YOURSAY | LGBT deserve same legal protection as rest of us

 

YOURSAY | ‘They should not be persecuted but love and help them.’

Nga roasted for 'harmful' remarks against LGBT community

Newday: Ignorance leading to fear drives these harmful conversations and comments about the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community.

What will be the outcome? More persecution, more bashings, and more hysteria. What percentage of our population is the ignorant frothing about? One percent? Less than?

Meanwhile, we divert from real statistically high society ills like dangerous and careless driving leading to much death and injury, the scourge of syabu ruining lives and driving up domestic violence, and the behind-closed-doors attitude to child abuse in religious schools.

Do we need to start talking about the hypocrisy of conservatives that present pious demeanours in public, but party up at karaoke or go abroad to get their taste of decadent life?

I would much prefer the conversation to expose this than over-the-top hysteria about LGBTQs.

OrangePanther1466: Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming has an interesting perspective and comments that I can find no fault in.

Not officially supporting any LGBT initiatives does not mean the government is denying the rights of the community to exist.

It is a societal issue that needs a careful balancing between the wants of the LGBT community versus the larger society’s readiness to openly accept and discuss LGBT issues. Take it to another extreme, is our society ready to accept same-sex marriages? I think not.

We should not be quick to follow the West and some advanced Eastern societies in recognising same-sex marriage.

However, as human beings and fellow Malaysians, the community deserves all the protection and privileges under the law. They are no more in danger than you and me when we go about our daily lives as the same set of laws protects us all.

I had always felt that Sisters in Islam are rational, moderate, and responsible in their views, comments and approach. I laud them for their good work in promoting religion within a multi-racial and multi-religious society like ours.

Steven Ong: "The government will never support a single LGBT programme in the country,“ Nga said. I support this stand as supporting and being friendly are two stands very wide apart. As LGBT is not a normal, right or good manifestation, it should not be encouraged or supported.

However, as they are equally humans, they should not be persecuted, prosecuted, hated or avoided but love and help them.

The excuse that they are being hated, persecuted, and prosecuted and so need no more additional harsh statements by politicians, is irrelevant as the bad treatment of LGBT is solely due only to certain groups.

They had been taught to hate, persecute and prosecute the LGBT and other things deemed not good.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was right when he said his government will not recognise LGBTs and Nga was also correct to say the government will never support any LGBT programme.

Not recognising and not supporting is not a rejection of the LGBT existence. It’s the government’s stand on LGBT. But the government should not further put pressure on the LGBT but educate the people to accept and help them.

Those who speak up for LGBT and support their promotion programmes should be aware that many behaviours once considered sins, rejected and prohibited by most societies are now common and acceptable social behaviour like prostitution, pornography, sex outside marriage, multiple sexual partners, child marriages, same-sex marriages, wearing provoking clothing, lewd jokes, and cross-dressing, to name a few.

These are even classified under human rights. If sex outside marriage or adultery is acceptable, why not child marriages? Even tattooing our bodies was once discouraged.

The outcry by these human rights groups is most probably due to the perception that Islamic ways and laws are encroaching into our society and stifling our freedom and joy as a multi-racial-religious community.

Anonymous_16040: It was totally unnecessary for Nga to drag in the LGBT community. You must not think you know everything. A wise man thinks what he says, a fool says what he thinks.

Next time talk only when you know the full facts otherwise shut up and keep learning. Poor LGBTs are suffering within themselves asking why they should be born that way. It is not a choice. And you cannot acquire or choose to turn into an LGBT, do you know that?

Yellow Tiger8858: Nga, here is some advice for you. If you don't like it, just keep quiet. The same goes for others. Why? Simple.

They are born that way. Imagine one day, you will have children, grandchildren who are LGBT, if not yours, from your close family, then what are you going to do? Hate them and disown them?

Remember this, Almighty God is ever-loving, compassionate, all-knowing, all-merciful and all-good. Who are we to say this and that?

This universe and all of us belong to the Almighty, let God decide.

Constitutional supremacy: The LGBT has become a very strong lobby in the last 20 years. LGBTs have every right to employment, education, health benefits, and housing. But now they want same-sex marriages recognised, they even want to be allowed marriages in churches and adopt children.

If gay people get married and want to adopt a child, then how will they guide the innocent child? They will tell the child it is ok to be gay although he may have no inclination towards it.

The LGBT population may be only about one percent of the world population, but they want to impose their cultural norms on the 99 percent of the population who believe in the traditional family structure.

The LGBT have every right to lead their private lives as they wish which they have been doing for centuries now. Please do not try to destroy the family home. Do as you please in private as a family man and woman do. - Mkini