PRIDE Month 2026 was celebrated worldwide throughout June by focusing on LGBTQIA+ visibility, community resilience and historical remembrance. Major celebrations included local parades, global gatherings and digital advocacy campaigns.
Not here in Malaysia though where same sex relations are very much considered criminal acts, never mind gay marriages.
Editor’s Note: Malaysia strictly prohibits same-sex marriage and has no legal provisions to recognise gay marriage engagements.
In Malaysia, consensual same-sex acts remain illegal under Section 377 of the Penal Code and various state-level Sharia laws that apply to Muslims.
However, this did not stop a Malaysian Muslim abroad from openly declaring his chosen lifestyle with his social media handle describing himself as a “gay icon in training” based in London, UK.
To mark the occasion of Pride month, this brave soul decided to announce his engagement to his partner online.
What made this move extra bold was his declaration that he still valued his religion and culture yet saw it as no barrier to him having a gay relationship.
However, the post has since been removed but not before it was screen captured and shared on current affairs portal @cakna.malaysia on Threads.
Needless to say, the declaration of love enjoyed plenty of traction with the post (on cakna.malaysia) having generated 1.4K likes, 763 comments, 204 re-posts and 2.8K shares at the time of writing.
However, not everyone was so enthused with this declaration of undying love among the two male lovebirds.
More than a few saw it as an attempt to invite threatening comments thus allowing the original poster to seek asylum in a foreign land more accommodating to his lifestyle choices. “Ignore him” was the general sentiment here.
“Why highlight one’s religion and nationality?” queried a few puzzled commenters. One cynical observer noted the lack of other personal details such as occupation, age or identity of parents.
Hence, this was dismissed as an attempt at gaining cheap publicity which in the process tarnishes the reputation of both his birth country and religion.
The happily engaged Malaysian was also given short shrift by few commenters who urged him to just “go live your life” without having to make big pronouncements involving religion.
Amid all the outraged netizens, there was a lone voice pleading for Malaysians to stop what was perceived as homophobic attitudes. “Homosexuals exist and their orientation cannot be forcefully changed,” he argued.
Few things to note about this announcement of impending sweet nuptials between the two men.
Firstly, it does seem very much like a calculated move to invite opprobrium given that many Malaysians hold very conservative views and such same-sex relations are taboo. Many netizens opined there would have been plenty of backlash to the (since deleted) post, thus allowing the persecuted gay man to claim asylum in a foreign land.
Secondly, although there was a lone voice among all the commenter calling for end to homophobic attitudes among Malaysians, that is very much a pipe dream given the amount of anti-gay slurs in the comments section (which will not be re-produced here).
Thirdly, as it stands, LGBTQIA+ lifestyles are a strict no-no in Malaysia. As one pious commenter argued, he cannot support such gay unions as it was strictly prohibited in Islam.
No hate or judgement is directed towards the original poster but merely sharing what his religion has taught him. – Aug 4, 2026
