KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 — After a rights group called out a local English daily for publishing an allegedly derogatory news report on transgenders, another sexuality movement criticised the same paper today over another article on gay men.
In an open letter to The Star, Seksualiti Merdeka expressed dismay with the article titled “Taman Bandaran Kelana Jaya a popular hangout for gay and bisexual community after midnight” published Monday that they said “deliberately exposed” homosexual men and described them as “immoral”.
“The article seems to allow for the invasion of individual privacy,” Seksualiti Merdeka said in the letter published today.
“This is a form of violation and abuse which is frequently argued as justified due to ‘moral’ reasons. What gives the media the right to determine morality for others? Is it moral to perpetuate discrimination and injustice, and expose the lives of vulnerable communities to further harm?” added the group that fights for the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.
The StarMetro article said reporters discovered several people engaged in “immoral activities” at Taman Bandaran Kelana Jaya at night. The article contained interviews with two unnamed gay and bisexual men who reportedly said they went to the park at night for hook-ups.
StarMetro also interviewed a residents’ association who said the park was a well-known spot for “immoral activities”, as well as HIV/AIDS non-profit PT Foundation who said the park was a practical place to promote public health education.
Seksualiti Merdeka said the media often reduced LGBTs to their sexuality, with their lives described in “lurid details to titillate the public”.
“We note that the article included the work of PT Foundation in using the venue as a place to promote public health education and HIV testing.
“However, the negative tone in both the reporting and the headline resulted in an article that could be considered judgmental and discriminatory,” said Seksualiti Merdeka.
Transgender group Justice for Sisters expressed disappointment recently with The Star Online report published last Friday about the arrest of 12 transwomen in George Town, Penang, for its negative portrayal of transgender people.
The article had used the term “transvestite” to describe the transwomen, referred to them with the male pronoun, and published a picture of one of the detainees.
