I'm angry, lah.

August 7, 2015 11:15 PM

Malaysian cartoonist Kazimir Lee documents the oppression faced by trans women in Malaysia, particularly touching on the 17 women arrested at a wedding last year as well as the landmark victory for the declaration of the 'cross-dressing' ban as unconstitutional, the first time Syariah law was challenged and defeated in civil court.
posted by divabat (6 comments total)

Malaysia has so many problems to solve, mistreatment of LGBT folk being a big one. With the current 1MDB scandal being brushed under the carpet, arrest warrants being issued for journalists critical of the corrupt UMNO/BN government, the ousting of the moderate voices from the Islamic party PAS and the possibility of shariah law replacing common law, this beautiful country faces a distinct possibility diving back into the middle ages.

This is why it is so very uplifting to see positive news like the declaration striking down the ban on 'cross-dressing' come out of Malaysia. It makes me feel that perhaps all is not lost and Malaysia will find itself on the right side of history.
posted by dazed_one at 11:57 PM on August 7, 2015 [2 favorites]

Yeah this is a bright spark of good news in what's been a fairly depressing period. I'm only hoping that the current environment in Malaysia is, as in many other countries, the last oppressive gasp of a dying generation.
posted by Jimbob at 12:04 AM on August 8, 2015

Well, maybe one day I'll be able to return to a country I spent a lot of time in growing up. Malaysia is fantastic, but on the list of places I probably can't travel to since transition.
posted by Dysk at 1:58 AM on August 8, 2015 [6 favorites]

Thank you for posting this. The work is compelling and lucid and now I have a sad.

It is especially poignant that at one time trains people had a meaningful place in this culture.
posted by kinnakeet at 2:05 PM on August 8, 2015

Not that it isn't awesome that there were trans Iban shamans, but for those who don't know it, the Iban are a very small ethnic group who primarily live on the island of Borneo as opposed to the Malay Peninsula which is home to most of the population of Malaysia. While they have a fascinating culture, it would be a stretch to say they are representative of the predominant Malay culture.
posted by dazed_one at 3:46 PM on August 8, 2015 [1 favorite]

They were also headhunters. They're kinda bad-ass that way.
posted by dazed_one at 3:47 PM on August 8, 2015