Writing primarily as a Malaysian Christian theologian, and
secondarily as an aspiring scholar in issues of gender and sexuality in
Malaysia, I wish to register my utter disappointment with a new rhetoric
that was freshly delivered through the allied efforts of the Yayasan
Guru Malaysia Bhd, the Putrajaya Consultative Council of Parents and
Teachers Associations, and the Education Ministry against
non-heteronormative Malaysians.
My outrage stems from a myriad of reasons – the implicit claim in the
“Guidelines” that gay men, lesbian women and even transgender persons
are societal “problems”, that all of them bear distinguishing
muscle-flexing and handbag-totting characteristics, and that these
“problems” need to be weeded out from childhood.
Most of all, my acute anxiety in this matter arises from the fact
that these passionate causes are often performed in the name of, and
corroborated by religion and God-talk, as manifested in contemporary
Malaysian history.
Academics aptly point out political agendas, societal expectations,
cultural norms and rigidities of gender and sexuality intersect with
religion in a collusive effort to produce a cohesive Malaysian
“identity”.
Yet many of the masses do not share the detached view of sociologists
and anthropologists that religion is merely a convenient,
socio-political force that seeks to regulate and control by appealing to
the sentiments of the populace.
For many Malaysians, religion is a theological project, the sacred
channel through which they connect with their divine personal being, and
the font of meaning and direction in their lives.
I offer Anglican bishop Desmond Tutu’s wisdom that the recent
“Guideline’s on identifying gay and lesbian symptoms” has become a
“deeply theological issue.”
Theology is the study of God, on relationships between human persons
and God, and on interpersonal human relationships as informed by this
divine-human symbiosis. In our nation, theology finds its greatest
expression in Islam and Christianity. With their respective theological
methodologies, both religions exert great influences upon their
adherents in imagings of God.
I wish to scratch the veneer of superficiality which addresses
non-heteronormative issues in religion simply as men, women and
transpersons struggling with their religious convictions, in which they
either conform, suffer the penalties of ostracisation, or depart
completely from what they perceive as oppressive regimes.
We are dealing with psycho-theological issues in a particular segment
of Malaysians, whose spiritual well-being is adversely affected by the
dogged insistence of the image of a Creator who monochromatically
creates human beings, and in which the only valid forms of creation are
uncompromisingly heterosexual.
What is constantly glossed over however, are the multiple human
experiences that indicate otherwise.
Malaysians have family members,
relatives, friends and colleagues who have risked their vulnerability to
share who they are as gay men, lesbian women and transgender persons.
Malaysians can vouch for the fact that many these persons whom they
love and respect are not sexual deviants or perverts, do not all wear
tight V-neck T-shirts, nor demonstrate “unhealthy phenomena”. Somehow,
all these also got left out of God-talk.
Both Islam and Christianity celebrate diversity in the divine act of
creation, and promote acceptance and amicability among all human
persons. These noble visions have found resonance in Malaysia’s numerous
visions and aspirations.
Yet the actualisation of these ideals look very different when gay
men, lesbian women and transgender persons are involved. Religion,
theology and God suddenly take on a deep heterosexual hue, the banners
that cheer diversity lie dismally under wraps, and all forms of
perceived transgressions are sanctimoniously penalised.
If Malaysia was founded as a nation that both embraces diversity and
upholds the notion of God, would it not align itself more closely to its
founding principles if it preached on the colourful, creative prowess
of God, and taught its young the many ways of accepting and celebrating
this diversity?
No comments:
Post a Comment