Govt endorses guide on how to spot gays
Activists voice out shock and disgust.
PETALING
JAYA: A government-endorsed parenting guide that describes symptoms of
homosexuality has kicked up a storm on the Internet, with human rights
and sexuality activists expressing shock and disgust.
Sin Chew Daily today reported that the Education Ministry had endorsed the guide as helpful to parents and teachers.
It was launched during a seminar in Penang yesterday. The event,
billed as “Parenting in addressing the issue of LGBTs (lesbians, gays,
bisexuals and transgenders)”, was officiated by Deputy Education
Minister Mohd Puad Zarkashi.
The guide listed four symptoms each for gays and lesbians:
For gays:
- Muscular body and a fondness for showing off the body by wearing clothing, such as by wearing V-necks and sleeveless tops
- A preference for tight and bright coloured clothes
- An inclination to be attracted to men
- A tendency to carry big handbags, similar to the kinds used by women
For lesbians:
- Showing attraction to women
- Distancing themselves from women other than their girlfriends
- A preference for hanging out, sleeping and dining with women
- Absence of feelings for men
Teaching hate
When asked to comment, activist and Seksualiti Merdeka co-founder
Pang Khee Teik initially said: “I don’t even know how to respond.”
However, he proceeded to flay the Education Ministry for being “only
interested in teaching hate, promoting inequality and playing politics”.
“The Ministry of Education is now officially a bully,” he said. “I
never presumed to be in the position to teach the meaning of education
to the people running the Ministry of Education. But it has come to
that.”
He said education should be used to provide equal opportunity and the
realisation of the human potential to collaborate with one another in
building a better world.
Pang, who is openly gay, said that studies around the world had
proven that discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender
identity would harm individuals as well as society.
“Many of these studies originate in countries which have made such
mistakes in their past and who are desperately now trying to undo the
wounds that discriminatory policies had left on the psyche of their
people,” he said.
He said the ministry should instead pay heed to such LGBT issues as suicide, forced marriages, depression and bullying.
“It must stop this inhuman campaign against vulnerable children,” he
said. “It should teach all children to be confident and to respect each
other no matter who they are.”
Pang offered to provide guidance to “poorly educated” education officials through his organisation.
“It’s not too late. There are a few good books and studies out there
they could read instead of relying on pseudo-experts and quacks.”
Absurd campaign
Fadiah Nadwa Fikri of Lawyers for Liberty said the Education Ministry’s campaign was absurd.
“I don’t see why they are doing this,” she said. “This group is
already being persecuted and intimidated. And now they are trying to
expose people and continue to attack them instead of trying to
understand the whole problem. They are forgetting human rights.
“These people blur the lines between personal beliefs and a criminal act,” she said.
The Sin Chew report quoted the guide as saying: “Once the children have these symptoms, immediate attention should be given.”
The guide was published by Yayasan Guru Malaysia Bhd and the
Putrajaya Consultative Council of Parents and Teachers Associations.
Yesterday’s seminar was reportedly the 10th such event. Earlier seminars were held in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Perak.
The guide was distributed to all who attended the seminar.
Bernama quoted Mohd Puad as saying parents and teachers should know
these symptoms so that they could address social problems amongst
teenagers, especially those still in school.
“It is now time that this LGBT issue is discussed openly and not treated as taboo,” he was quoted as saying.
This Article was taken from :
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/09/13/govt-endorses-guide-on-how-to-spot-gays/
Opinion:
Based on my opinion, it is stupid of the ministry of education in Malaysia to say of such broad accusation on people who are homosexual, metro-sexual or bisexual. As an example to support my point, a person can be "defined" as a "gay" when he wears a v-neck or sleeveless clothing, a preference of bright colored clothes, inclination-ally attracted to man and carry big handbags. so do they mean a regular person wearing v-neck clothing are considered gay? people who play rugby, football or any sport that has contact with other men are considered gay? and Businessmen who prefer bigger "handbags" are more convineant and could utilize its maximum use of the bag? this narrow mindset of the ministry should be removed and avoided as such controversional topic can be sensitive towards not only to homosexuality, but also, people who are straight.
Summary:
Malaysia's Ministry of Education informing the public about their research about homosexuality and the symptoms of how a person might be a homosexual based on their research
