Malaysia is not an LGBT-friendly country, not by a long shot. At best, the queer and trans community is tolerated. At worst they are attacked as deviant or denounced as the reason that bad things happen. The Government’s stand is that queerness is not wholesome, it is antithetical to good family values and it cannot be a part of the Malaysian identity.
From time to time there are even ideas floated to “cure” homosexuality with plans to set up ‘rehabilitation’ centers for gay people, to the Education Ministry publishing a list of characteristics to identify LGBT children. Thankfully, this proposal was shelved since the list included really arbitrary things like “wearing V-neck t-shirts”.
However, in reality there are LGBT parents raising children in Malaysia. They are not shouting it from the rooftops, they are quietly carrying on with their lives in the fringe. This comic by Kazimir Lee shows a side of parenting that we rarely consider: What it’s like raising kids in Malaysia as LGBTQ.
It’s complicated
It can be dangerous
The kids have to deal with a lot
There’s a lack of support from the law
You can read the entire comic here.