#ASEAN SOGIE Caucus

[themuslimgayguy]

“I grew up in an environment where being a member of the LGBTQ+ community is disgraced and never encouraged to come to the light.”

‘’We can worship our God differently while embracing our own truth. Especially if that truth is simply to love because deep inside we know that LOVE will never be HARAM. #ResistTogether ‘’

Thank you CNN Philippines Life for highlighting my work with various organisations and my documenary film #LupahSug with GiveOut & ASEAN SOGIE Caucus

[southeastasianists]

Brunei must rowback on plans to implement changes to its penal code next month that could see LGBT+ people whipped or stoned to death for same-sex activity, human rights groups said on Monday.

Brunei was the first East Asian country to introduce Islamic criminal law in 2014 when it announced the first of three stages of legal changes that included fines or jail for offences like pregnancy outside marriage or failing to pray on Friday.

Previously homosexuality was illegal in Brunei and punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment, but the changes would allow whipping and stoning to death for Muslims found guilty of adultery, sodomy and rape, said human rights groups.

The country delayed implementing the final two stages of changes after an international backlash in 2014 but now plans to go ahead with both on April 3, said Matthew Woolfe, founder of human rights group The Brunei Project.

ASEAN SOGIE Caucus, a Manila-based human rights group, confirmed the implementation of the remaining changes were due to take place on April 3, citing government documents.

Manila-based OutRight Action International also confirmed Brunei was about to implement a new stage in its sharia laws.

The Brunei Prime Minister’s Department did not respond to an emailed request for comment.

“We are trying to get pressure placed on the government of Brunei but realize there is a very short time frame until the laws take affect,” Woolfe told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, calling on governments to step up diplomatic pressure on Brunei.

“It took us by surprise that the government has now given a date and is rushing through implementation,” said the Australia-based campaigner.

Woolfe said there had been no major public announcements on the implementation of the penal code changes aside from a statement on attorney general’s website late December which only came to light this week.

Socially conservative attitudes prevail across Asia with Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei banning sexual relationships between men while Indonesia has seen an increase in raids targeting LGBT+ people in recent years.

Brunei, a former British protectorate of about 400,000 nestled between two Malaysian states on Borneo island, is the first country in east Asia to adopt the criminal component of sharia at a national level.

“The full implementation of sharia penal law will apply severe penalties against consensual same-sex relations, including death penalty via stoning,” Ryan Silverio, a coordinator at ASEAN SOGIE Caucus, said in an email.

Dede Oetomo, one of Indonesia’s most prominent LGBT+ activists, said it would be a gross violation of international human rights if the changes went ahead.

“It is horrible. Brunei is imitating the most conservative Arab states,” he said.

[ikmalfahmirasmi]

[INVITATION TO THE SEA PEOPLES' SUMMIT ON MYANMAR] Tomorrow! We call young people in Southeast Asia to join the People's Summit and call for ASEAN to reject SAC (State Administration Council-JUNTA) Civil society organizations in Southeast Asia will convene a Southeast Asia Peoples Summit on Myanmar on 22 April, Thursday. This will happen prior to an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Special Summit on Myanmar on 24 April in Jakarta. The Peoples Summit is convened by the Solidarity for Asian Peoples Advocacy (SAPA), a broad platform of civil society organizations and groups straddling various sectors and movements in the region. In partnership with allied organizations such as Progressive Voice, ALTESEAN Burma, FORUM ASIA, ASEAN SOGIE Caucus, ASEAN Youth Forum, The Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN), Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID), and SHAPE-SEA. Join us to showcase concrete examples and actions of solidarity and support for Myanmar and to express our deep disappointment and expose the inaction of the ASEAN. Register and Endorse the Call here http://bit.ly/SEAPeoplesSummit2021 Reposted from @asean.youth.forum #Junta #SaveMyanmar #ASEAN #HumanRights #MilitaryCoup (at Myanmar) https://www.instagram.com/p/CN8WVSThA0p/?igshid=szre6zjlehky

[bigyack-com]

Cambodia to teach LGBT+ issues in schools to tackle discrimination - sex and relationships

Children in Cambodia will receive lessons on LGBT+ issues from 2020 in a bid to wipe out bullying and discrimination in the socially conservative country, an official said on Tuesday.From grade seven, around age 13, modules covering sexual orientation and gender identity will be part of sex education in schools, said Yung Kunthearith, deputy director of the education ministry’s department of health studies.“It’s about equality,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. “We want our children to be aware of these issues and know that no one should be discriminated against in school or any part of life.”Cambodia has no legislation that deals specifically with LGBT+ people. Same sex marriages are neither criminalised nor officially recognised by the state.While acceptance of LGBT+ people in Cambodia is increasing, one in three report harassment in the workplace, according to research released this week by the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, a non-government organisation.Some are still forced by parents into unwanted marriages or so-called conversion therapy with traditional healers, which aims to make them straight or not transgender, campaigners say.The new classes would help “cultivate a rights-based mindset so children can exercise their agency to transform discriminatory norms,” said Ryan Silverio, regional coordinator for the ASEAN SOGIE Caucus, an advocacy group.The move puts Cambodia at the forefront of LGBT+ education in Southeast Asia, with neighbouring Thailand the only other nation known to have included such issues in mainstream teaching, he added.So far, 3,100 Cambodian teachers have been trained to deliver the new material, according to Srun Srorn, an LGBT+ activist who developed the modules with the Education Ministry.He said that while there was some resistance among “very homophobic” teachers, the program had generally been received with “enthusiasm” and at least five teachers had come out during the training.“This is a win for us already,” he said, adding that bullying and discrimination was rife among students and teachers.“We have to start now. In 10, 20 years’ time, the students of today will be business owners, they will be governors ... then we will have change.” (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text)Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter Read the full article

[apuadman]

Petition on Sogie

This petition can’t be shared on facebook as it has been reported to have abusive content. The Lgbt rights is human rights as well. The Anti Discrimination act must be mandated so as the Sexual Orientation Gender Identity and Expression.

Our Friend from Asean Sogie Caucus have message us to sign up this petition and they wrote:

the UN Human Rights Council will vote on the renewal of the mandate of the UN Independent Expert on SOGIE. Philippines is the only ASEAN country who is a member of the HRC and thus can vote. We got information that Philippines will abstain. Let's use our voice to encourage Philippines to vote YES! 

***)0(**

In June 2016, the Human Rights Council voted on a resolution to create a new Special Procedures Mandate called the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (IESOGI). This is a historic mandate creating a specific entity within the UN human rights system that deals with LGBTIQ issues.

The IESOGI has a mandate of 3 years. This 2019 this mandate will be expiring. We are asking the Human Rights Council (HRC) to renew the mandate for another 3 years.

The IESOGI plays a crucial role in advancing the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer and other gender-diverse persons. The said mandate has the following roles:

- Produce comprehensive reports documenting violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI);

- Provide assistance and advice to governments, in the spirit of constructive dialogue and engagement, by sharing good practices from all regions;

- Conduct official visits and dialogue with all stakeholders;

- Collaborate with UN agencies, fellow UN Special Procedures mandate holders and human rights bodies, as well as regional mechanisms such as ASEAN;

- Receive communications with regards to allegations of human rights relevant to SOGI.

We think that the mandate of the IESOGI is relevant to ensure the Philippine government's commitment towards the LGBTIQ community. By supporting the mandate, the Philippine government will show committment so that LGBTIQ persons will have access to redress and protection both at the domestic and at the international levels.

Let us urge the Philippine government to vote in favor of the renewal of the IESOGI.

http://chng.it/gXYTfWbybm

[esqrever]

Timor-Leste: Maioria da População LGBTI Sofre Violência, Incluindo Violação De Correção⠀ ⠀ “Fui violada pelo meu próprio tio que dizia que assim podia mudar a minha orientação sexual, forçando-me a relacionamento heterossexual. Eu fiquei grávida, mas consegui medicina tradicional e tive um aborto. Depois disso tive que fugir de casa e viver com amigos“.⠀ ⠀ Este é um dos testemunhos presentes no primeiro estudo agora divulgado sobre a população LGBTI em Timor-Leste. O relatório documenta vários episódios de abuso psicológico e físico, incluindo violência doméstica, casamentos forçados e tentativas, por membros da família, de mudar a orientação sexual e identidade de género das pessoas.⠀ ⠀ "Timor-Leste: Maioria da População LGBTI Sofre Violência, Incluindo Violação De Correção"⠀ ⠀ https://buff.ly/2AqSNQ5 #LGBTI #Homofobia #Transfobia #Lesbofobia #TimorLeste #esQrever REDE FETO TIMOR LESTE​ ASEAN SOGIE Caucus​

[djgblogger-blog]

Beauty and the Beast censorship attempt shows the good, the bad and the ugly of LGBT rights in Malaysia

http://bit.ly/2w8o3kl

Walt Disney Studios

Originally scheduled for release on March 16 in Malaysian cinemas, Walt Disney Studio’s live-action version of Beauty and the Beast was initially banned in the country due an outcry over a short scene of two men dancing.

Despite continuing objections from conservative NGOs that this “gay scene” goes against Malaysian values, the film will now be screened uncut. Many Malaysians believe that the country’s Film Censorship Board relented in part due to tourism minister Nazri Aziz’s comment that the ban was “ridiculous”.

Objections from certain sectors of Malaysian society to the film neatly illustrates both the fear and lack of understanding of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in the country. A prevailing moral panic means gay men and male-to-female transgender people have been particular targets of discrimination, conversion therapies and even violence.

Opposition to LGBT people is part of a larger framework of hostility towards and the policing of Malaysians who are considered immoral.

Secular and religious police have raided hotels in search of unmarried Muslim couples who are considered guilty of khalwat – close proximity between unwedded people. And sex workers have been routinely rounded up and sent to police stations for illegal activities.

Criminalising sexualities

Homosexual identities are not illegal in Malaysia, but there are secular and religious laws that criminalise sexual expressions between men, such as the Malaysian penal code and Syariah (Islamic) laws. Some sections of the the Code outlaw oral and penetrative sex, for instance. And while such laws are applicable to all citizens, they have targeted primarily gay men.

Former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim is probably the most prominent Malaysian to be prosecuted for homosexual acts. He has been subject to a series of arrests, convictions and acquittals since 1998.

In 2015, he began a five-year sentence on the charge of sodomy. Although Malaysian academics argue that these are obviously political ploys against him, Anwar’s case is symbolic of the vulnerability of gay men in Malaysia.

Male-to-female transgender people – known as mak nyah in Malay – are often seen as men who shamelessly imitate women. Mak nyahs often experience social stigma familial rejection and workplace discrimination, which causes some of them to resort to sex work for a living.

Apart from the penal code and Syariah laws, mak nyahs can also be arrested under the 1955 Minor Offence Act for indecent behaviour. Malaysian transgender activists, such as Sulastri Ariffin, have shared stories of ill treatment in public areas as well as in prison.

And although the police have denied it, the recent murder of transgender woman Sameera Krishnan is seen by some in the LGBT community as a hate crime against mak nyahs.

The role of religious belief

The vulnerability of LGBT people in Malaysia particularly affects Muslims and those at the lower rungs of the socioeconomic ladder.

Organised religions continue to play an important role in the daily lives of Malaysians. LGBT citizens have been labelled as enemies of Islam and compared to terrorist groups in the Muslim-majority country.

Actors Josh Gad and Luke Evans dancing together caught the eye of Malaysia’s Film Censorship Board. Walt Disney Studios

Mainstream Christian churches have stated that they do not condone violence against LGBT people, but they continue to resort to the Bible to condemn homosexual expressions as going against divine law.

Other religious groups in Malaysia have mostly been silent on the issue, but the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism has officially spoken against discrimination and violence towards LGBT people.

Largely unprotected

In 2012, deputy minister in the prime minister’s department, Mashitah Ibrahim, stated that the Malaysian Federal Constitution does not provide protection for LGBT people. And during the signing of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration at the 21st ASEAN Summit in 2012, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak deliberately excluded LGBT rights on the premise that the country has its own moral norms and values.

In 2016 Human Rights Watch noted the steady increase of human rights violations in Malaysia. Topping the list were curtailments of free speech and freedom of expression, police abuse, detention without trial, human trafficking and the lack of protection for LGBT people. In fact, the human rights NGO considers Malaysia one of the worst places in the world for transgender people.

The fight for LGBT rights in Malaysia has faced and continues to encounter various forms of resistance. Islamic federal and state government agencies have even claimed that sexual minority rights do not constitute human rights.

Efforts to foster community spirit among LGBT Malaysians have also been prohibited, as evident in the banning of the sexuality rights festival Seksualiti Merdeka in the federal territory of Kuala Lumpur in 2011.

In short, LGBT rights do not officially exist in Malaysia.

Fighting the good fight

Nevertheless, LGBT activists continue to fight for recognition. Grassroots organisation Justice for Sisters, for instance, is actively advocating for the rights of Malaysian transgender men and women.

Community-based organisations such as the PT Foundation and Kuala Lumpur AIDS Support Services Society deal mainly with issues of sexual health. But they also recognise the need to educate government departments and the general population on related issues of gender and sexuality.

Numerous groups in the country are discreetly creating strategies on how best to canvass for the rights of LGBT people. For many of them, working behind the scenes is the safest and most effective way.

Malaysian LGBT activists have also linked up with their international counterparts. In 2011, the ASEAN Civil Society Conference and ASEAN People’s Forum was held in Kuala Lumpur.

The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission and the ASEAN SOGIE Caucus organised workshops and set up booths to educate the masses on LGBT rights. Many Malaysian LGBT activists were involved in these events, and took the opportunity to speak to politicians about their issues, needs and concerns.

Despite these efforts, LGBT rights in the country continue to face uncertainty, disapproval and opposition. Activists experience a certain measure of the good – a sense of community and camaraderie – as they work towards their goals. But they are also subject to a lot of the bad and the ugly in their fight for the legal, social, cultural and religious recognition and appreciation of LGBT people. They too are, at the end of the day, Malaysians in their own right.

Joseph N. Goh does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond the academic appointment above.

[youarenotalonerainbow-blog]

Asean SOGIE Caucus sedang melangsungkan kampanye social media di seluruh ASEAN yang bertujuan untuk membuat pandangan Asean SOGIE Caucus tentang aktivisme visible dan mendorong leader LGBT dan aktifis muda untuk melangkah. Asean SOGIE Caucus juga ingin menunjukkan betapa jamak dan beragam nya gerakan LGBT di Asean. Langkah kecil ini sejalan dengan mandat dari ASC untuk memperluas “spaces of leasdership”

Kamu, bias berkontribusi dengan:

1.       Kamu bisa mengirimkan kepada kami quotes yang merefleksikan pandangan mu terkait 2 hal berikut ini (a) menurutmu pendekatan yang ideal untuk aktifisme LGBTIQ yang seperti apa? (b) apa pandanganmu tentang leadership? (dalam bahasa inggris)

2.       Kirimkan juga foto wajahmu yang cucok abis

Kami sangat membutuhkan banyak wajah, suara, dan prespektif baru yang akan kami feature setiap minggu.

Kirim kontribusi kamu ke jlavares@aseansogiecaucus.org

Yukk yaaakk yuukkkk….

[themuslimgayguy]

WATCH: OUTSPOKEN is our first #LGBTQ+ talk show with TEAM Mag. Our pilot episode kicks the queer conversation off with representation in media (and ends on equality in the #Halalan2019 agenda). This is in partnership with GiveOut & Asia Pacific Film Institute. In collaboration with ASEAN SOGIE Caucus & Mujer-LGBT Organization Incorporated. Venue by Commune & Music by Ángelito

[southeastasianists]

“An alarming majority of lesbian, bisexual and trans (LBT) people in East Timor have faced violence.

Many women and trans men reported facing extreme homophobic violence, often at the hands of family members.

The worrying findings were revealed in ‘A Research Report on the Lives of Lesbian and Bisexual Women and Transgender Men in Timor-Leste’.

The ASEAN SOGIE Caucus released the report this week. It is the first report of its kind to document the lives of LBT people in East Timor. (...)”

[themuslimgayguy]

I would like to thank the Commission on Human Rights & ASEAN SOGIE Caucus for the opportunity to screen my documentary film #LupahSug & have an open forum with amazing key people, fellow activist & human rights lawyer about the struggles of the marginalized Muslims in Mindanao. It is now more than ever that we rally together and talk about these significant issues that our society is afraid to address. 📸 by @lini_zurlia 

Thanks to GiveOut Org. ARCUS Foundation and UNDP Being LGBT in ASIA

[themuslimgayguy]

Thanks to all those who attended the screening of my Queer Muslim documentary film #LupahSug last night at I Go Beyond Yoga. This wont be possible w/out the support of FringeMNL Benedict Bernabe ASEAN SOGIE Caucus The Red Whistle GiveOut Senator Risa Hontiveros and my loving friends!

[themuslimgayguy]

Muslim Jewish Peace Summit

Lead and organized by Muslim Jewish Interfaith Coalition and جمعية ميمونة Association Mimouna under the patronage of H.E. André Azoulay, Senior Adviser to King Mohammed VI of the Kingdom of Morocco.

The summit centered around many different learning opportunities: small group discussions, Q&A sessions, workshops, networking sessions, expert presentations, creative engagements and panel discussions around complex or controversial ideas and issues in 5 days in Essaouira, Kingdom of Morocco.

Thank you The Rainbow Collective for believing in me and for assisting me thru this journey. And also to my dearest ASEAN SOGIE Caucus for lending me your research data on LGBT in ASEAN.

[themuslimgayguy]

Delighted of our succesful talk on LGBT Muslim, Arts & well-being, and an exclusive screening of my documentary film #LupahSug today at the British Embassy. Thank you so much British Embassy Manila & British Council Philippines for the opportunity. Sending love to my producers GiveOut & ASEAN SOGIE Caucus!

[themuslimgayguy]

OUTSPOKEN: Watch Episode 2 on SOGIE with Philippine LGBT Chamber of Commerce Vice Chair Angel Romero, Side B Philippines Co-Founder Raffy Manalili Aquino, Miss World - Philippines Katarina Rodriguez and TV & Movie Writer Gitri San Diego. Just in time for PRIDE Month.

This made possible by TEAM Mag, in partnership with GiveOut & Asia Pacific Film Institute. In collaboration with ASEAN SOGIE Caucus & Mujer-LGBT Organization Incorporated. Special thanks to Commune for the venue and Ángel Capili for the original music. With the support of Don Revy & Asia CEO Forum.

[themuslimgayguy]

Watch out for our documentary film that highlights queer Muslims in the southern part of the Philippines at Queer Asia & CINEMQ on 13th of July 2019, 14:00 at Stevenson Lecture Theatre, the British Museum in London, UK. GiveOut ASEAN SOGIE Caucus.