Malaysia offers up to $1,000 for best 'gay prevention' video

explaining how to "prevent" homosexuality,

Scientific findings should be and almost always are questioned; denial of the genetic aspects of sexual preference, however, is a clear display of ignorance. But then many of the people who deny these genetic aspects also believe dinosaurs walked the Earth 7,000 (plus or minus) years ago and that climate change doesn't result from human activities.

I've been to Malaysia several times, but will never go there again.

Homophobes in the West must be thrilled to be on the same page with medeval attitudes in Muslim majority nations.

Sad news, as the world lurches further to the right. Why, oh why, do so many right wing/conservative/religious folk obsess with other's sexuality?

Astonishing ignorance and amazing that a sovereign government would waste time and money on such nonsense. The Middle Ages are still alive and well in some parts of the world! But reminds me of a quote I once read: There will always be those who try to deny human nature

Another Muslim majority nation exhibits its backwardness. Of no use to the world at all.

All Muslims? All Muslim nations? All Malaysia? All Malaysians? All Muslim Malaysians? All LGBT Malaysians? All LGBT Muslim Malaysians?

Specifics.

@Toasted heretic

I think it's fair to say that if you look at countries with the most backward attitudes to homosexuality, Muslim majority countries would be very, very well represented.

Malaysia is actually one of the 'better' ones on this issue.

I think it's fair to say that if you look at countries with the most backward attitudes to homosexuality, Muslim majority countries would be very, very well represented.

Not just Muslim majority countries. Predominantly Christian Uganda has some very hateful laws, as does Russia. LGBT people are also targetted in Jamaica.

Anyway, all rather depressing. No matter where.

Not just Muslim majority countries. Predominantly Christian Uganda has some very hateful laws, as does Russia. LGBT people are also targetted in Jamaica.

True. However, there is a pattern here. Muslim majority countries are notorious for this.

You can't just sweep this fact away with what abouts.

You can't just sweep this fact away with what abouts.

Not at all. Just bringing a bit of balance, really. Intolerance and bigotry knows no boundaries.

How primitive is this country becoming?

Toasted Heretic Today  04:55 pm JST

Sad news, as the world lurches further to the right. Why, oh why, do so many right wing/conservative/religious folk obsess with other's sexuality?

Because the economic philosophies that drive societies around the world have failed to give people a sense of value in the modern age. People's works can't be counted on to fairly get them the sources of pride they deserve when people with no talent or skill can inherit seed money and build vast fortunes with little real risk. As a result, people retreat into their identities as a way to build a sense of pride, deciding they are just inherently better than some people because the world is just too hard to face otherwise.

Then when faced with people who have built their sense of value around their identity and attacked everyone who isn't part of that identity, yet more people retreat into their own sense of identity as a defense. Hence we have people responding to irrational hatred of the LGBT collectively with irrational hatred of collective Muslims.

news, as the world lurches further to the right. Why, oh why, do so many right wing/conservative/religious folk obsess with other's sexuality?

Because the economic philosophies that drive societies around the world have failed to give people a sense of value in the modern age. People's works can't be counted on to fairly get them the sources of pride they deserve when people with no talent or skill can inherit seed money and build vast fortunes with little real risk. As a result, people retreat into their identities as a way to build a sense of pride, deciding they are just inherently better than some people because the world is just too hard to face otherwis

What a load of Sociology 101 crap.

its just the consequence of a country, US, using the bible as an education tool for reading, writing, critical thinking, etc. since we landed in the "new world". There wasn't much else in those first 400 years. Get over yourself.

But still some Westerners feel it's their duty and place to tell other peoples how to live.

So Westerners who condemned South Africa for the evil that was Apartheid were simply arrogant? I see. The better tack would have been to just keep trading with them and keep our mouths shut. And Americans should be thrilled that we supply Israel or the Saudis with all that cash and weaponry despite their ongoing offenses. Not sure what your country is, but I daresay if your countrymen or your ethnic group were getting the piss beat out of them or they were being interned somewhere, you'd suddenly summon some arrogance yourself. Your comment can only be interpreted one way, that you simply don't care how gays are treated, anywhere. Fair enough, but just be honest.

How about some tolerance of Malaysian culture and way of life.

The crux of the issue.

Should we be culturally sensitive to those that slaughter christians? How about beating one's wife and/or children?

I ask because I have no idea. Of course we all have our limit; the point at which we have visceral reaction and our stomachs turn.

But still some Westerners feel it's their duty and place to tell other peoples how to live.

You'll often find its the pious of various religions who tell others how they should live and condemn them for 'sin'.

It's this 'arrogance' which marginalizes, punishes and in some cases actually kills people.

This filth needs to be called out every time and the cloak of religion is no excuse.

Burning BushToday  07:41 pm JST

I thought colonial arrogance died in the 50s.

But still some Westerners feel it's their duty and place to tell other peoples how to live.

How about some tolerance of Malaysian culture and way of life.

You gotta love the rhetorical contortions some people go through to pretend expressing a negative opinion about institutional homophobia is "intolerant", or on par with systematic oppression.

In Malaysia those who oppose the ruling party tend to be arrested and convicted of sodomy. Therefore, one "gay prevention" suggestion would be to avoid criticising the government.

Respect and dignity for every human being regardless of their sexual orientation is not a western value. It's a universal value.

It's one of many universal values that just happened to be either first recognised or widely adopted in the west. Calling these 'western values' is an easy way for toxic ideologies to dismiss universal truths.

Sad news, as the world lurches further to the right. Why, oh why, do so many right wing/conservative/religious folk obsess with other's sexuality?

Please don't group everyone together. That is insensitive to right wing, conservative, religious people who don't care about someone else's gender identification or desires.

I think it is fear. The people afraid haven't met or known any gay or trans people. They are afraid of what seeing people like that will do to their children. They see it as the fall of the family unit. If they have a religion, then they will find the 5 lines in those books which say it is bad for their justification.

As with most differences, the only solution is integration and learning about each other. Lies and name-calling won't help either side.

@Burning Bush

Respect and dignity for every human being

... regardless of their sexual orientation.

Pedophilia and polygamy are not sexual orientations. The reason most societies outlaw the things you mention is because it's possible to objectively say that these things have been harmful to most societies in history and have impeded human development.

Who decides what is right and wrong?

Human society. We can look at which cultures have led the way in the arts, music, theatre, science, technology, philosophy, literature, etc, to discover which universal values lead directly to human flourishing and which lead to death, destruction and misery. Islamic societies have been stunted on all of these fronts since the 7th century. We can objectively say that the sum total of all the values they hold have not lead to human flourishing over the past 1400 years. This is all we can say, but we can say it.

Please don't group everyone together. That is insensitive to right wing, conservative, religious people who don't care about someone else's gender identification or desires.

I'd say bigotry towards homosexuals is not limited to the right, conservatives and the religious, but you are more likely to find it among these people.

You don't tend to find lefty, Swedish atheists trying to deny equal marriage rights to homosexuals, call them unnatural or throw them in jail or execute them.

The religious in particular often seem to discriminate against these people and then complain about discrimination and bigotry against themselves.

If they have a religion, then they will find the 5 lines in those books which say it is bad for their justification.

Those lines include advocating the mistreatment and execution of homosexuals. A pity there are no lines teaching decent treatment of these people.

These are lines we could do without in the 21st century. Come to think of it, they are lines that should have never been written or read given the horrors they've inspired in history.

By calling a pedophile a pervert am I denying them their human rights to express their sexuality?

You raised the issue. You might regret it. But yes, you are denying them something, but probably not "their rights". Rights are granted by others. I think you mean freedom. We deny people freedom all the time, generally to protect others (violence, robbery, sexual assault, etc.) As far as sexual activities go, us liberals probably agree that if it's in private and there is mutual consent, it's nobody else's business. But as with most other things, we want to protect children and deem them not capable of consent. So we have laws to restrict sex with children. It seems reasonable. Making homosexuality illegal doesn't. (In the Malaysia case, it doesn't appear to be about legality but discouragement. I'm reminded of a King named Cnut who wisely demonstrated the futility of certain dreams.)

Then why are you deny Mormons their right to polygamous marriage.

I'm not denying such rights. As far as I know, there's no law against living with multiple partners.

Very worrying. Making this a public competition like this will only create an incredibly hostile environment and public attitude towards gay people and I assume there will be quite a bit of violence from this program as well. That the government of a country is doing this to its own citizens makes this government illegitimate and treasonous

They are afraid of what seeing people like that will do to their children. They see it as the fall of the family unit. If they have a religion, then they will find the 5 lines in those books which say it is bad for their justification.As with most differences, the only solution is integration and learning about each other. Lies and name-calling won't help either side.

Indeed. But if people are clinging to archaic books to justify their stance; it's unlikely they are going to see the books as anything other than the truth. Unfortunately.