“I’ve already told my parents and some of my friends about it. I mean my parents don’t really approve it, but my friends are quite okay.”
Momoka, a girl who just turned 18, said laughing. She has considered herself bisexual since she was around 14 years old. “Though, I don’t really know. Maybe I’m not a bisexual, I just don’t care about anyone’s gender,” she comments.
LGBTQ is an acronym that has recently become more common in our world. It stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer. These all come under the term ‘sexual minority’ nowadays. It is not anything completely new, as LGBTQ has existed for an extremely long time- yet still, LGBTQ is not tolerated enough.
It was only 2015 when the Supreme Court of the United States had announced same-sex marriage cannot be prohibited by a state, yet some countries still illegalize the action and many people find it ‘odd’ to find the same sex attractive. We could blame the law for making some people believe it is something that should be banned, or maybe religions. For example, in 2014 Nigeria brought in a law prohibiting same-sex marriage.
Some extreme beliefs and faith systems, such as the Islamic Sharia law, tend to oppose LGBTQ rights. To this day conversion therapy still exists in some strong religious communities. Some cultures and religions almost ‘indoctrinate’ followers to thinking LGBTQ “As a disease or something unnatural. Leads to institutionalized homophobia”. Leow Yangfa, a member of a LGBTQ organization in Singapore named OogaChaga, spoke that some people are forced to go through the process of conversion therapy, though it is inhumane action and doesn’t change anything but leave a scar on one’s mind.
Even in very modernized countries like Singapore, Section 377A of the penal code remain as legislation which criminalizes homosexual acts. “Any male person who, in public or private, commits, or abets the commission of, or procures or attempts to procure the commission by any male person of, any act of gross indecency with another male person.” This code itself could be counted as discrimination against sexuality, as it only exists for men. After many debates and proposals made, the Singapore prime minister had publicly stated that the law would not be enforced, but this code is still left in the legislation. People like Yangfa are worried about this, and question what would happen when the current Prime Minister retires his title, as the legislation may come back.
Momoka lives in Tokyo, Japan where ‘same-sex partnership‘ is legalized in particular areas of Tokyo such as Setagaya and Shibuya district- but she has much to say about this ‘partnership’ policy for the minorities. “It’s weird” she mumbled. “Why do we have to pay to become partners? It doesn’t even count as marriage, what is the point? It’s as helpful as nothing”.
To publish a partnership in Shibuya district, one of the most famous areas of Tokyo, it costs about 44,580JP yen to publish that one sheet of paper. That is an outstanding $553 SGD at the current exchange rate (March 2018). Unlike a normal marriage certificate, it does not change one’s family register- which means the law will consider these ‘partners’ as complete strangers. Why are there so many differences just by being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender?
There was no difference between me and people of other sexual and gender identities. Scientifically, there are no such things as ‘gay genes’, so there are no significant differences found currently. So why should there be differences in social perceptions and legal rights between us? There is no reason, the only contrast between us is the number.
Momoka said bitterly, “I don’t know if there would be any changes. Everyone is so stiff minded, I don’t think many of the population even try to understand it”. It is true to an extent. According to a street interview conducted in Tokyo by a transgender pair Youtuber, キットチャンネル (Kit channel), there seem to be many young teens out in very central Tokyo who do not know the acronym LGBTQ. This, therefore, means people are not well informed or taught about the gender and sexual diaspora, which is an alarming fact.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvMsq0UfFJg
Though, some improvements can be seen. More people understood when they broke it down into words such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer and none of them who were interviewed seemed disturbed by the idea. It may be small, but it is a big step ahead for the community. In Singapore, many movements are taken place in order for the penal code section 377A to be abolished, and there is a date established where LGBTQ communities in Singapore get together to show their presence in the community Pink Dot. Things could be getting better.
For the sake of any LGBTQ people and any other minorities that exist in this world, we must create an environment where we can all speak out, come out that one is a minority. To understand what LGBTQ is and recognize they are no different from us. Anyone could be so, just that you haven’t realized yet. We need to be more welcoming, to spread the word. To take action for a fairer world, because being a minority is nothing to be afraid of.
Information taken from
Penal Code 377A: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_the_United_States
Kit Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyWRXFYbDydMdzcBX2G8xNg
Publishing permission was taken via Twitter on February 8th, 2018
OogaChaga (Singapore): http://oogachaga.com/
Parent text: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/03/opinion/aung-san-suu-kyi-myanmar-rohingya.html
