocates and civil rights leaders are urging the president-elect to go further in expanding protections and opportunities for queer and transgender people.

In its four years in office, the Trump administration systematically attacked the fundamental rights of LGBTQ+ people, stripping away safeguards enacted in the previous administration in education, immigration, healthcare, housing and criminal justice.

The administration in particular targeted trans rights, boosting Republican efforts to exploit trans people with fear-mongering campaign messages, and rewriting regulations with outdated and inaccurate definitions of gender that erase trans identity.

Some efforts were more successful than others, but the cumulative impact was severe. “I’ve been afraid to be growing up in this world where I’m not wanted and not accepted,” said Aryn Bucci-Mooney, a 16-year-old trans student and youth activist in Albany, New York.

“The climate that Trump has perpetuated is astonishing. My mental health has declined because of it … It’s just been a big sigh of relief with Biden’s win,” he said.

‘Some damage can’t be undone’

One of Trump’s earliest efforts to strip away trans rights came in July 2017, when he announced by tweet that “the United States government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the US military”. The ban, which has survived repeated court challenges, impacted an estimated 15,000 trans personnel along with countless others forced to hide their identities or change career paths.

It was the start of a broader offensive that included repeated efforts to deny trans people access to basic accommodations, with regulations that encouraged discrimination in schools, sports, medical care, prisons, homeless shelters, employment and beyond.

Trump rolled back protections for trans people in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which had prohibited employment discrimination based on gender identity by government contractors. He also reversed health protections for trans people.

The administration pushed to allow federally funded homeless shelters to reject trans people and no longer mandated the bureau of prisons to consider gender identity when making decisions over where to house prisoners.

Trump’s education secretary, Betsy DeVos rescinded anti-discrimination protections for trans children and threatened to take funding from schools that allowed trans athletes to participate on teams that matched their gender. The policies, said Eliza Byard, executive director of Glsen, a group that works with LGBTQ+ youth, forced trans students across the country to return to using incorrect facilities, a practice that has been linked to increased rates of assault and other serious harms. The damage will be lasting, she said: “What has been taken from them can’t be undone.”

Many of Trump’s policies were challenged in court. In a major victory for LGBTQ+ rights groups, the supreme court ruled in June that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act does protect gay and trans workers. But Trump’s term coincided with reports of increased bullying and harassment in schools, a surge in hate crimes and record levels of violence.

Bucci-Mooney, the trans student, came out when he was 12 at the start of Trump’s presidency. He said he was taunted and bullied when he played on the boy’s soccer team, and that he eventually quit. Now on the wrestling team, the high school junior said it would be a relief to have federal policy that supports his basic right to exist.

Trump’s rules “validate the idea that we are not human beings, that it’s OK to discriminate against us simply because we were born in the wrong body, that it’s OK to take away a student’s right to feel safe”, Bucci-Mooney said. “These are children we are talking about.”

Read more @ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/...ger-protections

TSinternaldisputes
post Nov 25 2020, 09:39 AM

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Fran Drescher Is a Merry Meddler in New Trailer for “The Christmas Setup”
Source: http://www.newnownext.com/the-christmas-se...review/11/2020/

Fran Drescher is here to spread some holiday cheer!

Lifetime has finally released the first trailer for the network’s upcoming first LGBTQ holiday movie, The Christmas Setup. Call us Mary because we are already feeling the holiday spirit.

As NewNowNext previously reported, real-life married couple Ben Lewis (Arrow, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) and Blake Lee (Parks and Recreation, Mixology) play Hugo and Patrick, respectively, two former high school friends who fall for each other when Hugo returns to his hometown for the holidays.

The plot details from the Lifetime press site read:

QUOTE
Hugo, a New York corporate lawyer, and his best friend Madelyn head to Milwaukee to spend the holidays with his mom Kate, who is also in charge of the local Christmas celebrations. Ever the matchmaker, Kate arranges for Hugo to run into Patrick, Hugo’s high school friend and secret crush, who has recently returned after a successful stint in Silicon Valley. As they enjoy the local holiday festivities together, Hugo and Patrick’s attraction to each other is undeniable, and it looks as though Kate’s well-intentioned Santa-style matchmaking is a success. But as Hugo receives word of a big promotion requiring a move to London, he must decide what is most important to him.

The new preview shows Hugo and Patrick’s swoon-ful reunion, but it’s Drescher who steals the show as Kate, Hugo’s mother. She’s not only ecstatic about her son being back home but that he has a potential mistletoe meet-cute with a holiday hunk.

The Christmas Setup premieres December 12 on Lifetime. Check out the trailer below.


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post Nov 26 2020, 10:22 AM

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China's largest gay dating app Blued announces acquisition of Finka, pledges donation towards HIV prevention
Source: https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-11-25/China...0Ztm/index.html

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BlueCity Holdings, the largest LGBTQ platform announced Wednesday it will acquire Finka, a leading gay social networking app in China targeting younger generations for 240 million yuan.

It's the second acquisition BlueCity has initiated since the company listed on Nasdaq in July. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions that are expected by mid-December. The company also bought LESDO, a dating app focused on China's lesbian community, in August. BlueCity is the first business in the world built on the LGBTQ community that has gone public.

The company's IPO and further expansion is supported by the booming "pink economy". According to statistics provided by company Frost & Sullivan, the global LGBTQ population is expected to grow to 591 million by 2023, and the LGBTQ market is expected to reach $5.4 trillion by that time, as globally the LGBTQ community's disposable income is higher than heterosexuals'.

Finka had over 2.7 million registered users in 2019, and is the top choice for young Chinese gay men to make friends, according to Frost & Sullivan. The majority of the app's users are born after 1995 and are from China's first-tier cities. The app allows users to establish social contact and share their daily life through features like matching, private message, posting moments and lifecasting.

BlueCity's gay dating app Blued, which is China's largest gay dating app now has 54 million registered users. Together with Finka, Blue City will connect 56.7 million LGBTQ users around the world. Before the acquisition, Blued was already the largest online LGBTQ community in China, India, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.

"We are excited about this strategic acquisition. Finka complements our Blued app, both in its functionality focused on dating and swipe, and in the demographics of its users," said Ma Baoli, BlueCity's founder and chief executive officer. A former policeman, Ma founded BlueCity back in 2000.

BlueCity offers a broader range of services for the gay community including online dating, professional health-related services and family planning consulting services, while Finka is focused mainly on relationships, according to Ma.

Ma said that BlueCity is building a portfolio of apps and services to better serve the LGBTQ communities across geographies and demographics, and the company will continue to improve and broaden its services through potential M&A opportunities.

Ma said that after the acquisition, Finka will continue to operate as a separate app backed by BlueCity both economically and operationally.

"Blued and Finka each has unique features and strengths for their respective communities. This acquisition integrates a menu of options and create synergies that can better meet the needs of a wider demographic," said Xiao Qiang, founder of Finka.

BlueCity raised $84.8 million in a Nasdaq initial public offering in July that valued it at $614 million and told Reuters at the time that it would focus on expanding in Asia and diversifying its portfolio.

On top of providing LGBTQ communities with opportunities for making friends, dating and expressing themselves through online platforms, BlueCity has also been working to raise awareness for HIV prevention. The company pledged to donate one million yuan this Tuesday to further carry out HIV-prevention education and control in the lead-up to World AIDS Day this year.

As an internet company, BlueCity has been combining online and offline tools for HIV prevention. HIV-prevention related content on Blued, the core app of BlueCity, had an accumulated audience of 325 million as of June 2020. On top of that, through cooperation with offline partners, BlueCity has amassed a network comprising nearly 7,000 testing locations across the country, which users can search for on Blued. Users can even make appointments directly with 224 testing centers in 32 Chinese cities, providing them with discrete, stress-free services.

A 2019 report from China's National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention reported 16,000 newly discovered cases of HIV/AIDS in 2018 among young people aged 15-24. Among them, more than 3,000 cases were young students.


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"The pink economy" is a largely untapped market and there is a huge potential of growth. Wonder if there will be an enterpeneur in Malaysia who will embark on products or services catering local LGBTQ community.
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post Nov 27 2020, 11:20 AM

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Placement of trans woman in men’s prison inhumane, unlawful: Activists
Source: https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/11...-activists.html

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Activists have strongly condemned law enforcement officials for placing a transgender woman in a men’s detention facility, calling it an insensitive move against the special needs and security risks of the detainee.

The Tanjung Priok Port Police in North Jakarta had arrested M, an Instagram celebrity, for alleged drug abuse. M, a trans woman, was named a suspect and placed along with other men detainees amid an ongoing investigation process.

The decision was made based on the fact that M was identified as a male on her ID card, Tanjung Priok Port Police head Adj. Sr. Comr. Ahrie Sonta said as reported by tribunnews.com on Monday.

The case was still developing, Ahrie said, adding that the police’s narcotics detective unit was still chasing after two people suspected of being the suppliers and dealers of the crystal methamphetamine consumed by M.

The move has sparked concerns among rights and legal activists that claim such ill-treatment was repeatedly carried out by the police. Law enforcement officials should understand that M expressed herself as a female, thus should be treated as such, Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) researcher Maidina Rahmawati said.

“Holding M in the men’s place clearly poses security risks, stigma, harassment and violence, the inevitable potential for human rights violations,” Maidina said in a statement on Monday. She urged the authorities to consider vulnerabilities of detainees and look beyond physical documents.

“The problem is we don’t have any legal guarantees that pay attention to these specific needs,” she said. The ICJR also opposed the detention of M, Maidina said, arguing that this was a case of alleged possession of narcotics for personal consumption and called for the authorities to take a rehabilitation approach instead.

In a separate statement to The Jakarta Post, Maidina further said M had been caught possessing 0.36 grams of narcotics, below the threshold of 1 gram in accordance with the Supreme Court Circular Letter (SEMA) No. 4/2010 concerning the placement of drug abusers, drug abuse victims and addicts into rehabilitation institutions.

She also argued M’s immediate detention was unnecessary considering the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

This is not the first controversy surrounding the placement of detainees with consideration of their gender identity. Earlier this year, a similar circumstance befell LL, a public figure who was caught using drugs. Authorities were puzzled over whether to put LL in a men’s or a women’s cell after information circulated in the public that LL was a trans woman. LL had never come out as a trans woman and had always identified as a female.

She was finally placed in a special cell in the women’s detention block at the Jakarta Police after authorities found that the South Jakarta District Court had approved her request to change her gender. Advocacy officer in Lintas Feminist Jakarta (Jakarta Feminist) Naila Rizqi Zakiah regretted that the population administration and law enforcement in Indonesia only recognized men and women, leaving the rights of transgender people often neglected.

“This case is repeated. The police should have learned from LL’s case and listened to the input from the trans community, experts and civil groups. Recognition of the existence of trans people is very essential for their survival,” Naila, who is also an activist at the Jakarta Feminist Discussion Group, told the Post on Tuesday.

In many cases, trans women in the same cell as male detainees were treated like men, they were shaved and stripped naked, which Naila claimed a form of sexual violence performed by the authorities. “Not to mention that they are vulnerable to sexual violence perpetrated by fellow prisoners,” she said.

She cited a case in early 2018 when 12 trans women in North Aceh regency, Aceh were arrested in a raid against waria (transgender women) in the province. They were shaved and forced by the local police and sharia police to run and shout as loud as they could in a bid to help them “return to their masculine self”.

Indonesian Transgender Communication Forum chairperson Yulianus Rettoblaut, known as Mami Yuli, said she had seen trans women facing constant harassment while undergoing legal proceedings. However, she recognized there had been some improvement recently.

“The first thing the police ask trans women is their gender identity, even though they are physically women. However, I also witness myself that some big courts have started to provide separate cells for trans women, but only after convictions,” Yuli said.

Together with representatives from LGBT advocacy group Arus Pelangi, Yuli had met with Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly, who said he would coordinate further with prison authorities to tackle the issue. The government must provide protection to trans people like any other citizens, in accordance with the 1999 Human Rights Law, which stipulates the rights of vulnerable groups, Yuli said.

“We are not demanding that our gender be legally recognized. We are demanding that our rights to jobs, freedom of expression, education and others are fulfilled,” she added.


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Can't recall a similar thing happening in Malaysia but seeing that our country does not recognise transgender rights just like Indonesia, our vulnerable transgender brothers and sisters will probably suffer the same fate.
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post Nov 27 2020, 11:53 AM

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QUOTE(saswan @ Nov 27 2020, 11:48 AM)
Hey, folks!

Let's say you have an individual who is HIV+ and currently resides in state A. Due to certain circumstances (still in the closet, nature of his business), he can only visit the hospital in state B (few hundreds km away) to deal with his condition (meds, blood test, doc appointment). He's been doing this for almost ten years now and no issue so far.

So, I'm just curious whether there's a way to improve this (less travel, maintain anonymity). NGO involvement maybe?

Anyone have experience in dealing with this stuff?

BTW, kudos to TS for keeping this thread alive.
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Reach out to these guys on Twitter. They mainly serving Klang Valley right now but with their network they can help to refer the individual to other NGOs in other states.
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post Nov 30 2020, 11:27 AM

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From Dataran Merdeka to the Prison: The Queer Lapis Sex Workers Series Pt 1

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“MOTHER OF 7, sole breadwinner, charged with prostitution”.

“Prostitution ring busted with 22 nabbed in three KL raids.”

“Woman nabbed for offering sex services in Kota D’sara condo”.

These three recent headlines about the arrest of sex workers are too common in Malaysia. Add this to the fact that soliciting for the purposes of prostitution is against the law, it’s no wonder that sex workers always get a bad rap.

What are the human stories behind these stigmatising headlines? Speaking to sex workers, sex work advocates, lawyers and activists, Queer Lapis invites you to listen to the lived realities of sex workers in Malaysia who are often sidelined in the media and forgotten in the course of history. This is the first of Queer Lapis’s four-part series on sex workers.

Sex work then and now

It wouldn’t be far-fetched to imagine sex workers of the 60s coming back home after a long night of working with thousands of ringgit in cash—at least according to former sex worker Khartini Slamah, or Kak Tini as we call her. Sex workers at the time mostly operated out of brothel-style establishments or along the infamous streets of Chow Kit in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, considered to be the “paradise” for sex workers.

“Last time, we would go to Dataran Merdeka or Kowloon, as we called it, behind Globe near Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, the car park before, behind the theatre—before it was a theatre—and of course Chow Kit alley. So those were the most famous three places for us to earn money. Also in the early days was Bukit Bintang, that is Hilton area,” said Kak Tini, now a prominent transgender and sex workers’ rights advocate.

Rates and clientele varied according to where you sought sex workers. For example, those who worked in the alleyways charged RM70 per client, while “short calls” could range from RM100 to RM200 per head. Those who would frequent sex workers at Dataran Merdeka, on the other hand, would show up in cars, and the rates would also differ accordingly. This was how sex work involving cisgender male sex workers and female sex workers operated as well. It is carried out in a similar fashion today.

Selvi has been advocating for the rights of female sex workers for more than 20 years now. She recalls sex work in the early 1990s being widespread and less restrictive—sex workers could work in peace, although there was the occasional raid by the authorities. But as raids and crackdowns started to intensify, most sex workers started taking their work online, and are now advertising their services through social media platforms, dating apps and instant messaging apps.

Read more @ https://www.queerlapis.com/sexworkseriespt1/
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post Dec 1 2020, 12:05 PM

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Tiada cadangan bahas laporan Suhakam di Dewan Rakyat
Source: https://www.sinarharian.com.my/article/1127...di-Dewan-Rakyat

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KUALA LUMPUR - Kerajaan belum bercadang membuka atau membawa satu usul untuk membahaskan laporan tahunan Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Manusia (Suhakam) di Dewan Rakyat.

Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Undang-undang dan Parlimen), Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan berkata, ini kerana urusan-urusan kerajaan perlu didahulukan, selain kerajaan tidak mempunyai masa yang mencukupi.

Takiyuddin bagaimanapun berkata, ahli Parlimen yang berminat untuk membahaskan usul itu secara tidak langsung boleh memetik kandungan laporan itu mengikut masa yang sesuai.

"Saya ingin memetik Seksyen 21 Akta Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Manusia Malaysia 1999 atau Akta 597 yang berbunyi, 21 (1) suruhanjaya hendaklah tidak terkemudian daripada mesyuarat pertama Parlimen bagi tahun yang berikutnya mengemukakan satu laporan tahunan kepada Parlimen mengenai segala aktivitinya di sepanjang tahun yang dimaksudkan oleh laporan itu.

"Berdasarkan kepada Seksyen 21 yang telah saya bacakan tadi sebagaimana kertas-kertas statut yang lain, maka kertas statut Suhakam yang dinamakan sebagai kertas statut nombor 88 tahun 2020 telah pun dikemukakan dan diletak di atas meja ahli Parlimen sebagai risalah yang dibawa ke dalam majlis.

"Berdasarkan kepada peruntukan tersebut, ia tidak wajib dibahasakan. Namun demikian kerajaan menyatakan bahawa sekiranya ada ahli Parlimen yang berminat untuk membahasakan perkara ini secara tidak langsung, mereka bolehlah memetik kandungan-kandungan yang ada ini untuk menjadikan bahan perbahasan yang sesuai dalam masa yang sesuai," katanya ketika pertanyaan menteri di Dewan Rakyat di sini hari ini.

Beliau berkata bagi menjawab pertanyaan Fahmi Fadzil (PH-Lembah Pantai) berhubung sama ada kerajaan berniat membenarkan laporan tahunan Suhakam dibahaskan oleh Dewan Rakyat seperti yang dilakukan tahun lalu.

Added on
With mounting evidence of discrimination and other injustices against minority groups in Malaysia, it's really irresponsible for the government to push the report aside and not debate it in the parliament.
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post Dec 2 2020, 11:13 AM

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NGOs start raising funds to help homeless LGBTQ youths
Source: https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/553225

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A group of NGOs has initiated a campaign to raise RM30,000 to help 30 homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) persons to move into a new home.

Pro-LGBTQ group People Like Us Hang Out (Pluho), which joined hands with Pelangi Community and Jejaka, have managed to find them a house after learning about the plight of the persons.

"In the last one year and in the Klang Valley alone, a total of 30 LGBTQ youths, who had been kicked out from their homes, have found shelter with local LGBT communities Pelangi Campaign and Jejaka," Pluho said in a Facebook posting yesterday.

"Some of these youths had lost their jobs when their bosses found out they have HIV, some were kicked out from homes when families found out they are queer, and some simply had to run away from abusive, homophobic and transphobic families and relatives.

"Without anyone to turn to or anywhere to go, LGBTQ youths facing homelessness in Malaysia often disappear into the shadows. That is why many of us never hear about them.

People can donate money or needed items

Pluho urged the public to donate money or items for the youths.

"We are aiming to raise RM 30,000 for our first phase of funding by the end of December to get the shelter started by January 2021," said Pluho.

The money will be used for rent and utilities, basic furniture as well as meals.

"The money will be used as temporary financial support to shelter them, as most would have been forced out of their family, homes or jobs," Pluho said.

Apart from that, the money would also be spent on providing psychosocial support for LGBTQ persons facing trauma, panic attacks, depression and other forms of mental health issues arising from their recent experiences, Pluho added.

Members of the public are also encouraged to donate items, included furniture, used mobile phones or tablets, food items and even dry grocery. Details for donations are listed in the Pluho Facebook posting as listed above.


Added on

Original post in FB:


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post Dec 2 2020, 12:52 PM

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QUOTE(red1982 @ Dec 2 2020, 12:19 PM)
‘Juno’ star comes out as transgender, now named Elliot Page

LOS ANGELES, Dec 2 — The Oscar-nominated star of Juno has come out as transgender, introducing himself as Elliot Page yesterday in social media posts that voiced joy at sharing the news — but also fear over a possible backlash.

In a landmark move for a top Hollywood actor, the performer formerly known as Ellen Page thanked supporters in the trans community for helping him on his journey to “finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self.”

“I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer,” wrote the Canadian-born Page, who has recently starred in Netflix superhero series The Umbrella Academy.

His statement identifying as trans won swift praise across Hollywood and beyond, with LGBTQ charity GLAAD calling Page “remarkable” and “an outspoken advocate for all LGBTQ people.”

“He will now be an inspiration to countless trans and non-binary people,” said the group’s director of transgender media Nick Adams. “All transgender people deserve the chance to be ourselves and to be accepted for who we are.”

Netflix tweeted: “So proud of our superhero! We love you Elliot!”

Page, 33, burst onto the Hollywood scene with an Oscar-nominated role as a pregnant teenager in 2007 sleeper hit Juno.

The actor also appeared in the 2010 science fiction hit Inception opposite Leonardo DiCaprio, and the 2012 Woody Allen comedy To Rome with Love.

Page came out as gay in 2014, quickly become a flagbearer for Hollywood’s LGBTQ community, and married dancer Emma Portner in 2018.

While largely absent from big-budget Hollywood blockbusters since 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past, Page has repeatedly shrugged off suggestions of being typecast or shunned by Tinseltown.

Page joins a small group of prominent Hollywood transgender figures, alongside The Matrix series writer-directors Lana and Lilly Wachowski, Transparent creator Joey Soloway and actor Laverne Cox.

‘I’m scared’

On Monday, Cox described being the victim of a recent transphobic attack in Los Angeles, underlining the hostility facing many transgender individuals in the entertainment industry and beyond.

“The truth is, despite feeling profoundly happy right now... I’m scared of the invasiveness, the hate, the ‘jokes’ and of violence,” wrote Page.

Page also railed against politicians who “criminalise trans health care and deny our right to exist,” as well as influential public figures who use “a massive platform who continue to spew hostility towards the trans community.”

“You have blood on your hands. You unleash a fury of vile and demeaning rage that lands on the shoulders of the trans community,” added Page, noting high rates of attempted suicide among the community.

Alphonso David, president of LGBTQ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign, thanked Page for “sharing your truth with us, and for shining a bright light on the challenges too many in our community face.”

Although Page did not name any specific individuals, President Donald Trump’s administration has attempted to roll back Obama-era anti-discrimination protections for transgender people in the health care system, and also banned transgender Americans from serving in the military.

Harry Potter author JK Rowling has been at the center of a firestorm in recent years over comments deemed insulting to transgender people.

Rowling sparked controversy in June for tweeting about the use of the phrase “people who menstruate” instead of women — prompting some former fans and activists to call for a boycott of her works. 

“You aren’t being ‘cancelled,’ you are hurting people. I am one of those people and we won’t be silent in the face of your attacks,” wrote Page, addressing transphobia in general.

GLAAD provided a “tip sheet” for journalists covering Page’s statement, advising reporters to “use he/they pronouns when referring to Elliot Page.” — AFP

https://www.malaymail.com/news/showbiz/2020...sgender/1927963
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The community gains another member. thumbup.gif
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post Dec 2 2020, 06:26 PM

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QUOTE(ashangel39 @ Dec 2 2020, 05:44 PM)
Hmmm...he has always been a part of the community.
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Oh wait, you're right lol. My mistake. sweat.gif
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post Dec 3 2020, 11:03 AM

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1:40: Homophobes have been doing it wrong. They've been using conversion therapy and that does NOT work.

You know what would work? If a homophobe were to come up to me and be like, "Hey, Dewayne, if you stop doing gay shit, I will pay your student loans."

I'd be like, "Absolutely, pass me that plate of vagina. Omnomnomnom.."


This post has been edited by internaldisputes: Dec 3 2020, 01:32 PM
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post Dec 7 2020, 10:41 AM

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'Fun, spontaneous and full of love': what three years of same-sex marriages looks like in Australia
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/...ke-in-australia

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When Cynthia Nelson first heard about same-sex marriage in San Francisco in the 1980s, she wasn’t sure it was achievable in Australia.

“I didn’t believe it would become legal in my lifetime. In fact, I thought it was an unworthy goal for the LGBT movement – not only unattainable but too conservative, too mainstream,” the Sydney-based author and academic says.

“My thinking changed because my lesbian friends in the US who were mothers to young kids explained how much it meant to their kids – and their kids’ friends – when their families became equal in the eyes of the law.”

Now, three years on from the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Australia, she is married to poet and author Tricia Dearborn, who she met in 2004 on lesbian dating website Pink Sofa.

Dearborn says when the couple first campaigned for marriage equality together in 2011, they still weren’t sure they wanted to get married.

“But if I decided I did, I wanted to have that option,” she says. “I was totally behind the marriage equality campaign in the lead-up to the postal survey. I still wear my ‘I voted yes’ T-shirt.”

Although more than 60% of of their compatriots voted yes to marriage equality in the 2017 national postal survey, many within the LGBT community still say the accompanying national debate about the validity of their relationships has left scars.

“It was a completely unnecessary, irresponsible, enormous waste of time and money that gave bigots a platform and fostered a debate that traumatised a lot of people,” Dearborn says.

Still, when the House of Representatives voted on 8 December 2017, and all but three MPs in the chamber voted to legalise same-sex marriage (some, including the current prime minister, abstained from the vote), it was an extraordinary sight, she says.

“Cynthia arrived home while the cheering and applause [in parliament] – which went for some time – was still going. We cracked a bottle of bubbly.”

The couple was engaged in November 2019, planning a big 2020 wedding, but then the pandemic hit. Instead, Dearborn and Nelson held a Covid-safe wedding at the end of October in the rotunda in Sydney’s Camperdown Park.

“Friends described it as very ‘us’: fun and spontaneous and full of love. I flubbed a few lines during the ceremony, but even that was fun, seeing our nearest and dearest laughing their heads off, while also crying with joy,” Nelson says.

“The biggest surprise in the lead-up to the wedding was that my mother – who had disowned me when I came out as a lesbian and refused to speak to me for 32 years – wired money for our wedding cake!”

The pair are just one of more than 14,000 same-sex couples who have married in Australia in the past three years.

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics released last month showed that in 2018 and 2019 there were 12,045 same-sex marriages, making up 4.8% of all marriages in Australia in 2019.

There were more same-sex marriages in 2019 between women than men (58.9% to 41.1%), and the average age for men to marry was 39.3 years versus 36.5 for women.

Although Nelson and Dearborn defied the odds and married during the pandemic, according to data from the state and territory births deaths and marriages registries, the number of same-sex marriages, and marriages in general, declined significantly in 2020.

Out of the states and territories that provided data for 2020 (all bar South Australia and the ACT), there had been just over 2,000 same-sex marriages as of early November across Australia.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics recorded a 30% decline in the number of marriages in the first six months of 2020, however nearly 10,000 couples – of all genders – still married between April and June, when most of the country was still in lockdown.
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post Dec 8 2020, 09:21 AM

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Mara Gomez is the first transgender woman to play at football professional level
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnew...onal-level.html

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Mara Gomez has become the first transgender woman to play professional football after being authorised to do so by the Argentine Football Association (AFA) ahead of her historic debut in the country's top-flight.

Women's top-flight club Athletic Club Villa San Carlos first announced the signing of the 23-year-old back in January this year.

However, the trans striker then entered into talks with the Argentine Football Association (AFA) to try and convince them that her background does not give her an unfair advantage over other women in the league.

Mara also used blood samples to show that her testosterone levels are within the parameters designated by the International Olympic Committee for transgender athletes.

The AFA then authorised the striker to participate in the 2020 Transition Tournament, part of the country's top-flight First Division of Women's Football, according to a statement by the club on 4th December.

She made her debut in Villa San Carlos' match against Athletic Club Lanus later on Monday. She started as Lanus ran out 7-1 winners, and she was reduced to tears after the game as she received an opposition shirt with her name on it.

It is unclear if she is expected to be in the starting line up, however her name has been included in the squad, according to a social media post by the club.

The statement added: 'After a hard battle and a long wait, Mara Stefania Gomez is able to defend our colours. This news is historical and without precedence for women's football as she is the first trans player to play professionally.'

According to local media, Mara said that she turned to football after suffering discrimination for being transgender, and her love for the sport kept her from acting on suicidal thoughts.


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The sky's the limit. wub.gif
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post Dec 9 2020, 09:32 AM

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QUOTE(cvee @ Dec 8 2020, 11:27 AM)
Just wondering....

I have many gay friends but have not met any lesbians... Do we also have lotsa les here? 🤔
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I'm totally the same. sweat.gif 90% of my friends are gay guys...

I think there were a couple of lesbians commenting here previously.
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post Dec 9 2020, 09:40 AM

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Retiree launches new legal bid to scrap Singapore’s gay sex ban
Source: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/...es-gay-sex-ban/

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KUALA LUMPUR: A retired doctor has filed a fresh legal challenge to force the Singaporean government to either fully enforce or introduce legislation to scrap a colonial-era law that can jail men for engaging in gay sex.

Tan Seng Kee, 62, a prominent LGBT+ advocate better known as Roy Tan, launched his legal bid in Singapore’s High Court this week to target a section of the country’s penal code — known as Section 377A — that criminalises gay sex.

“It’s a recourse that every citizen has when adversely affected by the administration of the law by the government,” Tan said on Friday.

“Once the administration of law is inconsistent due to a policy or action of the government, we can have recourse at the High Court or Court of Appeal to force the government to undo their action or policy,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Section 377A can imprison men for engaging in gay sex for up to two years, although prosecutions are rare in the modern but socially conservative city-state.

Singapore has a vibrant LGBT+ scene and last year Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that while LGBT people are welcome to work in the country, Section 377A would remain “for some time”, according to media reports.

Singapore’s ministry of home affairs did not respond to requests for a comment.

Tan was part of a similar challenge that focused on constitutional rights and was rejected by the High Court in March but is now with the Court of Appeal.

The petitions in Singapore were launched after India scrapped a similar law in 2018.

Across Asia, socially conservative attitudes prevail with Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei banning sexual relationships between men, and Indonesia seeing an increase in raids targeting LGBT+ people in recent years.

The argument of inconsistencies in Singaporean law that is being used in the latest legal action had rarely been used before, said Tan.

“There are two ways they can do this: the first way is to make 377A enforceable again but that would be unthinkable because it would mean every gay man who had sex in private would have to be hauled up to the police,” he said.

“The best option would be to get rid of Section 377A completely and that in one fell swoop would eliminate all these inconsistencies, which is what I’m aiming for,” added Tan, who helped organise Singapore’s first Pink Dot gay pride rally.

The latest High Court bid is expected to be heard in 10 months but will be scrapped if the constitutional challenge case is a success at the Court of Appeal first, said Tan.

M Ravi, a human rights lawyer representing Tan in his High Court bid, said not reporting or enforcing parts of the penal code — either by citizens or police — was “problematic”.

“(The government) have already acknowledged that 377A should not be proactively enforced because it is deemed discriminatory,” he said.

“We know that they cannot go back. The only way is to repeal 377A completely.”


Added on
The success of this constitutional challenge can potentially be used as a precedent for Malaysia too if someone decides to launch similar challenge here. I hope the result will be positive!
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post Dec 9 2020, 03:39 PM

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In conservative Indonesia, a gay ex-policeman takes his battle to court
Source: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/world/2020/...battle-to-court

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JAKARTA (Reuters) - The first gay Indonesian policeman to sue the conservative country's police force for wrongful dismissal due to sexual orientation was back in courts this week, determined to be reinstated.

Tri Teguh Pujianto, a 31-year-old former police brigadier was fired in 2018 after 10 years on the job, after police in a different town apprehended him and his partner on Valentine's Day when they were saying goodbyes at his partner's workplace.

The landmark case in the world's largest Muslim-majority nation was initially thrown out last year after a judge told Teguh he had to wait until the police internal appeals process was completed. That is now over and Teguh refiled his suit in August in what rights groups say is the first case of its kind.

"This is my fight, my last-ditch effort," Teguh told Reuters.

"Why won't they judge my service for all those years? Why exaggerate my mistakes, which I don't think were mistakes anyway?"

With the exception of sharia-ruled Aceh province where same-sex relations are banned, homosexuality is not illegal in Indonesia although it is generally considered a taboo subject.

The Southeast Asian country is, however, becoming less tolerant of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community as some Indonesian politicians become more vocal about having Islam play a larger role in the state.

A survey by the Pew Research Center this year also showed that 80% of Indonesians believe homosexuality "should not be accepted by society".

Discrimination and violent attacks against LGBT people have increased in recent years and police have prosecuted members of the community using anti-pornography and other laws. Lawmakers from four political parties this year have also been trying to garner support, so far unsuccessfully, to pass a bill requiring LGBT people to seek treatment at rehabilitation centres.

The Central Java police have accused Teguh of violating "ethical codes of the national police... by the deviant act of having same-sex intercourse," a court document shows.

Teguh's legal team said they are challenging what they call the "elastic" nature of the police code of conduct given there is no mention of sexual orientation in police regulations.

Representatives for the Central Java Police, National Police and the National Police Commission did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.

Dede Oetomo, a gay scholar who runs the advoacy group GAYa NUSANTARA, said Teguh had made history, whether he wins his case or not.

"He's broken the mould because he's brave," he said. "My hope is that more activists will emerge from cases like his."

Teguh now runs a barber shop, a side business that he started in 2013. He said he's always had the support of family and his friends in the force for his efforts to regain what has been his dream job since high school.

Asked why he is persevering, Teguh said he was fighting not only for himself.

"I want to fight for basic human rights, so there will no longer be arbitrary actions taken against minorities," he said.


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