In Malaysia, an annual festival celebrating gays has been banned by authorities due to the disagreement by conservative politicians and conservative leaders with the basis that it is a national security issue. This festival works to promote tolerance for gays and differences. Both Islamic and non-Islamic protests took place to demonstrate that it would create conflict and disturb public order. If the festival did take place, a group called Sexuality Merdeka would be punished. In the past the festival had gone unnoticed but attention was called last year with a campaign encouraging gay Malaysians to submit videos of them proclaiming their sexuality. It was modeled after the American “It Gets Better” campaign. In Malaysia sodomy remains a crime punished with twenty years in prison.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Blogging Assignment Week 13
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This is a really interesting issue. I think it is easy to get caught up in the gay rights fight in the United States and to not realize that we have already made so much progress as a country when compared to other places around the world. I can't believe that sodomy is still punished with jail time, and a pretty large amount at that. It is sad that this festival was unable to happen when it could help promote awareness and tolerance. I also think that in order for a country to make progress on issues like these, politics, religions and personal opinions need to be put aside in order for human rights to be put at the forefront. Humans do not choose to be gay, some just are born gay and that does not make them different from "normal" straight humans. Giving them rights therefore is not an issue of politics or religion as many countries and politicians will have you believe. Until society can realize this truth, it will be hard for nations like Malaysia to advance.
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