Lesbians+In+Malaysia

by, Rikki Glantz

=Islamic Influence= toc Malaysia is an Islamic country where homosexual acts are considered a sin. Homosexuality is illegal and a punishable crime, especially in rural areas. Sodomy and other homosexual sexual acts can be punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Drinking alcohol is also illegal among Muslim Malay people. There is a large population of Chinese and Indian people there but are segregated into different neighbors away from each other. Islam is the main religion of the country but there Buddhism and Hinduism are also popular religions among the Chinese and Indian communities. LGBT rights are largely unrecognized in Malaysia. The government retains the colonial era penal code criminalizing sodomy. Social attitudes towards the LGBT community are also shaped by Islam, the official religion on Malaysia. Homosexuals are usually socially isolated and end up getting married because of fear of coming out and being punished. Lack of role models lead to role confusion between MSM and WSW take on heterosexual roles based on heterosexual role models. There is little to no Sexuality education in high school and in universities, which makes it hard for Malay's to understand homosexuality.

  In 2008 there was change due to urbanization and the rise of larger cities throughout Malaysia. Gay life in the capitol is widespread and surprisingly sophisticated, but still largely underground due to Islamic disapproval. Organizations like The Pink Triangle, was formed in Kuala Lumpur, which deals with gay and lesbian issues in Malaysia. It was the first non-government organization in Malaysia to address HIV/AIDS issues. The main purpose of this organization is to address issues in the gay and lesbian communities.

=Lesbian Community in the Big City= Because of urbanization in 2008, a lesbian community started to form in Kuala Lumpur and other large cities throughout Malaysia. Malaysia is a strict religious country that is very slowly starting to become more accepting of lesbians but only in large cities. There are online dating site for lesbians such as girlfriendsmeet.com and onescene.com. There are some bars and night clubs that can be challenging to find but to exist in Kuala Lumpur. Pengkids is a term that is used in the bigger cities of Malaysia. It is a localized synonym for masculine-looking Malay-Muslim women. Pengkids can sew, cook, and take care of their girlfriends children. They are not interested in men but sometimes take on more of a "man role" within a relationship.Pengkids are similar to a "dyke" in America and are largely not accepted by society. Unfortunately, the term Pengkid has now become a derogatory term for women who look like men and are sexuality attracted to women.The image shows a lesbian Malay couple with one identifying as a Pengkid.

=References=

Gay Malaysia and Malaysian Lesbian Resources and Travel Tips by Utopia. (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2016, from http://www.utopia-asia.com/wommala.htm

Gay in Malaysia | ContemporaryNomad.com. (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2016, from http://www.contemporarynomad.com/2011/06/gay-in-malaysia/ How to be a lesbian in Kuala Lumpur. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2016, from http://www.divamag.co.uk/category/lifestyle/how-to-be-a-lesbian-in-kuala-lumpur.aspx  Baba, I. (2001). Gay and Lesbian Couples in Malaysia. Journal Of Homosexuality, 40(3/4), 143.  Wong, Y. (2012). Islam, Sexuality, and the Marginal Positioning of Pengkids and Their Girlfriends in Malaysia. Journal Of Lesbian Studies, 16(4), 435-448. doi:10.1080/10894160.2012.681267 