Malaysian government asks public to use derogatory phrase in place of "LGBT"

The government of Malaysia is urging the public to discontinue use of the term “LGBT” to avoid “normalizing” LGBTQ+ people and the broader community.

In its place, the Deputy Minister for Religious Affairs, Marhamah Rosli, says the public should now use the term “budaya songsang,” or “perverted/deviant culture,” to describe all things LGBTQ+.

“The more we utter, write, or state it, the more ‘pop-out’ content related to it will appear,” Marhamah said at a Parliament session in February, referring to social media specifically. “Without realizing it, we are promoting the culture unknowingly.”

This week, the government announced they’re making that change official, Pink News reports.

Replacing “LGBT” with the new, derogatory term will influence online algorithms away from displaying LGBTQ+ content in the country, and therefore prevent the “promotion” of queer culture, Marhamah said.

The move follows a record crackdown on members of the LGBTQ+ community in the Muslim-majority nation in recent years. Malaysian LGBTQ+ advocacy group Justice for Sisters reported that 307 queer people were arrested in the country under both federal and state laws in 2025 alone.

The organization has also documented an increase in public complaints against LGBTQ people, leading to surveillance, raids, and cancellation of events due to safety concerns.

In May, fifty-one men attending a “gay party” at a Kuala Lumpur hotel were detained. Over 200 men were arrested in a raid on a “gay spa” in Kuala Lumpur late last year, including 103 Muslim men who were investigated separately by the nation’s religious courts for violations of Sharia law. In February, Malaysia blocked the use of gay dating apps Grindr and Blued in the country.

And in January, an LGBTQ+ event planned at a retreat site in Hulu Langat, Selangor, faced heavy backlash from locals. The organizer was forced to cancel the gathering amid “rising hostilities,” including alleged death threats, according to Malaysian outlet The Rakyat Post.

That site’s reporting included use of the “budaya songsang” descriptor in place of “LGBT.”

Justice for Sisters condemned the adoption of the “LGBT” alternative.

“The term ‘budaya songsang’ dehumanizes LGBT people, fuels misinformation, and reinforces the dangerous belief that LGBT people should be ‘corrected,’” a statement from the group read.

“It contributes directly to violence, discrimination, and violations of dignity and equality under Articles 5 and 8 of the Federal Constitution.”

Amnesty International Malaysia also weighed in on the discriminatory term.

“We strongly condemn this appalling decision by the government,” said Amnesty campaigner Qistina Johari.

“When public officials label LGBTI people as ‘deviant’, they are not upholding morality — they are legitimizing hate and discrimination against a highly vulnerable group. Words from those in power carry weight and real-world consequences.”

Malaysia ranks low on Equaldex’s country rankings for LGBTQ+ rights, at 151 out of 197 nations.

Under Section 377 of Malaysia’s Penal Code, “Carnal knowledge against the order of nature” is punishable by up to 20 years in prison with whipping. A subsection of the law also criminalizes “gross indecency with another person” with up to two years in prison. The law was extended to women in 1989.

Penalties under Sharia law in most Malaysian states can increase the punishment to include fines, caning, and concurrent or additional imprisonment.

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Originally Posted Here