Rilek1Corner

Tag: lesbian

  • GLBT Voices Singapore: Muslim Community’s Uproar Over Tudung Issue Is Ironic

    GLBT Voices Singapore: Muslim Community’s Uproar Over Tudung Issue Is Ironic

    This latest ‘noise’ over the tudung issue is rather ironic, given that the Muslim community is up in arms over being shut down and denied their rights to a religious piece of clothing, which may in turn hinder their choices when it comes to employment.

    So they are complaining again basically that their economic rights are not protected when it comes to Muslim women who choose to practise their religion.

    But they have no regrets fighting for the continued discrimination of gay citizens in Singapore, some of whom are also fellow Muslims, as long S377A fits their religious narrative. Talk about cherry picking one’s rights.

    At the end of the day, religion is a choice. And the tudung is not even mandatory within that religion. And they kick up such a fuss over it, to the point of threatening social cohesion. But being gay is who we are, and not a choice regardless of what bugots.

    Ah the delicious irony.

     

    Source: GLBT Voices Singapore

  • Disney Lodges Appeal On ‘Beauty And The Beast’ Ban In Malaysia

    Disney Lodges Appeal On ‘Beauty And The Beast’ Ban In Malaysia

    KUALA LUMPUR: In a new twist to the ongoing Beauty and the Beast saga in Malaysia, Walt Disney has lodged an appeal with the Home Ministry about passing the film without cuts.

    But Malaysian Censorship Board (LPF) chairman Abdul Halim Abdul Hamid said: “Movie companies cannot impose conditions on LPF. We will not budge.

    “As far as I know, Disney has already sent a notice of appeal to the Film Appeal Committee under the Home Ministry, so now the decision of whether to release the film without cuts is up to them.”

    Yesterday, Malaysia’s Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Aziz said Walt Disney was right in refusing to edit Beauty and The Beast, as he criticised the country’s censors for cutting a “gay moment” in the movie.

    “If you edit, the plot will not be the same any more,” Mr Nazri, who is also an MP with the ruling Umno party, said.

     

    Source: www.tnp.sg

  • Don’t Impose Secular Views On Religious Bodies

    Don’t Impose Secular Views On Religious Bodies

    The statements by the National Council of Churches of Singapore and the local Roman Catholic Church regarding the “gay moment” in the Disney movie, Beauty And The Beast, are quite clearly meant as advisories to the leaders of their respective congregations and the parents there (Disney’s Beauty And The Beast given PG rating for ‘mild violence’; March 15).

    But the statements were picked up and published by various media outlets.

    Not unexpectedly, a number of netizens took offence and attacked and ridiculed these statements without considering the context.

    We should not impose our secular views and opinions upon any religious body or organisation, out of respect for its religious belief and also out of respect for our Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act.

    The various online alternative media outlets which mock religious beliefs and activities could be seen as making mischief.

    They risk tearing the fragile fabric of religious harmony in Singapore.

    I hope they can rein in their attacks before the situation gets out of control.

    David Fong Chee Hong

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

  • Gay American Lecturer Jailed For Lying About HIV Status, Qualifications

    Gay American Lecturer Jailed For Lying About HIV Status, Qualifications

    He pretended to be a professor of child psychology and lied to the authorities about his HIV status to get jobs at local polytechnics.

    He even used his lover’s blood for an HIV test so that it would test negative for the condition.

    Over about eight years, American citizen Mikhy K. Farrera-Brochez, 32, committed offences including cheating, lying to a public servant, possessing drugs and using forged educational certificates.

    Yesterday, he was sentenced to 28 months’ jail. He pleaded guilty to six charges, with 17 taken into consideration. Three other charges, which had been taken into consideration, were later stood down to be mentioned at a later date.

    In 2008, Farrera-Brochez moved to Singapore, a year after he began a romantic relationship with a local doctor, general practitioner Ler Teck Siang, 35.

    To apply for an Employment Pass (EP) to stay in the country with his lover, he submitted an HIV negative blood test result to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in March that year.

    However, Farrera-Brochez, who is HIV positive, had used Dr Ler’s blood for the test by visiting a clinic in Commonwealth where Ler was on duty.

    Ler had drawn the blood from his arm that day and labelled the test tube holding his blood with Farrera-Brochez’s particulars.

    MOM then issued Farrera-Brochez with an EP, and he later worked as polytechnic lecturer teaching psychology and early childhood education.

    He similarly duped the authorities in 2013 when he tried to apply for a Personalised Employment Pass (PEP), which would let him change employers without applying for a new EP.

    He was also found guilty of possession and consumption of ketamine and amphetamine in May last year. Investigations further revealed his educational certificates, including a doctorate degree in psychology and education from the University of Paris, were forged.

    Deputy Public Prosecutor Suhas Malhotra said he had conspired with Ler to falsify the test results.

    “His conduct evinces a blatant disregard for the authority of our laws,” he said

    Ler, who is also facing charges, has not been dealt with.

     

    Source: www.tnp.sg

  • Gay Community Expressed Mixed Feelings About Prominent Activist Charged For Drug Crime

    Gay Community Expressed Mixed Feelings About Prominent Activist Charged For Drug Crime

    A prominent gay activist, Dr Stuart Koe, was hauled to court yesterday for six drug-related charges (including one of trafficking) and the gay community have expressed disappointment that the incident will cause the public to have poor view of it.

    Dr Koe was one of the 3 petitioners who appealed to parliament to repeal Section 377A in 2007. He is also the managing director of a local pharmaceutical company, ICM Pharma and the founder of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) news and social networking site Fridae.com.

    The 44-year-old allegedly sold a packet of crystalline substance which contained 0.17g of methamphetamine, to another man for $240, at a Spottiswoode Park Road apartment on 25 Aug last year.

    Reverend Miak Siew, the pastor of the gay-friendly Free Community Church, said that the community should not kid itself about the harms of drugs. “I know far too many lives destroyed by meth (ice),” he said.

    And added: “Addiction is a disease that takes over a person and it is dangerous and irresponsible to say “a little bit” is ok.”

    Nic Lim the founder of the Facebook page ‘GLBT Voices Singapore’ said that he had been repeatedly attacked in the past by people in the gay community for posting honest entries about drug use in his page dedicated to gay confessions. They accused him of painting a bad image of the community and of disgracing them.

    “So long a huge swath of our community prefers to pretend that we don’t have a drug problem (and we definitely do), then we will lose more and more of our gay brothers and sisters to it, and see more of them in the news,” he said.

    Otto Fong, a former Raffles Institution teacher whose coming out in 2007 caused a stir, said:

    “But let’s be rational here and look at the real problem. It isn’t Koe who blocked all positive portrayals of gay people in the media. This is a concerted effort by others to erase all the good stuff gay people have been doing – like charity for orphans, creating families in spite of the odds, researches, shaping policies, being great healers and teachers. Just erase our contributions, and make sure the public only reads only the bad things. How can individuals like Koe fight against a tide of people coached weekly to complain, to repeat lies and to hate us with irrational fervor?
    I can only hope the younger generation of gay people and straight allies find a better solution. Instead of aiming our hopes and frustrations at Koe, we can do far better to reflect on ourselves and what we can and need to do.”

    Another prominent gay activist, Kelvin Wong, said that the conversation on drug use needs more clarity.

    “I think we need more clarity when talking about drug use. There is drug use for medical purposes, drug use for recreational purpose, drug abuse and drug addiction. There are growing cases that not all drugs have the same level of harm and addiction level. It is those whose addiction level is high and/or harmful that we need rigourous awareness. There are drugs that have shown to help medical conditions. So we cannot lump drug use or people’s attitudes to drugs the same boat. Furthermore, the law on drugs is historically politically driven and has little relevance to science and facts as the law treats all drugs the same. We could well say the same about alcohol, but because is not against the law and socially accepted people are getting drunk nightly in pubs and dead pissed or dying of liver related failures but nobody cares as much.”

    —
    Comments are found in this Facebook post: http://bit.ly/2lyqU2t.

     

    Source: www.theindependent.sg