Sexy event
The second run of one of the country’s most unusual arts events, Seksualiti Merdeka, proves to be thought-provoking and touching.
FOR a country that markets itself as polite and hospitable, we seem to be awfully interested in what goes on in other people’s bedrooms.
Judging by the exposes about the late Malaysian filmmaker Yasmin Ahmad’s private life to undercover reports of lesbian parties, it’s obvious that anyone who is perceived to fall outside the mainstream notion of sexuality sets tongues wagging – or worse.
A close-up of an artwork that was part of the larger Tembok Merdeka work. – Photos by
SAMUEL ONG / The Star
Numerous cases have been recorded of violence committed against people who openly display their non-heterosexuality.
It doesn’t help that the topic of “sex” itself is taboo; more so than the other Malaysian sensitivities of “race” and “politics”.
With such a climate of hatred and misunderstanding, it almost seems dangerous to openly hold an event called Seksualiti Merdeka.
Sexing up rights
This second appearance of Seksualiti Merdeka was held over five days (Aug 12-16) at The Annexe Gallery in Central Market, Kuala Lumpur; last year’s inuagural event was held over three days at the same place.
A brainchild of The Annexe Gallery’s media manager, Jerome Kugan, and arts programme director, Pang Khee Teik, the event seeks to raise awareness and celebrate the diverse range of sexual identities present in Malaysia.
While it has been described as a “gay pride” event, it would be a great injustice to limit the scope of Seksualiti Merdeka to that. Themed “Our Body, Our Rights”, the event is also crucial in putting forward the notion that everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation, is affected by threats to sexuality rights.
This was aptly reflected in the forum, The Law and Our Bodies, at which the Malaysian Bar Council Human Rights Committee addressed the abuse or misinterpretation of rights that are linked with sexuality.
Malaysia’s rape laws, for instance, still fail to address marital rape and psychological impact, and adhere strictly to the traditional “penis-in-vagina” principle. This means, among other things, a man can’t be raped by a woman, various other violations to one’s body would not be considered rape, and psychological trauma is not addressed.
K.K. Wong and Carmen Soo work out
relationship issues with a little help from
pornography in Low Ngai Yuen’s XX, XY or X?
– DAYALAN DANABALAN
Then there is the issue of “unnatural” sex – any sexual act that does not serve to produce babies can be deemed illegal, said one speaker. If so, it’s safe to say that many wholesome and married heterosexual couples are currently breaking the law!
More interestingly, one misconception of homosexuality and the law was cleared up: identifying oneself as a homosexual is not against the law, but engaging in “unnatural” sexual behaviour (such as sodomy) is.
Of course, this would not apply to Muslims who are governed by Syariah Law.
As an anonymous participant cheekily summarised: “So my being a gay Chinese man is not illegal – as long as I remain celibate.”
What’s love got to do with it
“I’m a seven-year-old woman,” says Julya Oui, addressing the hushed audience at All You Need Is Love, a less formal sharing of personal stories and opinions presented in a talk show format.
It took me a moment to realise that the attractive and soft-spoken woman standing before me was referring to her previous life as a man.
Oui went on relate her journey of undergoing a sex-change operation in a heartbreakingly candid manner.
“I kept asking God for a sign that I was doing the right thing. When I finally found a surgeon who agreed to perform the first procedure on my birthday, I didn’t turn back.”
Another speaker, veteran theatre personality Mano Maniam, brought up a particularly poignant point that suggested that we are getting more regressive as time passes.
“When I was growing up, I didn’t know of the label ‘homosexual’ and that it meant someone was different,” he said.
“As far as I knew, straight or gay, these people were my friends and we were all normal.
“After all, shouldn’t we all have the capacity to choose who to love?”
Arts and change
The arts have always been a vehicle for ideas that challenge the norm, so it was no wonder that Seksualiti Merdeka was full of artistic expression.
Tembok Merdeka, an art exhibit that continued to expand over the course of the five days, was the first thing to greet visitors walking into The Annexe Gallery.
Artists provided wildly varied visual interpretations of the Yogyakarta Principles, a set of international guidelines relating to sexual orientation and gender identity (yogyakartaprinciples.org).
The piece that caught my eye was a humble one: two blank pieces of cloth pinned to walls facing each other, along with signs inviting the public to share their stories of acceptance and discrimination.
Despite the impressive list of celebrities, artists, and intellectuals milling around, it was these personal and regular-Joe accounts that truly provoked thought and emotion.
Meanwhile, That’s The Way I Like It presented three short plays dealing with issues of complex sexual identities and awakening.
The stand-out play, arguably, was Low Ngai Yuen’s XX, XY or X?, where an unhappy couple navigate through their relationship issues and stereotyped judgements of each other with the help of a pornographic video. (No, there wasn’t really a pornographic video as far as the audience could see!)
Literary enthusiasts were not left behind, as Seksualiti Merdeka also saw the launch of Body2Body, an anthology of fiction and non-fiction revolving around alternative sexual identities. Not, this is not a collection of perverse tales; the snippets read out during the launch promise humour and thought-provoking analysis alongside erotic experimentation.
1Malaysia
As the event came to a close with Rainbow Massacre, a cabaret-style gig of musicians and comedians such as Mia Palencia and Joanne Kam, it was clear that sexual minorities have significant public support from within and outside their communities.
The general atmosphere at Seksualiti Merdeka was one of festivity and kinship, simultaneously highlighting the pain of marginalised sexual minorities and proudly toasting to the diversity of all who were present.
Perhaps it was just the programmes that I chose to attend, but I couldn’t help feeling that the call for equality mostly fell on converted ears.
Of course, it remains to be seen if the powers-that-be and dissenting voices would ever choose to grace such events and engage in level-headed debate.
Still, Seksualiti Merdeka boldly questions the status quo and provides a full-bodied option for those who choose to be informed.
It might be some time yet before we collectively acknowledge human sexuality in its rainbow-coloured spectrum, but for the Malaysians who attended Seksualiti Merdeka, there was enough inspiration to keep striving for a new level of independence – one free from discrimination and bigotry of any kind.