KUALA LUMPUR听–听Artist Carmen Rose used to perform regularly in听惭补濒补测蝉颈补, until a police raid last year put an end to the veteran drag queen’s act and fueled the听蹿别补谤蝉听of the听尝骋叠罢蚕听community at a time when听滨蝉濒补尘颈蝉迟蝉听are rapidly gaining political clout.
Since the raid, during which several party-goers were arrested, Rose has stopped doing shows, and rarely ventures out in public in costume.
“It’s always a risk going out in drag. If there was a raid, who do we call? Do we bring our boy clothes just in case?” said Rose, who declined to disclose her non-drag identity due to听蹿别补谤蝉听of reprisal. “They see us as sexual deviants or sinners.”
Queer听惭补濒补测蝉颈补ns and rights groups told Reuters that听尝骋叠罢蚕听communities face increasing scrutiny and discrimination under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government, despite the longtime opposition leader’s reputation as a progressive听谤别蹿辞谤尘er.
Analysts say Mr. Anwar, who took office after a November general election, is under pressure to bolster his Islamic credentials among the Muslim majority in the face of an increasingly popular ultra-conservative opposition that has steadily gained more 聽since the vote.
Malaysia‘蝉听聽includes Islamist party PAS, which promotes a strict interpretation of sharia law and opposes听尝骋叠罢蚕听rights. The party holds the most number of seats in parliament for the first time ever, and its gains in聽聽this month reinforced its political influence.
A PAS lawmaker recently said听尝骋叠罢蚕听people should be classified as “mentally ill”. Another PAS leader urged the government to cancel a concert by Coldplay because the band supports queer rights.
“Mr. Anwar doesn’t feel politically stable, so he has to be more Islamic than the other side,” said James Chin, a political analyst at the University of Tasmania in Australia.
Sodomy is a crime in听惭补濒补测蝉颈补, which also has Islamic sharia laws banning same-sex acts and cross-dressing. The multi-ethnic, multi-faith country has a dual-track legal system with Islamic laws for Muslims running alongside civil laws.
While Mr. Anwar has never expressed support for the听尝骋叠罢蚕听community, activists say they expected him to show more tolerance as he advocated for an inclusive society during his 25 years in the opposition.
“There was some hope when Mr. Anwar came to power that the听谤别蹿辞谤尘聽agenda would seep in to some extent,” said Dhia Rezki Rohaizad, deputy president of JEJAKA, an organization that supports gay, bisexual and queer men.
“It’s disappointing that it has not happened. At the very least, we had hoped that they would just leave us alone, not be actively persecuting us.”
DISCRIMINATION, THREATS
Anwar vowed this year that听惭补濒补测蝉颈补聽would never recognize听尝骋叠罢蚕听rights.
His government has banned books for “promoting the LGBT lifestyle”, detained demonstrators expressing support for queer rights and聽聽Pride-themed watches made by Swiss watchmaker Swatch.
Last month, authorities聽, after the frontman of British pop band The 1975 kissed a male bandmate onstage and criticized听惭补濒补测蝉颈补‘s anti-尝骋叠罢蚕听laws.
Asked about the government’s position on听尝骋叠罢蚕听rights, government spokesperson and communications minister Fahmi Fadzil told Reuters: “Whatever the prime minister has said is the position.”
Some analysts say Mr. Anwar’s uncompromising stance on听尝骋叠罢蚕听rights stems from a desire to wipe out doubts about his own sexuality which surfaced after he was jailed for nearly a decade for sodomy. Anwar has repeatedly said the charges were fabricated and politically motivated, but some political opponents still question his Islamic values.
Activists say online harassment and death threats against queer听惭补濒补测蝉颈补ns are rampant on social media, while undercover police often attend听尝骋叠罢蚕-friendly events. Many groups now ensure there are lawyers at these events in case of a raid.
Thilaga Sulathireh, founder of听尝骋叠罢蚕听advocacy group Justice for Sisters, said the government’s rejection of queer听惭补濒补测蝉颈补ns was tantamount to a human rights violation.
“This has emboldened the conservatives and the right wing, it allows discrimination and violence to take place against LGBT people with impunity,” said Sulathireh, who uses they/them pronouns.
Justice for Sisters is receiving more queries from听尝骋叠罢蚕听Malaysians seeking asylum in other countries, they said, adding that the community is also increasingly adopting self-censorship to stay under the radar.
Drag queen Carmen Rose said she cancelled a show this year, fearing another crackdown. She occasionally performs in neighbouring Singapore, and is now considering leaving听惭补濒补测蝉颈补.
“This is not me running away. I’m just tired and I have to also think about myself and my own happiness,” she said. – Reuters
