A tweet posted late last month has picked up steam over the last two weeks, with Malaysians taking their displeasure to Twitter and to local representatives, over a Sabah school hosting a workshop purporting to show “softer” boys how to become more “manly men” back in 2017.
This is a real thing. Some will probably say this is what should be done. But I think, the kids will just become better at hiding themselves. Like we are telling them that they are unacceptable in society. That their worth is connected to how 'manly' they should be. #campurLGBT pic.twitter.com/tWelkCX0qP
— Hey miss (@cherane) January 31, 2019
If that doesn’t appall you, then maybe the fact that the whole “educational” endeavor was published in the school’s magazine, along with the boys’ photos, will be enough to push you over the edge, forever.
Social media users have identified the offending institution as being La Salle, in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah — a government school. The state’s education ministry has yet to give an official statement, according to Free Malaysia Today.
Referring to the young boys as kunyit, literally translated to turmeric, but a derogatory term used for effeminate men, the agenda alleges that they offered counseling to the teens on how to be less soft and become “proud men.”
Social media users have retweeted the image over 1,000 times, with many asking for an explanation over how such lessons could be worked into the curriculum, using a pejorative term, no less.
Others raised concerns that holding this kind of seminar could lead to even more bullying, without actually making other accept each student for who they were.
And mostly, we all collectively wondered what kind of misguided intentions would make a grown adult humiliate a child like this.
One user offered their own take: That such programs were necessary in order to thwart these individuals from becoming transgender when they leave school.
https://twitter.com/ybzulaklil/status/1093824126400180224
Right.
Free Malaysia Today reports that the matter is currently being investigated.
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