Seksualiti Merdeka
Encyclopedia
Seksualiti Merdeka is an annual sexuality rights festival held in Kuala Lumpur
, Malaysia. Seksualiti Merdeka features a programme of talks, forums, workshops, art, theatre and music performances, interactive installations, and film screenings, organised by a coalition of Malaysian NGOs, artists and individuals. Merdeka
is the name for Malaysia's Independence Day (Aug 31), hence Seksualiti Merdeka can be loosely translated as "Sexuality Independence".
Its stated aims are:
1. To affirm sexuality rights as a human right
2. To empower individuals and communities of all sexualities
3. To create platforms for advocacy of sexuality rights
The first Seksualiti Merdeka was held in Aug 2008, coinciding with Merdeka celebrations. It drew a crowd of about 400-500 people.
The theme of Seksualiti Merdeka 2009 is “Our Bodies, Our Rights,” which reflects the organisers' wish to tie LGBT
rights into the larger framework of human rights, based in part on the Yogyakarta Principles
. It drew a crowd of 800-1000 people.
, Tan Beng Hui, Toni Kasim and others, they were involved in the handing of a Memorandum to the Human Rights Commission on the negative portrayal of effeminate men and masculine women in the Malaysian media. As writers, they have also regularly written and read their gay stories in public.
In 2008, Clarence Singham, co-founder of Singapore's pride festival IndigNation, invited Pang to organise a Malaysian programme within it. Pang then organised a segment called "Heartbreak Heroes: Four Malaysians on surviving love, loss & a hostel in Singapore", in which Pang, Kugan, activist Jac SM Kee and historian Farish A. Noor
read their original writings.
The experience inspired Pang and Kugan, who both work for The Annexe Gallery, to organise a similar kind of event within their arts space.
, PT Foundation, SUARAM
, KRYSS, Women’s Candidacy Initiative, Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (Empower), Purple Lab, Matahari Books
, twenty.one kitchen+bar, The Annexe Gallery, and various individuals.
WED 12 AUG 09
Talkshow: All You Need is Love
THU 13 AUG 09
Documentary: Celluloid Closet
Documentary: Bukak Api
Documentary: Before Stonewall
Theater: That's the Way I Like It
Workshop: Kafe Bisikan Seks & Seksualiti
FRI 14 AUG 09
Documentary: Southern Comfort
Documentary: Pecah Lobang & She's My Son
Documentary: The Times of Harvey Milk
Theater: That's the Way I Like It
Workshop: Kafe Bisikan Seks & Seksualiti
SAT 15 AUG 09
Seksualiti Merdeka 2009 Launch
Debate: Moral Policing - Is It Justified?
Book Launch: BODY2BODY: A Malaysian Queer Anthology
Forum: The Law & Our Bodies
Concert: Rainbow Massacre
SUN 16 AUG 09
Tutorial: It's a Queer World - Queer Theory 101
Workshop: The Sex Talk Show
Talk: Screwed – The State of Human Rights in Malaysia
Forum: Who's Afraid of Sex?
Talk: Legalising Nature - Hong Kong, India & Singapore& SINGAPORE
Workshop: Police Power
Discussion: Step by Step
Concert: Rainbow Massacre
FRI 29 AUG 08
Film: Comolot by Mohd Ikram Ismail, Pangyau by Amir Muhammad
and Arisan by Nia Dinata.
SAT 30 AUG 08
Forum: To Live Without Fear – Dealing with violence against transsexuals
Forum: Probing Sexualities – Recent research into sexual diversity in Malaysia
Lecture: Psychology of Homophobia – Find out if you fit the profile
Storytelling: Heartbreakers Anonymous – Featuring Jit Murad, Dara (of Air-Con) and others
SUN 31 AUG 08
Lecture: From Panji To The Present – A short history of sexuality in Malaysia and South East Asia by Farish Noor
Workshop: Tongues Out – Borak-borak on our sexuality landscapes
Malaysian Artists For Diversity
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Malaysia. Seksualiti Merdeka features a programme of talks, forums, workshops, art, theatre and music performances, interactive installations, and film screenings, organised by a coalition of Malaysian NGOs, artists and individuals. Merdeka
Hari Merdeka
Hari Merdeka is a national day of Malaysia commemorating the independence of the Federation of Malaya from British colonial rule in 1957, celebrated on August 31 each year. It is not to be confused with the formation of Malaysia...
is the name for Malaysia's Independence Day (Aug 31), hence Seksualiti Merdeka can be loosely translated as "Sexuality Independence".
Its stated aims are:
1. To affirm sexuality rights as a human right
2. To empower individuals and communities of all sexualities
3. To create platforms for advocacy of sexuality rights
The first Seksualiti Merdeka was held in Aug 2008, coinciding with Merdeka celebrations. It drew a crowd of about 400-500 people.
The theme of Seksualiti Merdeka 2009 is “Our Bodies, Our Rights,” which reflects the organisers' wish to tie LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
rights into the larger framework of human rights, based in part on the Yogyakarta Principles
Yogyakarta Principles
The Yogyakarta Principles on the Application of International Human Rights Law in relation to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity is a set of principles relating to sexual orientation and gender identity, intended to apply international human rights law standards to address the abuse of the...
. It drew a crowd of 800-1000 people.
Background
Seksualiti Merdeka is founded by arts programmer Pang Khee Teik and singer-songwriter Jerome Kugan in 2008. Pang and Jerome have previously been involved in LGBT advocacy, for example, in 2003, together with Shanon ShahShanon Shah
Shanon Shah , is a singer-songwriter from Malaysia. He has released an album Dilanda Cinta on the InterGlobal Music Malaysia independent label...
, Tan Beng Hui, Toni Kasim and others, they were involved in the handing of a Memorandum to the Human Rights Commission on the negative portrayal of effeminate men and masculine women in the Malaysian media. As writers, they have also regularly written and read their gay stories in public.
In 2008, Clarence Singham, co-founder of Singapore's pride festival IndigNation, invited Pang to organise a Malaysian programme within it. Pang then organised a segment called "Heartbreak Heroes: Four Malaysians on surviving love, loss & a hostel in Singapore", in which Pang, Kugan, activist Jac SM Kee and historian Farish A. Noor
Farish A. Noor
Dr. Farish Ahmad Noor is a Malaysian political scientist and historian and is presently a Senior Fellow at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore...
read their original writings.
The experience inspired Pang and Kugan, who both work for The Annexe Gallery, to organise a similar kind of event within their arts space.
Seksualiti Merdeka 2009
With Our Bodies, Our Rights as the theme for the festival, the focus surrounds issues that affect everyone, such as privacy, moral policing and human rights. The aim of the festival is to affirm sexuality rights as a human right, empower individuals and communities of all sexualities, and create platforms for advocacy of sexuality rights. Seksualiti Merdeka 2009 is made possible with the support of the Bar Council Human Rights CommitteeMalaysian Bar
The Malaysian Bar is a professional body which regulates the profession of lawyers in peninsular Malaysia. In Malaysia, there is no distinction between a barrister and a solicitor, in that, it is a fused profession. Membership into the bar is automatic and mandatory. The bar was created under the...
, PT Foundation, SUARAM
Suaram
SUARAM, or Suara Rakyat Malaysia, is a human rights organization in Malaysia created in 1987 after Operation Lalang, when 106 opposition, unions, activist leaders were detained without trial under the Internal Security Act...
, KRYSS, Women’s Candidacy Initiative, Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (Empower), Purple Lab, Matahari Books
Matahari Books
Matahari Books is a Malaysian publishing company founded in 2007 by Amir Muhammad. It specializes in Malaysian non-fiction and also screenplay books...
, twenty.one kitchen+bar, The Annexe Gallery, and various individuals.
WED 12 AUG 09
Talkshow: All You Need is Love
THU 13 AUG 09
Documentary: Celluloid Closet
Documentary: Bukak Api
Documentary: Before Stonewall
Theater: That's the Way I Like It
Workshop: Kafe Bisikan Seks & Seksualiti
FRI 14 AUG 09
Documentary: Southern Comfort
Documentary: Pecah Lobang & She's My Son
Documentary: The Times of Harvey Milk
Theater: That's the Way I Like It
Workshop: Kafe Bisikan Seks & Seksualiti
SAT 15 AUG 09
Seksualiti Merdeka 2009 Launch
Debate: Moral Policing - Is It Justified?
Book Launch: BODY2BODY: A Malaysian Queer Anthology
Forum: The Law & Our Bodies
Concert: Rainbow Massacre
SUN 16 AUG 09
Tutorial: It's a Queer World - Queer Theory 101
Workshop: The Sex Talk Show
Talk: Screwed – The State of Human Rights in Malaysia
Forum: Who's Afraid of Sex?
Talk: Legalising Nature - Hong Kong, India & Singapore& SINGAPORE
Workshop: Police Power
Discussion: Step by Step
Concert: Rainbow Massacre
Seksualiti Merdeka 2008
The first Seksualiti Merdeka took place on 29, 30 & 31 August, with the tagline "If one of us ain't free, none of us are!". It is held in conjunction with Merdeka celebrations "to address the fact that 51 years after independence, not all Malaysians are free to be who they are."FRI 29 AUG 08
Film: Comolot by Mohd Ikram Ismail, Pangyau by Amir Muhammad
Amir Muhammad
Amir Muhammad may refer to:*Amir Muhammad , Malaysian film director and producer*Amir Muhammad, individual cleared of suspicion of involvement in the murder of the Notorious B.I.G.*Amer Mohammad Rashid, former Iraqi politician...
and Arisan by Nia Dinata.
SAT 30 AUG 08
Forum: To Live Without Fear – Dealing with violence against transsexuals
Forum: Probing Sexualities – Recent research into sexual diversity in Malaysia
Lecture: Psychology of Homophobia – Find out if you fit the profile
Storytelling: Heartbreakers Anonymous – Featuring Jit Murad, Dara (of Air-Con) and others
SUN 31 AUG 08
Lecture: From Panji To The Present – A short history of sexuality in Malaysia and South East Asia by Farish Noor
Workshop: Tongues Out – Borak-borak on our sexuality landscapes
Malaysian Artists For Diversity
External links
- http://www.thenutgraph.com/seksualiti-merdeka
- http://muslimahmediawatch.org/2009/08/seksualiti-merdeka-coming-to-terms-with-the-love-that-dares-not-speak-its-name/