Harassment and security threats forced the cancellation of a Pride-themed community event in Malaysia

The event aimed to improve health literacy and counter stigma on HIV issues

Originally published on Global Voices

A two-day wellness program intended for LGBTQ+ people in Hulu Langat, Selangor, Malaysia, was cancelled after participants and organizers received threats and harassment instigated by authorities who called for an investigation against those who normalize what they called “deviant sexual behavior.”

The “Glamping with Pride” event was supposed to take place on January 17 and 18th organized by JEJAKA, a support group that promotes the health and rights of gay, bisexual, and queer men in Malaysia. Around 50 participants were expected to join the program aimed at improving health literacy and countering the stigma against HIV.

But the online promotion of the event triggered protests from conservative segments of the population. At least five police reports were filed for allegedly violating cyber laws, particularly section 504 of the Penal Code for intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace and section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act for improper use of network facilities.

Malaysia has a predominantly Muslim population. In recent years, Muslim hardliners have pressed for stricter enforcement of Islamic teachings in governance.

Local and religious authorities doubled down by issuing statements against the event. The Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) said “stern action” is needed against activities that “threaten public peace.”

Jakim would like to stress that any effort to normalise deviant sexual behaviour clearly contravenes Islamic principles and teachings and also goes against the nation’s moral values and legal framework.

The authorities will not compromise with the organising of any event that is found to contravene Islamic teachings, legal provisions, and threatens public peace. Stern action will be taken under the law.

Some community leaders have warned that holding the event could be an attempt to turn the glamping site “into a testing ground for deviant ideologies.”

JEJAKA insisted that its activity posed no threat to the community.

We reiterate that Glamping with Pride was a private, community-based health and well-being programme that included educational activities to improve health literacy and reduce stigma around issues such as HIV. Camping and recreational activities take place across the country every day. LGBTQ+ people are no different in their desire to learn, gather and exist safely.

It announced the cancellation of the event after being targeted with hurtful comments and online threats.

This program was not cancelled because it was unlawful or otherwise, but because an environment was created in which reckless rhetoric, misinformation and fear-mongering made it unsafe for people to gather. When words are used irresponsibly, they carry consequences, and in this case, those consequences placed lives at risk.

Zaid Ibrahim, a lawyer and former minister in the Prime Minister's Department for Legal Affairs and Judicial Reform, expressed concern over the actions taken by local authorities.

I am concerned with the wide-ranging ban on LGBT-related activities ordered by His Highness the Sultan of Selangor, such as the Glamping Pride

Malaysians surely have accepted that some of their top leaders are gay or have a mixture of sexual preferences. There are plenty of reports about their lifestyles, and society seems tolerant of them.

Some even idolised them The question then is: are we more tolerant of such activities when indulged in by the elites, and come down hard on everyday people?

This is not the first time that authorities have initiated a probe against LGBTQ+ activities. In recent months, authorities also raided facilities for being allegedly “gay-friendly.”

Several civil society groups signed a statement reminding the public that having a different sexual orientation is normal.

We reiterate that the existence of different sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, and sex characteristics is a normal part of human diversity. We call the Federal and state agencies to end all vilification, demonisation, misinformation, and portrayal of LGBTQ people as threat to society, morality, culture and religion.

Nalini Elumalai, ARTICLE 19’s senior Malaysia programme officer, urged authorities to end the state-sponsored intimidation targeting members of the LGBTQ+ community.

These series of events signal a dangerous and systemic trend of state-sponsored intimidation, as well as the perpetuation of ‘hate speech’ against LGBTQI+ people without accountability. We must be clear that targeting minorities does not make Malaysia safer; it only emboldens prejudice, normalises discrimination, and forces a peaceful community further underground, while exacerbating an already restrictive climate of self-censorship.