Gone are the old days when you scheme and plan against your dearest enemy, gleefully imagining all matter of dire straits to thoroughly drown him in while you gloat.

These days all you gotta do is cry sodomy.

Seriously.

Kid #1 : Hey, gimme back my toy!
Kid #2 : No, I’m not! Loser!
Kid #1 : I hate you! Give it back or I’ll claim that you sodomized me!

Seems like every other guy’s raising a hue and cry over being supposedly victimized. So much so that it’s a wonder with the number of aggressive raging homos on the street that we aren’t celebrating pride parades this June! Come on, I doubt the percentage of fags has shockingly gone up exponentially this past few years so don’t start painting every man pink please!

Ever since our ex-minister was charged with the much-decried Section 377, the infamous sodomy claim has been used so often that it’s become almost pedestrian to be caught with your pants down with buggery. So common it’s hardly worth denouncing with flaming pitchforks anymore. After all, even student leaders, political aides and police officers are flocking to join the seemingly depraved crowd.

Of course crying sodomy seems to be the easy way out. That convenient scapegoat in the Penal Code. Almost impossible to prove with plenty of hearsay – short of keeping stained mattresses as a memento – and yet it muddies the waters by placing the accused in extremely bad light. Let’s face it, being caught indulging in homosexual perversions still carries ( unfortunately! ) a certain distressing stigma in this country. Not to mention the fact that engaging in acts of a carnal nature with another man could get you held under the draconian criminal laws drafted in a sexually repressed Victorian age.

This is the wolf! He did this to me!
I won’t quibble over the matter of rape since unconsensual sex is an anathema to me. Think despicable rapists should be tossed behind bars without a key. But when it comes to what happens between two adults behind closed doors, I think everyone else ( and yes, I mean the sanctimonious morality police ) should just shove off and mind their own bleeding business.

Seems like the hundredth time I’m saying this. Hoped that the frequent use of this antiquated code as a hammer to punish and discredit would prove its utter futility – but that hope was for naught! Time to repeal our Section 377 of the Penal Code before it’s misused again, don’t you think?

Straight boys, you’re not having the last laugh yet! You did know that blowjobs aren’t exactly legal in the country as well?

Happy Gay Pride wishes from Northern California!

Photo by sigmaration on Flickr

If Yahoo! celebrates Pride, why not you?

Also check out Yahoo! Pride site for the closest Pride celebrations close to you.

Oscar Pistorius. Photo from Time.com

I first heard of Oscar in an IFTF (Institute for the Future) conference. ITFT predicts that enabling innovation will transform disabilities to superabilities and gave Oscar Pistorius story as an example. Oscar had both his legs amputated halfway between his knees and ankles when he was 11 months old. With the help of Ossur and their J-shaped carbon fiber prosthetics, Oscar has been breaking running records and was almost prevented from competing in the Olympics because his “Cheetah Flex-Foot” is deemed to give him unfair advantage over able-bodied runners!

I, personally, would consider a rejection from the Olympics as a compliment if I was a double-amputee too. Just an fyi, the Olympic committee has since allowed him to compete in the Olympics. According to an interview he had with Telegraph UK, his sporting motto is “You’re not disabled by the disabilities you have, you are able by the abilities you have.”

I’d imagine lesser mortals would have just remained complacent with one’s disabilities. I have to admit I have been with mine. As a lesbian, I am unable to introduce many of my Malaysian friends and relatives to my partner. I am also unable to share gossip about my exes or my partner just as my straight girl friends do. I can’t plan a wedding or talk about having a child in the same capacity as they can. I suppose I can, except I will run the risk of being judged, prosecuted or even worse have my family judged and prosecuted for my actions. But as Oscar puts it, one is able by one’s abilities not disabled by one’s disadvantages.

So when I heard of TiltedWorld, I jumped at the opportunity. Here and now, we are able to speak our thoughts and express our hopes. We are able to get our message across and reach to people. Perhaps, this blog can be Oscar’s Cheetah Flex-Foot to the LGBT Malaysian community. Of course, like Oscar, we need to be physically and mentally prepared to overcome our disabilities. So friends and foes, bring it on!

“We’re going to be Jewish!”
“Really? I’m going to be a woman!”

This is Sandy Stone. She’s talking about transgender issues.

I didn’t initially take to her videos, but that soon changed – she’s a good performer. Yes, this may be a lecture, but it’s an interesting blur of boundaries that it could also easily earn a place in theatre (official website: Sandy Stone: Would you like theory with that?). Dark humour, sadness, somewhat acerbic – and determination. I can’t stop watching her.

Interesting sidenote: She’s worked with Jimi Hendrix, Velvet Underground, Jefferson Airplane and Grateful Dead!

I didn’t even realise I watched the entire thing till I arrived at the last video in the series. So. Maybe you would like it too.

And when you’re done, this video is from the European Graduate School’s Youtube channel. The easiest browsing is through the playlist section – many great public lectures available here, covering a range that includes philosophy, art, language and media theory.

To crudely summarise some recognisable names of other lecturers available, and maybe the areas they cover:

• Judith Butler (every feminist / queer theory student probably had to read her work),
• Manuel deLanda (makes Deleuze approchable),
• Donna Haraway (“I’d rather be a cyborg than a goddess”),
• Jacques Derrida (“I came up with deconstruction, kinda. I mean, that’s not really what it is. But let’s call it that for now” – Lainie’s interpretation of Derrida)
• Slavoj Zizek(You can get his film “The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema” on Bittorrent).

Philosophy not your thing? For lighter fun, Tomboy’s music video OK 2B Gay is great – as any video with men in makeup and a song punctuated by “WHEEEE!” can be. I’m so gonna get Sarchan to play this at the next WILD! party

But then again, nothing in the natural world is 100% straight.

We’re all slightly tilted, slightly crooked, slightly dented, slightly bent, slightly flawed or slightly strange in some way.

But out of this inherent “flaw” of the earth comes the course of the four seasons in all its splendour, which has inspired us throughout the entire history of humankind.

In the same way, beauty emerges out of things which people often assume to be imperfect.

It is in this belief that beauty is inherent in all people, whether heterosexual, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual or otherwise, that we present to you Tiltedworld.org — the first (but not the only one, we hope) Malaysian weblog on LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual) rights, issues and expressions.

After more than two months in construction, the site is finally launched on 22nd June, in conjunction with Midsummer’s Day/summer solstice, the day when the earth is most tilted on its axis, as well as in conjunction with Gay and Lesbian Pride Month (declared by US president Bill Clinton on 2nd of June, 2000 to commemorate the infamous Stonewall Riot).

Currently, the writers at Tiltedworld.org consist of a small but dynamic team: Alex, Ana A., Gabrielle, John Ong, Lainie Yeoh, Paul O., Sam Nasser, and thenakedwriter. However, our long-term goal is to make Tiltedworld.org a community-based site where all members of the public are invited to contribute their own LGBT-themed articles and engage in discourse on LGBT-related issues. Hence, anyone and everyone with constructive ideas are welcomed to contribute their submissions to contact@tiltedworld.org.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

~ Martin Luther King Jr.

While our beloved country has succeeded in sending the first Malaysian to outer space, producing our own national car and much more in its 50 years of independence, the movement to recognise and embrace one of its most marginalised communities is still in its infancy. It is our sincere hope that Tiltedworld.org can be the spark that ignites the passion in every Malaysian to fight the fight against apathy, indifference, prejudice and discrimination towards LGBT individuals as well as for tolerance, acceptance, respect and appreciation for the rights of all individuals regardless of sex, gender and sexual orientation in the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness.

 

 

 

Society is growing. Maturing in some sense, I suppose – but long ago, homosexuality wasn’t just frowned upon. It was punishable by death (and it still is in some parts of the world if not for human rights); it was considered a blasphemous act of pure evil against God and religion, a mental disorder of health and well-being and some say, even a possession of malicious spirits of people long gone from the face of the earth (e.g. a woman’s lost soul trapped in a man’s body, or vice versa).

But today, it is no longer a mental / health condition (in fact, ask your local doctor and they’ll tell you that; chances are, they’re probably gay too – I know a lot of doctors who are ). It is no longer considered (or blamed on!) an act of possession of dark spirits from the netherworld. But some do still consider it a sin punishable by death (religion gets away with a lot of things, but that’s not for here) and wherever it isn’t considered sin – it’s frowned upon.

Society thrives on normality. Human beings like to be part of a majority – we like to be part of a group with shared interests and common ground. So when majority is made of heterosexuality, there is absolutely no room for those who are different sexually. And what do humans do when there are people who are different from them? What do humans do to those who hold different beliefs, different perspectives of life from the other end of the spectrum?

We disapprove. We criticize. We persecute.

Alone, most homosexuals find the pressure of society daunting. Hiding their sexual identities in the proverbial closet – they go about life as is. Some struggle to understand who they are. Some accept themselves, but not without retribution. And there are the rare few who fully embrace their sexuality like an old friend, knowing truly that sexuality is no hindrance to the life they live.

So who are we really?

Well, we are that rare few who embrace themselves and this is our story. These are OUR stories, and we’re inviting you to join us and tell us your own. We’re inviting you to tell the world that homosexuality isn’t a disease – it’s an identity. Despite the fact that we’re different sexually, we’re no different from your average human being. We’re still your children. Your parents. Your sibling. Your best friend. Your colleague. We still take out the trash, bathe 3 times a day, and eat. We don’t have an extra pair of genitalia, and we’re not sex starved (at least most of us aren’t – but I’m not sex starved, I’m sexually active ). We’re still us; a misunderstood identity that society has yet to fully comprehend.

We’re here at the Tilted World to help society understand. We’re here to help you; we don’t just listen, we’ll spread your message. It’s a project for you to not just keep abreast with current gay developments in the community, but a place for you to share your thoughts and meet people who feel the same way you do about homosexuality.

Most of us who are gay, bi, or trans, at some point in our lives, we all face the challenge of breaking the news to our parents. Some of us call that coming out, that’s only if we’re lucky, regardless of the outcome.

Even though most of us in Malaysia still don’t have that opportunity, it’s always inspiring to hear a happy ending to a coming out story.

I did this audio interview for my own podcast, Ongline Podcast, for Mother’s Day, and I hope you’ll enjoy and be inspired by this mother. I am hoping that this recording will reach both queer children and especially parents of queer children. Parents who put their children ahead of their own selves.

Use the player below to listen to the show.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Or download the MP3 file, use this link. (Right click to download)

A few months ago, my friend Yixing and I found an old magazine called “Sayang” in my old family home. It caught my attention because this was a Malaysian women’s magazine from 1989, and I wondered what the content would be like.

I got distracted pretty soon. In the “Artikel” section of the content page, one title caught my eye: Mungkinkah Anda Juga Lesbian? Well, hello.

This wasn’t an article that said if you didn’t fit some criteria you were probably a lesbian (a possibility inferred from the title). Here are some excerpts on what was available (full PDF download available at the end of the post):

Jangan terkejut, lesbian bukan sahaja terjadi kepada pekerja kelas bawahan, tidak terkecuali juga mereka yang berkedudukan tinggi serta memegang jawatan tinggi dalam pelbagai jawatan sama ada di sektor kerajaan mahupun swasta.

…

Pada dasarnya, lesbian mempunyai kehidupan yang berbeza dari sistem heteroseksualnya. Perbezaan nyata, lesbian banyak menghabiskan masa kehidupannya dalam emosi, perhubungan seksual atau seks dengan wanita lain.

…

Tidak hairanlah kalau kesemua lesbian yang ditemui takut untuk mendedahkan diri mereka kerana takut kehilangang kerja, hilang kepercayaan dari keluarga atau teman-teman yang tidak tahu tentang keinginan seks mereka dengan kaum sejenis.

…

Along with that came some case studies of three different lesbian couples, how their relationship worked and how they handled society.

Consider that this was almost two decades ago. Yixing and I were flipping through the article, observing that some statements inside debunk certain myths that still exist today about lesbians – which is not to say there aren’t any stereotypes in this article, but comparatively, I find the approach here far more progressive than the impression I have of the media now. Why does it seem like we’ve regressed?

I was 6 years old at the time this article was written. My idea of a relationship at that age was such: My mum’s friend would bring her young son over to our house for playtime. He would arrive and sit obediently at the gate out of fear, knowing that if he stepped foot inside I would chase him out – by literally beating him up……….. with a broomstick.

I have a photo in my family album somewhere of a young boy sitting outside my house, waiting for his mother (my mum assures me the boy grew up unscarred by our encounters). I’ve probably heard most of the jokes available about man-bashing and girls with broomsticks.

It was many years later that I discovered boys could be more interesting than my video games, science kits and book collection (Terry Pratchett was the man of my life for a very long time), and even more years to learn that about girls.

Still, I digress.

I have created a PDF file of the 3 pages for those who will like to read the entire article.

Download link: Mungkinkah Anda Juga Lesbian? (PDF, 4.21MB).

I am reluctant to translate, since I have a poor command over the language, but if a kind reader / Tilted World contributor will be so kind…..? (hopeful look). Admittedly, given language restrictions I may have also missed some parts of the article.
Magazine: Sayang
Date: Disember 1989
Published by: ‘D’ Enterprise
Author: Not listed, but “wartawan” listed for overall magazine are Linda Hussein and Sharah Ibrahim.
Pages: 78-79, 108.
Editor: Tun Hassan.

Peace.

PS: I’m much nicer to boys now, really. And I mostly only travel by taxis, planes, and trains.

PPS: This is my first Tilted World post, so hello to all new readers – I was found based on some drunkard comments I left elsewhere on the internet and invited to blog here instead. Name’s Lainie and I usually blog @ Lainie: Artword Addict (sometimes drunk). Hi!

Quick update from the world of science.

A new scientific study by a research team from Sweden offers the strongest evidence that homosexuality is caused by biological, not environmental factor. The researchers reports that,

the brains of heterosexual men and homosexual women are slightly asymmetric—the right hemisphere is larger than the left—and the brains of gay men and straight women are not. (source: Science Daily)

The male homosexual brain shares strikingly similar characteristics with female heterosexual,

most notably in the size of their brains and the activity of the amygdala—an area of the brain tied to emotion, anxiety and aggression. (source: Scientific American)

The following scan of the brain shows the electrical activities present in amygdala seed region of heterosexual man (HeM), heterosexual woman (HeW), homosexual man (HoM) and homosexual woman (HoW).

Credit: National Academy of Sciences, PNAS

Further quote:

Dr Qazi Rahman, a lecturer in cognitive biology at Queen Mary, University of London, said that he believed that these brain differences were laid down early in foetal development.

“As far as I’m concerned there is no argument any more – if you are gay, you are born gay,” he said.

The amygdala, he said, was important because of its role in “orientating”, or directing, the rest of the brain in response to an emotional stimulus – be it during the “fight or flight” response, or the presence of a potential mate.

“In other words, the brain network which determines what sexual orientation actually ‘orients’ towards is similar between gay men and straight women, and between gay women and straight men.

“This makes sense given that gay men have a sexual preference which is like that of women in general, that is, preferring men, and vice versa for lesbian women.” (source: BBC News)

Despite the similarity of some part of the brain, Dr. Eric Vilain, professor of human genetics at University of California Los Angeles, says,

“The big question has always been, if the brains of gay men are different, or feminized, as earlier research suggests, then is it just limited to sexual preference or are there other regions that are gender atypical in gay males? For the first time, in this study it looks like there are regions of the brain not directly involved in sexuality that seem to be feminized in gay males.”

He further notes that

it may turn out that the brains of gay men possess only some ‘feminized’ structures, while retaining some masculine ones, and this is reflected in how they act on their sexuality. “We know from studies that men, regardless of their sexual orientation, retain masculine characteristics when it comes to their sexual behavior,” he says. Both gay and straight men, for example, tend to prefer younger partners, in contrast to women, who gravitate toward older partners. Most men are also more likely than women to engage in casual sex, and to be aroused by visual stimuli. “So I expect that some regions of the brain will remain masculine even in gay men.” (source: Time)

Exciting time ahead. Let’s hope more scientific research will shed more light on homosexuality.