For an organisation that goes by the name Putrajaya Consultative Council of Parents and Teachers Associations, one would have thought they would have had more consultation before issuing guidelines that makes little sense, and instead of highlighting what they believe is an erosion of society's value, it highlights the organisation's intolerance, bigotry and obtuseness.
Firstly, the symptoms that purportedly signals that a man is gay. Big handbags, V-neck t-shirts which is one size too small, singlets, and light coloured clothing? This sounds more like an attack on fashion than a list formulated by homophobes.
I am as vocal as anyone when it comes to opposing the growing excess of male wardrobe (Read Building wardrobe - Evolution of men), but for reasons that no average men could possibly match the high standards set by the male models, actors and celebrities splashed across magazines and billboards.
The guidelines were intended for the use of teachers and parents of school going children, and I fail to see the relevance of this as most students in Malaysia has to go to school in their school uniforms of which they have no say in.
If the Council is adamant in trying to enforce these guidelines, would they then propose to change the colors of the uniforms, which are mainly white, light blue, or light green?
And since being muscular is one of the symptoms of being gay, would they also cancel all Physical Education classes as it would promote muscle growth in male students?
Now, the symptoms for lesbians as published in their guidelines makes even less sense. How is "attracted to women" any different from "have no affection for men", and how are any of these two different from just "lesbians"? Furthermore, isn't "distancing themselves from other women" in direct contradiction to the next guideline "like to hang out, have meals and sleep in the company of women"?
Since when did hanging out and having meals with people means I want to have sexual relations with them?
Would they then give a nod of approval to a girl who likes to "hang out, have meals and sleep in the company of MEN"?!
If this was the type of backwards policies and ideas that the Council (together with Yayasan Guru Malaysia) is trying to preach, no wonder our education system is in such a mess, with the flip-flopping of teaching of mathematics and science in English as a key example.
While researching this issue, I came upon a comment reportedly made by the Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Mashitah Ibrahim in the Dewan Rakyat in June 2012. She said that the LGBT community is not protected by clauses in the Federal Constitution that protects Malaysians against discrimination, that “Article 8 of the Federal Constitution says there must be no discrimination of citizens in terms of religion or sex. ‘Sex’ has never been interpreted to mean sexual orientation; it has always been interpreted to mean either male or female, and they are [the only ones] protected by the constitution"(Freemalaysiatoday-LGBT not protected by federal constitution).
Apparently, according to the learned Deputy Minister, once a person is categorised as a member of the LGBT community, they automatically stop being either "male" or "female". I leave you to ponder how such a conclusion was arrived at, and the total absence of logic in this argument that the constitution doesn't accord freedom from discrimination for these "genderless" people.
I for one am fully in support of the national debate that is growing on the rights and participation of the LGBT community, but for the issue to move forward in a way that befits a civilised society, one must rid themselves of the shackles of hatred and the irrational fear of something which they do not yet understand. Only when we are capable of discussing complex issues based on the merits of facts and a sensitivity to everyone, even those whom we deem different from who we are, can things like childish guidelines be relegated to the ash heap of our country's history.
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