It’s common knowledge that the LGBTQ+ movement isn’t accepted by the Malaysian government as there have been many bans on products and movies and cancellations of events that showed support to the queer community.
The country has very strict anti-LGBTQ+ laws so queer individuals visiting here would need to be mindful and careful. This Scottish content creator shared her thoughts and experiences about travelling around Malaysia with her girlfriend.
https://www.tiktok.com/@nessieandbecca/video/7282762785610681633?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7281524032574211585
Nessie and Becca are a travelling same-sex couple from Scotland who have been documenting their travels all around Southeast Asian countries with Malaysia being their latest stop. One of the followers asked them if they ran into any problems in the country as a lesbian couple and if they felt safe throughout their stay. Becca answered that they’d been pretending to be friends to avoid getting into trouble.
“Malaysia is not a safe country for LGBTQ+ individuals or couples. We pretended to be just friends most of the time. However, we do feel a lot safer at popular tourist spots in Kuala Lumpur as it is a cosmopolitan city,” she said. The TikToker clarified that she and her partner actually enjoyed their stay in the country but avoided showing any public display of affection (PDA) such as holding hands or any form of intimacy that might make people suspect they are a couple.
“Whenever somebody asked us anything, we just told them we were friends because safety is first,” she added before concluding that the country is definitely not safe for anyone within the queer community. The comments section was flooded by Malaysian netizens with some claiming that while the law forbids it, LGBTQ+ individuals will most likely not be harassed as long as they don’t flaunt their sexuality or “agenda” proudly.
Some clarified that PDA is also not allowed for local straight and cisgender couples and that it’s more about culture rather than one’s sexual or gender identity. Unsurprisingly, there were also netizens who left very queerphobic comments, telling the Scottish couple to keep their sexualities to themselves.
Becca previously posted another guide video for those who wished to travel to Malaysia as an LGBTQ+ individual saying that one must always do their research as well as to consider the social situation for the local queer community as well as they could also be targeted if queer tourists are not being as discreet as they should be.
@nessieandbecca Is it safe to #visitmalaysia as #lgbtqtravellers ? In our experience, we did not feel safe to be a #samesexcouple publicly in Malaysia so we want to share some #travelsafetytips so that you can enjoy what malaysia has to offer! Save this for more #backpackingseasia Follow us for #malaysiatips #malaysiatravels #backpackingmalaysia #backpackingkualalumpur #visitkl #malaysialgbt #malaysialaw #kualalumpurtravel #lgbtsafetravel #lgbtqsafety LGBT in Malaysia LGBT in Kuala Lumpur Lgbt laws in Malaysia Is being lgbt illegal in Malaysia Is it safe to go to Malaysia as lgbt Safety tips for tourists in Malaysia Is KL safe for lgbt tourists Travel safety tips Lgbt travel tips Lgbt safety in Malaysia Backpacking se Asia as lgbt
Do you agree that Malaysia is not safe for the LGBTQ+ community?
