I do apologize for not writing much these days, as I have quite a number of things on my mind. However, something propped up last week in my-email that I feel needs to be addressed. Slightly reversing the decision by the Information, Communications and Culture Ministry last year that bans depictions of rempits and trans people (I still do not get the connection between violent motorcyclists and decent human beings with a medical condition), local filmmakers can now depict homosexuality and trans people IF the film ends with sad or tragic consequences to homosexual persons or trans people.

I am very thrilled that my acts of going to work, singing Karaoke with my friends, sleeping, watching movies and enjoying music are considered “immoral activities” by some quarters that I need to repent from. I am also sure that some of my friends would be excited that their loving relationships with their partners is considered nothing but a “culture” that may damage moral values of other people, and people need protection from some insane influence to turn heterosexuals to homosexuals (as if it is ever possible).

Not.

I absolutely do not get any relevance from movies that are based on nothing by idle speculation and lazy guessing into the life of a trans woman, like “…(Anu) dalam botol” for example. I would not even say poorly researched; it is pure fictional fantasy (I can imagine no research was done for “2Alam” either). I do not magically wish to “transform” into a woman to please anyone. If my partner is homosexual, he would find that gross because he wants a man, not a woman. I would not even regret getting the operation done if I have the chance, and if I do stumble upon a loving girl, then we would have a decent lesbian relationship, a kind of partnership that is recognized as the most low risk group for HIV/AIDS infection. By the way I do not even like sex. And I am not a “transvestite”.

So, this is plain misinformation, miscommunication and a counter-culture move to allow demonization of people like me. I have totally no regrets being who I am and am proud to be finally be living, not as who Raja Azmi Raja Sulaiman’s thinks I am or I should be. I shall die in pride that though my life is difficult thanks to ignorant and deceitful people like these so-called filmmakers, at least I live as the woman I truly am. These hate-mongering, rumour spreading and lie parroting heterosexists like “Dr” Rozmey may be getting the hype they want. But if any in the trans community of Malaysia commits suicide or are murdered due to the climate of prejudice, misunderstanding, intolerance and discrimination these “filmmakers” create, my sisters’ blood is surely on their hands.

If anything, we are often the victims of hate crime as well as of judicial and spiritual neglect. For example, as per my article on Transsexualism in Malaysia, transgendered Malaysians with the exception of hermaphrodites have no judicial rights to official change their gender even post-surgery. Another example is that the five countries that punish homosexuality by death are officially Islamic: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Mauritania, Sudan and Yemen. Judicial neglect isn’t limited to Islamic countries, gay marriages are not recognized federally in the US. Texas even has state laws punishing sodomy. And don’t even get me started on the hate crimes!

In an example of spiritual neglect, most Islamic schools(Hanafi, Maliki, Ja’afari, Shafi’i) considers people engaging in same-sex intercourse are adulterers if they are married and fornicators if they are not. For the latter, we won’t be fornicators if the religious or judicial laws allow us to get married to our partners now, would we? For the former, if society and religious believers are more open to homosexuals, perhaps one need not resort having fake heterosexual lives. This issue holds true for many religions not just Islam.

I believe it is important to elevate awareness of and for LGBT religious believers. Religion needs to evolve with its believers. For illustration purposes, I did some quick rudimentary math (because I am geeky that way):
Let’s assume that currently Moslems are about 22% of the world population. Now, let’s assume that 5% of the world population do indeed identify themselves as a part of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgendered) community . Accordingly, there are potentially 73 million LGBT Moslems around the world based on 1.1% of 6.7 billion world population. The numbers are highly theoretical but the point is that there is potentially a large number LGBT Moslems. Arguing that all 73 million LGBT Moslems should be stoned to death, locked up till death, become atheists or celibate is not a scalable solution, very economical or convivial to a sizable chunk of the world population. Again, this problem holds true for any other religious believers not just Islam.

I propose we re-evaluate religious points of views we were brought up with. An example of reassessment is in the contextual lessons one can draw from Lot passages (source: Quran 7:80-82, 11: 70-85, 15: 66–74, 26:165-175, 27:55-58, 29:28-29). Along with rudely trying to bugger Lot’s angelic guests without of their consent (i.e. rape) and the will of their host, Lot’s people were guilty of many other things such as committing financial & political injustice (pg 993-995), infidelity, and moral transgression in the form of rampant intercourse, greed and unchecked lust according to Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s interpretation of the Quran (pg 366-367, 630-631, 927). Isn’t the better lesson to learn is to practice monogamous relationships and conduct responsible reasonable respectful actions as opposed to wholesale condemnation of homosexuality?

Sects of Christianity such as Anglican church, Episcopalian churches and Buddhism are some examples of religious bodies that already moved towards integrating the LGBT believers into their community. When is our turn?

Bonus reads:

• Malaysian Pastor To Open First Gay Friendly Church
• Al-fatiha
• Queer Muslim Revolution blog

In one of our conversations as we were playing chase with the dogs, she mentioned nonchalantly that she believes that all religions are a hoax and that she no longer believes in god. She punctuated her statement by adding she had bacon for breakfast the morning before.

To give you more of a context, the new friend is an ex-Muslim. I stopped petting my friend’s fluffy Chow as I contemplated the news she just broke.

She had asked me if I was a practicing Muslim. I had a hard time answering her.

Read the full article at: thecicak.com