Gay marriage and looking at the broader picture

On June 26, the Supreme Court of the United States, or Scotus, came to a decision that made same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states in America. The celebration supporting the civil rights milestone was palpable to the point that even Facebook decided to offer its users to show their support by adding the Pride flag layer on their profile pictures.

I took part in that for a single 24-hour period after which I just went back to our regularly scheduled work hours.

And yet, many conservative Malaysians, particularly the Muslims, found the celebration as a threat. Some even went so far as to say it would cause a spill-over effect all the way to our shores and Singapore.

Probably the same group of paranoids who look at a cross as if they were Superman facing kryptonite.

In fact, our prime minister himself decided to weigh in by saying that having gay parades in the country would be “extreme”.

On a side note, I am amazed he saw the matter as needing his urgent attention, seeing as how he was willing to continue playing golf during a nationwide flood and couldn’t delay a trip overseas after an earthquake.

Just goes to show that our prime minister is definitely an “everyday Malaysian”, more concerned with gay sex and parades and 24-hour eateries being threatened to close.

As a member of said community, I can assure you, we are very, very far from a fight for same-sex marriage. As of these past few years, the only landmark decision reached in terms of the fight for equal rights for lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender (LGBT) Malaysians took place in Negri Sembilan.

Other than that, there has been nothing as far as the fight for basic human rights and equal treatment is concerned for the LGBT community.

Thus sincerely, I have no understanding whatsoever behind the rabid animosity that was unleashed on social media. But I will say this; if the LGBT community and its allies in Malaysia actually wanted to push for an equal rights campaign, they don’t have to do much.

With some American lawmakers calling for Malaysia to be excluded from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) on the grounds of human rights violations that includes the persecution of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, human trafficking and persecution against the LGBT community, there is some wiggle room to urge the country to reconsider a few things.

The first would be to consider a moratorium by all religious authorities pending the outcome of the case in Negri Sembilan religious authorities appeal in the arrest of transwomen under Islamic law is unconstitutional, decided on November 7, 2014.

The second would be to consider hosting a public referendum on the issue. This will definitely settle the issue for at least two generations or 60 years.

But honestly, at this point in my life, the LGBT rights issue is not the most pressing one faced by the entire nation. Of course, there are more pressing matters that encapsulate not just LGBTs, but Malaysians beyond their sexual orientation.

This would include protection from wrongful termination by employers, bullying in schools, selective prosecution, access to medical treatment, welfare and even the need for more shelters and opportunities for the homeless and less fortunate.

These are all issues that indirectly affect the LGBT community as well, as pointed out by Pang Khee Teik, but it also impacts all Malaysians as a whole. So before I personally start looking at exclusive issues such as same-sex marriage, I would rather look at the broader picture.

Instead of looking at teens being kicked out for being gay, the broader issue would be the need to look at providing a safety net for not only this group but also abused children and orphans under the state or national welfare plan.

Furthermore, to avoid parents abusing gay kids or even pregnant teens or even abusing and abandoning the elderly, or even those who kidnap kids from their Hindu mothers when they convert, what is the plan?

Government policy cannot be nit-picky when it comes to issues such as these. It has to be broad enough to encompass the entirety of society regardless of their degrees of separation. That is basically what inclusivity means. As such, the treatment of a corporation wrongfully terminating a staff member for not liking their person, the abuse of children by parents, the need for, should also protect the LGBTs as well.

In other words, I move to look at the broader strokes that need to be in place, even looking at salaries and wages instead of household income because I would rather look at how we as a nation treat Malaysian individuals even before getting married instead of just focusing on the family.

Yes, the issue of LGBT rights is one of human rights and social justice, but when the entire system is failing not just those of differing sexual orientations, we have to look at the broader picture. – July 4, 2015. 

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.