ISEAN seeks TGF Round 10 funding

[Received from Laurindo Garcia, HIV programs manager of Fridae.com, 2010-08-21]

Dear Expert Reviewers, Supporters, Advisors and Partners of the ISEAN-Hivos Multi-Country Proposal Initiative for MSM, TG and HIV in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Timor Leste,

You will be pleased to hear that our Round 10 proposal was submitted on-time to the GFATM Secretariat in Geneva after our Core Proposal Writing Team spent the past week making final preparations together in Jakarta.

While we wait for the decision to come from the GF TRP this December, we firmly believe that the proposal writing process was a significant and valuable experience that galvanised our member community organisations and representatives while solidifying linkages with stakeholders region-wide. 

Some of the significant milestones include:

• Three Regional Consultations for the Proposal Working Group (2 in Jakarta, 1 in Kuala Lumpur) that began in February 2010
• Needs Assessments, national consultations and focus group discussions for MSM, TG and HIV in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Timor Leste
• A team of consultants and expert reviewers from around the world contributing their time and energy to develop a multi-country Global Fund proposal in less than 6 months
• Solid support from the world's largest NGO supporter of LGBT issues, Hivos (from their International and Southeast Asia Regional Offices), as well Asia's largest LGBT media and ICT social enterprise, Fridae
• Committed partnerships with the UNDP's Regional Centre
• Technical assistance and support from The Alliance, APCOM, CSAT/Seven Sisters, TSF SEAP and UNAIDS
• Confirmed endorsement from CCMs in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Timor Leste on an innovative community-led initiative
• Community organisations and groups among the four countries more engaged at a regional level, with a clear understanding of how cooperation and collaboration can support mobilisation at the national level

We have witnessed a remarkable effort, especially in view of the fact that the first ever Regional Consultation for MSM and TG in Insular Southeast Asia took place in August last year prior to ICAAP IX in Bali - thanks to our friends at GAYa NUSANTARA and APCOM with support from UNDP and UNFPA, and coordination by UNESCO. This is a stellar effort for a network that is only 12 months and 2 weeks old!

PDFs of the Final Proposal, Sections 1-5 and the Performance Framework, can be downloaded HERE.

We wish to thank everyone for the goodwill they have shared with our member organisations, this has benefited the network as a whole - without your assistance and friendship, none of this would have been possible.

In particular we wish to thank our lead proposal writers Paul Adams, Nicholas Bates and Agus Sudaryanto, as well as Saba Moussavi, for their professionalism, tireless commitment, good humour and sleepless nights. Special appreciation goes to Kwasi Boahene, Ben Witjes and Shita Laksmi who are exemplary examples of Hivos' commitment to our community in pursuit of human rights for all.

 In the short-term, there's a more lot in-store:

• We will have a steering committee deliver a report on Governance issues for the network by October.
• In addition we will see the first consultation for young MSM, TG and HIV in Asia and the Pacific this September, where representatives from our next generation of leaders from Insular Southeast Asia will share their ideas for the future with their colleagues from the broader region.
• ISEAN aims to have another consultation of the full network before the end of the year, with the view of formalisation by ICAAP X in 2011.

Regardless of the Global Fund outcome this coming December, ISEAN and its members have a clear vision of what it can achieve.

We are confident that we will see better health and human rights outcomes for waria, mak nyah, pondans, ah kua, badings, baklas, gay men, bisexuals, other MSM and transgender people in our region in the near future.

Expect more news from us soon.

Cheers!

Laurindo

ISEAN Coordinator

Utopia guides to gay SG, MY, IN

World's First Guide to Gay and Lesbian Life in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia

Which country is home to Asia's fastest growing openly homosexual sub-culture? Would you believe tiny Singapore? With more than 30 openly gay businesses in the tourist-friendly Chinatown neighborhood alone, Singaporean entrepreneurs are feeling free enough to fuel a huge boom in the city-state's pink economy.

But which country do gay Singaporean's think has the hottest scene going? They point to their neighbor, Malaysia. Indeed, though still largely underground, Malaysia's gays and lesbians have a steadily growing number of restaurants, clubs, spas and gyms that openly welcome them and world-class venues are popping up in even small cities like Penang and Kota Kinabalu.

Singapore's other neighbor, Indonesia, while commonly known as having the world's largest Muslim population, also has some of Asia's longest-running homosexual activist groups and a wide variety of traditional alternative sexualities that are an integral part of Indonesia's cultural mosaic.

The Utopia Guide to Singapore, Malaysia & Indonesia reveals for the first time in print the fascinating and variegated queer lifestyle of these countries in one hefty volume filled with a surprising wealth of information. Listed within are contact details for organizations and businesses that are popular with both local and visiting homosexuals, including accommodation, bars, discos, spas, and restaurants. A special section of the book highlights groups, clubs, and spaces that are especially welcoming for women. Hundreds of tips and warnings from locals and visitors provide first hand insights for both frequent visitors and armchair explorers.

Commenting on the surprising abundance of gay life in a very conservative region, Singaporean gay activist, Alex Au, writes in the book's preface, "The reason for this contradiction may be because, despite the political or religious rhetoric, at the social level, the people of these countries are tolerant and hospitable."

Indonesia's first gay pride celebration took place in Surabaya, on June 25, 1999. Singapore's first public festival, Indignation, took place during the month of Aug in 2005 and is set to repeat this year with expanded activities and a higher profile.

But despite growing advances in personal freedoms, activists in all three countries continue to encounter official obstacles. In 2006 Singapore government officials awarded a large grant of public money to a homophobic Christian group that attempts to straighten out gays. In March this year Kuala Lumpur police tried to crack down on businesses that cater to gay customers by fining owners for petty license violations, bringing criticism from local AIDS/HIV educators.

The Utopia Guide to Singapore, Malaysia & Indonesia provides a remarkable insider's glimpse at the vibrant, everyday life enjoyed by gays and lesbians in Southeast Asia.

The book is available for sale now in printed and electronic form at www.utopia-asia.com/utopiaguide/ and will also be available in bookstores internationally and from popular online book resellers in May.

A pioneer on the Internet, Utopia has been Asia's most popular resource for gays and lesbians since 1994. Utopia's website is located at www.utopia-asia.com and more information about Utopia may be found at www.utopia-asia.com/utopiais.htm

"These fun pages dish out the spice on even the most buttoned-up spots in Asia." -- TIME Magazine TIME Traveler

"A really good place to start looking for information... excellent coverage of gay and lesbian events and activities across Asia." -- Lonely Planet

[Posted by Paul Causey on AP-Rainbow mailing list, 2010-06-26]

Fatwa council rules against lesbians

[Posted by Gaysphere, b-side, 25 October 2008.]

An Islamic body in Malaysia has issued a ruling that bans lesbian sex or other "masculine" activities for female Muslims.

The National National Fatwa Council's ruling could have legal ramifications in the country, which is 60% Muslim.

"It is unacceptable to see women who love the male lifestyle including dressing in the clothes men wear," council chair Abdul Shukor said yesterday.

"(Masculine behaviour) becomes clearer when they start to have sex with someone of the same gender, that is woman and woman.

"In view of this, the National Fatwa Council which met today have decided and taken the stand that such acts are forbidden and banned."

Homosexuality is not specified as a crime in Malaysia, but Section 377 of the penal code prohibits sodomy, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

The same law is still in force in other former British colonies, such as India and Singapore.

There is also a prohibition on "gross indecency with another male person," with up to two years in prison for those found guilty.

Cross-dressing is illegal under public decency laws.

Malaysia is governed by two different kinds of court - Sharia courts to govern Muslim civil matters and the state's secular courts, which apply to the 40% Malaysians who are not Muslim.

It has been reported that yesterday's ruling may lead to the criminalisation of lesbian sexual acts.

Last year a Sharia court in Malaysia annulled a marriage between a two women, one of whom is transgender.

The court, in southern Malacca, said Mohamad Sofian Mohamad and Zaiton Aziz would have to separate because Mohamad Sofian had female genitals, despite her male attire and close cropped hair.

Originally named Mazinah Mohamad, she was allowed to change her name due to an administrative oversight and the couple married in a Malacca mosque in 2002.

But the bride's family soon filed a lawsuit against the couple on the basis that the groom was actually a woman.

Petition: sexuality rights in Malaysia

Dear friends,

RE: PETITION FOR SEXUALITY RIGHTS IN MALAYSIA

We hope this e-mail finds you well and in good spirits. You will recall that barely two months ago, Alina Rastam and Shanon Shah wrote and disseminated a Letter to the Editor entitled "Don't Let Homophobia Undermine Human Rights". We are pleased to report to you that we managed to get more than 140 individual signatures and 2 organizational endorsements within 24 hours of writing the letter. Even after submission to the media, we kept getting signatures. The letter eventually carried more than 200 signatures.

The letter was carried by Malaysiakini the very next day. It was also really encouraging that there were several other letters written in defense of sexuality rights, written by Malaysians, published in both the independent and government-linked press, like The Star.

We therefore felt that it was only logical to expand the framework of our letter into a full-blown petition, calling for unconditional respect of sexuality rights for all who live in Malaysia. We hope to get your support again. Please sign onto the petition, and call on all your friends and networks to sign on as well. We are hoping to collect as many signatures as possible - 10,000 signatures? 100,000? 1,000,000? This is where we will all play a part in this petition - within the next couple of months, and then have a public event to launch it on a significant date this year. Could be any significant date between 25 November and 10 December, which commemorates the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence. 10 December is World Human Rights Day.

Our aim is simple - to get Malaysians from all walks of life, who abhor all kinds of discrimination on the basis of sexuality and sexual identity, to have a space to take a public stand in solidarity with each other. The issue of sexuality is being used as bait by the State, the leading political parties and several discriminatory organizations. As we approach Merdeka and Malaysia Day celebrations on 31 August and 16 September, it is important for us to stress that we respect all kinds of diversity in Malaysia, from racial, to religious, to political, to sexual. If you believe and want to affirm this, please give this petition your full support. It's about time we had our voices heard.

We do make one initial request though. This petition is an open petition. Anyone from anywhere in the world can sign if they support it. But, we'd like to especially focus on getting signatures from our fellow Malaysians first. As citizens of a country where freedom of expression and information is curtailed in so many areas - from the environment, to violence against women, to political participation - it is imperative that we show each other support and encouragement by making this a Malaysian-led initiative. We welcome solidarity from around the world, but we hope this point is understood in the best light.

Thank you for your support, and semoga kita sama-sama membina Malaysia yang menghormati hak dan maruah kita semua!

Ikhlas,

Alina Rastam, Shanon Shah dan tan beng hui

[Text below also found here.]

To: The Malaysian Government

We, the undersigned, call upon the Malaysian Government to stop policing the moral and sexual practices and behaviour of Malaysian citizens; and violating the human rights of Malaysians by persecuting them for engaging in behaviours such as cross-dressing and (for women) dressing in 'unacceptable' ways; or sexual practices such as consensual anal and oral sex.

There are a whole host of laws which are used by the State to control and regulate the sexual and moral behaviours and practices of Malaysians. These include:

• Section 377A of the Penal Code which defines sodomy (or anal intercourse) and fellatio (oral sex) as 'unnatural offences'.
• Those convicted of these acts – whether in consensual or non-consensual situations – can be sentenced to up to 20 years jail and whipped.
• The Minor Offences Act which can be used against those whom the authorities view as behaving "inappropriately" in public.
• Syariah laws which criminalise 'khalwat' (being in close proximity with a person of the opposite sex who is not a relation) and 'zina' (adultery); as well as cross-dressing and homosexual sex.

While we understand that some people disapprove of these acts or behaviours, we believe that these are essentially matters of personal conscience, and it should be left to the persons concerned to decide on them for themselves. It is not the State's role to play moral guardian to the people or to dictate to them how they should express their sexuality.

There have been many instances in which the State has persecuted Malaysians on the grounds of alleged sexual or moral misconduct. These include:

• The 12-day jail term imposed on four women dancers at Zouk Nightclub in 2004, who were charged with behaving inappropriately in public.
• The raid at Zouk Nightclub in 2005 where religious authorities rounded up Muslim patrons and detained them at their headquarters for up to 10 hours on the grounds assessing whether they had flouted Islamic laws of behaviour. The women patrons, for example, were forced to parade in front of the religious officers, ostensibly so that the officers could ascertain whether they were dressed appropriately according to Islamic regulations.
• The persistent harassment of transsexuals and transvestites by the police and religious officers. The case of Ayu, a male-to-female transsexual who was seriously assaulted by state religious officers in Malacca in 2007, to the point that she had to have emergency abdominal operation, is an example of the brutality which members of this community have been subjected to by the authorities. The recurrent raids of functions and gatherings organized by transsexual communities also constitute serious harassment.
• The arrest of politician Anwar Ibrahim in 1998 and 2008 on the charge of sodomy.

We see such incidents as constituting a violation of human rights by the State; and as being in direct contravention to international standards such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states that no one should be discriminated against for any reason.

We stress that this issue is a larger one than that of 'gay rights.' The laws on sodomy and fellatio, for example, means that heterosexuals who engage in these practices can also be targeted, not just homosexuals. And whether or not one is directly affected by these laws, the fact that the State is violating the human rights of many citizens on the grounds of sexual and moral misconduct should be of concern to all who support social justice.

We call upon the Malaysian Government to:

• abolish all laws that criminalise sexual practices between consenting adults.
• dismantle State institutions or initiatives that were established with the purpose of regulating and monitoring people's sexual or moral behaviour inconsensual situations.
• cease all persecution of and discrimination against sexual minorities such as homosexuals, bisexuals, intersexed, transsexuals and transvestites, and transgendered people.

Initiated by: Alina Rastam, Shanon Shah and tan beng hui

Malaysian PLHIV seek guidance on networking

We are pleased to announce the formation of "myPlus", the first official Malaysian Positive Network. We are a group from the PLHIV community in Malaysia who are now ready to turn the dream of an organisation that is formed by the PLHIV community in Malaysia for the PLHIV community in Malaysia into a reality. We are a team of individuals as well as members of various Partner Organisations of the Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) who are eager to ensure that this happens.

The team has received great encouragement and support from Professor Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, President of MAC and were honoured to have her unveil the "myPlus" name and logo at the MAC Biennial General Meeting on 31 May 2008.

While the team is passionate about ensuring the implementation of GIPA from the onset and creating an enabling environment for the learning process, we recognise the need for assistance and guidance from various international organisations, networks and individuals who have valuable experience in the formation of in-country networks.

We would greatly appreciate your advice on any guidelines and reference material on formation of networks that we may use.

The team had the first brainstorm meeting recently and have discussed the following:

1. Vision / Mission / Aims / Objective / Declaration / Charter / Guiding Principles / ToR
2. Mapping of existing Support Groups in Malaysia
3. Identifying State Focal Persons / Focal Points for individual communities (e.g. MSM / TG / SW / IDU / ...)
4. Steering Core Group / Protem Committee
5. Membership Eligibility / Subscription
6. IEC / Brochure / Leaflets
7. Website / Blog

We are sure that there are many more that have been missed out so we definitely need guidance and the opportunity to learn from others' experiences.

Please address all communication to myplus@mac.org.my

Thank you from the Positive Community in Malaysia,

Andrew Tan
Executive Committee Member, Malaysian AIDS Council

Malaysia: "In this country, an accusation of sodomy is defamation of character"

Decriminalization is one of the main goals of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC). The impact of criminalizing non-heteronormative behavior and sexual relationships has far-reaching consequences -- violence and discrimination against LGBT people; vulnerability to abuse and extortion; living conditions that are at best isolating and at worst lethal. This regional update is written by IGLHRC's Regional Coordinator for Asia and the Pacific Islands, Grace Poore in an effort to unpack the impact of anti-sodomy laws like 377, which in this instance, has been used during political rivalries to engage in criminal and legal persecution of opponents. An electronic version of this publication is available on our website: www.iglhrc.org.

[Note: The full text of this material is located here.]