Malaysia /
Malaysian activists on Thursday criticized the government for having Banned Three Books That Promote “LGBTQ Lifestyles”reiterating that this decision will harm the fight for rights of gay and trans people.
Jacob’s Room to Choosea children’s book about gender expression and identity, was banned in januarythe Interior Ministry said Tuesday in a statement.
in the work, a teacher educates children about gender identitybecause a student who wears a dress felt uncomfortable in the boys’ bathroom.
The other children’s texts that were banned are The Tale of Steven y Me.
“The measure seeks to prevent the spread of elements that are harmful to the morality of the community,” according to the ministry.
Homosexuality is prohibited in Malaysia and laws criminalize acts of sodomy with sjail terms, physical punishment and fines.
Siti Kasim, a prominent Malaysian human rights lawyer, tosigned that the ban is an attempt to “cut” the rights of LGBTQ people.
“This group has always been marginalized and oppressed,” he said.
Thilaga Sulathirehof the trans advocacy group Justice for Sisters, said the decision was part of a “broader trend of censorship that we have been seeing in recent years“.
In 2017, censors banned Walt Disney from releasing Beauty and the Beastfor refusing to delete a “gay moment”as requested.
Likewise, last year, the Marvel film Thor: Love and Thunder had the same fate contain LGBTQ elements.
In Malaysia, a Muslim-majority country, the religious fundamentalism has been reinforced in recent years.
OMV
