LGBTIQ?

Examining the Issues 1

LGBTIQ… Har?!  What’s that?!

Many people do not know the “meaning” of this “term”.  Many people are not aware of news related to Sexualiti Merdeka.  Many people have not thought about issues regarding this matter.

Lesbian.  Gay.  Bi-sexual.  Trans-sexual.  Inter-sex.  Queer.  LGBTIQ is the acronym from these words.  Most of us should know the meaning of “Lesbian” and “Gay”, but probably not very sure of the others.

For “Trans-sexual”, Wikipedia defines this as an individual whose identification with a gender is inconsistent or not culturally associated with their biological sex.  Trans-sexual men and women desire to establish a permanent gender role which they identify with, and often pursue medical interventions (such as sex reassignment surgeries) as part of this process.


Whereas, "Inter-sex" is defined by Wikipedia as the presence of intermediate or atypical combinations of physical features that usually distinguish male from female in a person.  An inter-sex individual may have biological characteristics of both the male and the female sexes.

And, Wikipedia defines “Queer” as an umbrella term for sexual minorities that are not hetero-sexual, hetero-normative (a set of lifestyle norms that falls into the distinct and complementary genders of man and woman), or gender-binary (the classification of sex and gender into two distinct and disconnected forms of masculinity and femininity).


When Sexualiti Merdeka first made the headlines, I posted the news in my FB (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001505308905) on 3 November 2011.  Subsequently, a few other links were also added.  If you wish, you may want to read these up:

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/asri-seksualiti-merdeka-must-be-rejected

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/on-the-seksualiti-merdeka-controversy-a-plea-for-calm-and-rationality-ahmad-fuad-rahmat/

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/04/world/asia/malaysia-gay-festival-is-banned.html?_r=3

http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=22443%3Aseksualiti-merdeka-stop-inciting-hatred-against-us-we-are-citizens-of-msia&Itemid=2

http://malaysianindian1.blogspot.com/2011/11/religions-societal-values-and-morality.html

http://vimeo.com/32179221

Note:  The last link is actually a video clip.

Strangely, there were not a single like and/or comment on these FB postings of mine.  It’s like these postings did not exist…  It’s like none of my FB friends want to (or dare to) go near this matter…

Hmmm…

Indeed, Sexualiti Merdeka and its related issues are complex and controversial.  Nonetheless, I think it is important that we (churches and Christians) should do some serious thinking on this serious topic.

I have no concrete answers to the many questions here.  At this point of time, I am not exactly sure of where I stand here.  But I am thinking, researching and praying.  And so, I hope to begin with unpacking this complicated matter into smaller packages.  I would like to examine them in a series of a few blog postings.  Prayerfully and hopefully, with due understanding (however limited), we may be able to respond to the LGBTIQ community the way our holy and loving Almighty God would want us to…

IMPORTANT NOTES:

This is the first of a series of postings that Jason Fong hopes to write on various issues related to the LGBTIQ matter.

If this article has blessed you, or if you think this article will bless someone; please feel free to forward it or used it in any way that would bring glory to God.  If appropriate, please acknowledge the source when quoting this material.  Jason Fong also welcomes your thoughts and comments for mutually edifying interactions.

Please note that the views and opinions expressed in this article may not necessarily reflect those of the Christian organization Jason works in, nor the church or denomination he belongs to.