“We Do Not Want to Punish, We Just Want to Educate”: A Scoping Review of Attitudes Towards LGBTQ Among Malaysians

• Main Author: Tan, Kyle K.H.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2022
• Subjects: LGBT; LGBTQ; transgender; attitudes; heterosexism; Malaysia
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/apssr/vol22/iss4/9; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/apssr/article/1478/viewcontent/RA_208.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

Against the backdrop of the growing awareness of the detrimental effects of cisheterosexism on LGBTQ people’s health and well-being, this scoping review collates existing Malaysian research on the prevalence of cisheterosexist attitudes and associated contributing factors. Through electronic searches in three databases between 2011 and 2021, as well as additional hand searches, 18 studies with findings on attitudes towards LGBTQ people in Malaysia were located. This review found perpetrators of cisheterosexismtfrom multiple fronts (including political and religious leaders, health professionals, and media) and stem from various sources (including LGBTQ-specific criminalizing law, and conservative family and religious values). To enhance societal acceptance of LGBTQ people in Malaysia, transformative solutions are needed across institutions; these comprise opportunities to understand cisheterosexism as a form of injustice impacting LGBTQ people, consideration of culturally-safe interactions with LGBTQ service users, and dissemination of accurate LGBTQ information that aligns with international LGBTQ-affirmative guidelines.