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Ethical Reporting Guide on LGBTIQ and Gender Diverse People

“Balik Pangkal Jalan” – The harm of conversion practices.

Resources

Media practitioners can be important allies to LGBTIQ and gender diverse people. Reporting that is fact-based and uses LGBTIQ affirming language can reduce some of the harmful impacts on LGBTIQ and gender diverse people in Malaysia.

On this page you will find:

Why Ethical Reporting Matters

An online survey on the impact of Covid-19 and anti-LGBT narratives in Malaysia asked respondents about the impact of media sensationalism on LGBTIQ+ people. The survey found

33%

reported direct discrimination or violence, with 20% experiencing multiple incidents

20%

experienced increased anti-LGBT conversations at home, family chat groups or among family members.

55%

experienced increased mental health stress

Another survey asked respondents about the impact of LGBT change or ex-LGBT stories had on them. It found that

25%

of respondents felt pressured to change their SOGIE

33%

reported others have used such media narratives to pressure or encourage them to change their SOGIE.

One respondent shared

“It does not pressure me to change my identity completely, however, it does pressure me to continue pretending to be straight, as these narratives have convinced many that it’s effective to “cure” the LGBTQ.”

These responses show a link between harmful media narratives and harm experienced by LGBTIQ+ people. It underscores the need for responsible, fact-based and non-discriminatory media reporting.

Media Checklist

When reporting on LGBTIQ issues, here is a checklist to keep in mind: 

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  • Use respectful terminologies and non-stigmatising language to refer or describe to LGBTIQ people. Avoid stigmatising language and pejorative terms such as songsang, pondan, lelaki berpakaian wanita and so on.

  • Use accurate and affirming terms and pronouns for LGBTIQ and gender-diverse persons. You can make it easier by introducing your own name and pronouns before asking them for theirs. It’s also considered a good practice to include your pronouns in your business cards and emails. “They/them” are also valid pronouns.
  • Avoid misgendering and/or using names as per legal documents for trans, intersex and gender diverse people. 
  • Avoid stereotypes, sensationalism and clickbait reporting. For example, LGBTIQ people are deviants, all trans women are sex workers, LGBTQ people are a threat to culture and religion.   

Example:

[in conversations]
My name is Ahmad Albab, and my pronouns are He/Him. What are your name and pronouns?

[for emails or business cards] 
Ahmad Albab (He/Him)

Example on non-discrimination

Dua remaja UK berdepan hukuman bunuh pondan gadis transgender

Febuari 2, 2024 @ 11:16pm

Orang ramai menghadiri majilis cahaya lilin untuk mengenang Brianna Ghey pada Febuari tahun lalu di College Green, Bristol. Foto – REUTERS

MANCHESTER: Seorang hakim di United Kingdom (UK) mengambil langkah yang jarang dilakukan apabila mendedahkan identiti dua juvana di mahkamah selepas mereka disabitkan bersalah membunuh seorang gadis transgender berusia 16 tahun dalam serangan pisau “menggila dan ganas”.​

  • The neutral term gadis transgender is used in place of the slur. 

The use of discriminatory terms in the headline downplays the tragic crimes against trans people. Headlines are also the first thing a reader sees and may be the only thing they read. It is especially important to avoid using sensationalist and discriminatory language in headlines. The article goes on to use the term “gadis transgender”, which is appropriate and neutral. Reporting should strive to be consistent.

How to increase ethical reporting:

Changing the headline from using a discriminatory term to ‘gadis transgender’, an accurate term, focuses on the hate crime that was committed. It is also less distressing to the family of the victim.

  • Avoid non-consensual dissemination of personal information (name/location/socials etc),
  • Avoid outing or disclosure of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sexual characteristics (SOGIESC) without a person’s consent, including revealing trans and non-binary people’s legal documents.

Example on protecting privacy

Nur Sajat kini pemegang kad UNHCR

24 September 2021, 12:51 pm

Abd. Jalil menunjukkan salinan kad UNHCR milik Nur Sajat di IPD Gombak hari ini.- Foto AMIR KHALID

GOMBAK – Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) hari ini mengedarkan salinan kad pelarian Suruhanjaya Tinggi Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu Bagi Pelarian (UNHCR) milik usahawan kosmetik, [REDACTED DEAD NAME] atau lebih dikenali sebagai Nur Sajat.

  • The image has been blurred to protect the privacy of the individual.

This article about Nur Sajat’s status as a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) card holder includes a picture of the document and discloses’s her deadname.

How to increase ethical reporting:

  • blur the UNCHR or any form of personal details to avoid violation of privacy
  • avoid misgendering and disclosing trans people’s deadname. Only use the person’s chosen or lived name, where necessary

Example on destigmatisation

Lima kena tuduh berkait kegiatan tidak bermoral ekoran serbuan di pusat spa lelaki

Raja Noraina Raja Rahim - Mac 17, 2026 @ 4:23pm

Foto hiasan

KUALA LUMPUR: Lima individu termasuk dua pengarah pusat spa lelaki di Chow Kit, dihadapkan secara berasingan di Mahkamah Majistret di sini, hari ini berkait kegiatan tidak bermoral atau songsang semasa serbuan pada November tahun lalu.

Kesemua tertuduh iaitu pengarah syarikat, [NAME REDACTED] , 59 dan [NAME REDACTED], 70; [NAME REDACTED], 63; [NAME REDACTED], 19 serta [NAME REDACTED], 44, bagaimanapun mengaku tidak bersalah terhadap pertuduhan masing-masing di hadapan Majistret S Arunjothy; Noorelyna Hanim Halim serta Illi Marisqa Khalizan.

Mengikut pertuduhan, [NAME REDACTED] dan [NAME REDACTED] didakwa membenarkan aktiviti tidak bermoral di dalam premis selain aktiviti perniagaan yang dinyatakan dalam lesen.

Mereka dituduh melakukan kesalahan itu di sebuah premis di Jalan Ipoh Kecil, Chow Kit di sini, kira-kira jam 8 malam pada 28 November 2025.

  • Names have been redacted to protect the privacy of the individuals.

This report on a court case about a raid on a men’s spa describes the defendants as engaging in “kegiatan tidak bermoral atau songsang” (immoral or deviant activities) in the article and in its headline. 

using “kegiatan tidak bermoral” implies people are inherently immoral. They reinforce layers of stigma and discrimination against LGBTQ people. 

The article lacks brief critical analysis or additional context on trends and prosecution. These elements are often included toward the end of articles, typically by international media to help readers understand the wider context of the reported news. For example, the report could have

  • connected the Penang case with a similar raid in Kuala Lumpur the previous day, where the magistrate rejected the police’s application for remand. 
  • How there is a trend of decriminalisation of Section 377 A and B in India and Singapore, which penalises consensual carnal intercourse among adults of any gender, as it violates fundamental human rights- the right to non-discrimination, dignity, privacy, and to be free from violence and torture.
  • How there is a trend of decriminalisation of Section 377 A and B in India and Singapore, which penalises consensual carnal intercourse among adults of any gender, as it violates fundamental human rights- the right to non-discrimination, dignity, privacy, and to be free from violence and torture.
  • Add a short legal analysis of the provisions 
    • Sections 377A&B, which criminalise consensual carnal intercourse between people of any gender, violate international human rights law, which calls for states to only criminalise non-consensual sexual acts. JFS’s media monitoring found that Sections 377 A&B are used interchangeably with Section 377C, which explicitly criminalises non-consensual acts, in cases of sexual violence. This raises questions surrounding the rule of law, lack of predictability and arbitrariness in the use of laws.  
    • Section 377D, which penalises “gross indecency”, is used for various non-penetrative sexual acts; however, it also penalises both consensual and non-consensual acts. “Gross indecency” is not clearly defined. In the UK, Section 11 “gross indecency” with men was fully repealed in the 2000s. Along with reforms to anti-sexual violence laws, the term was replaced with gender neutral provisions that criminalise non-consensual acts. Additionally, following the decriminalisation, in 2017 the UK introduced a pardon scheme for gay, bisexual and queer men to formally remove their criminal records. 

How to improve ethical reporting

  • Avoid discriminatory headlines 
  • Assess use of language, especially loaded legal language that can further add stigma to marginalised populations   
  • Avoid using language such as tidak bermoral and songsang in relation to LGBTQ people or related activities 
  • Add context and critical analysis 

Example on protecting privacy and prevention on outing

Pemilik sauna songsang antara 7 didakwa dedahkan jangkitan HIV mengikut Seksyen 12(1), Seksyen 24(a) 

Raja Noraina Raja Rahim - Mac 17, 2026 @ 4:23pm

Pemilik sauna songsang, [NAME AND PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION REDACTED] antara tujuh lelaki yang didakwa di Mahkamah Majistret Bukit Mertajam, hari ini.

BUKIT MERTAJAM – Seorang pemilik pusat sauna didenda RM8,000 oleh Mahkamah Majistret di sini, hari ini atas dua pertuduhan iaitu mendedahkan orang lain kepada risiko jangkitan HIV dan memiliki bahan lucah dalam telefon bimbitnya.

  • Names and physical descriptions have been redacted to protect the privacy of the individuals.

This article outs someone’s HIV status non-consensually, and also includes this information in the headline. Outing and sensationalising of health issues related to LGBTQ people, particularly HIV, adds to the stigma experienced by LGBTQ people. Outing a person’s HIV status can also be detrimental to their job security and overall safety.

How to increase ethical reporting:

  • Remove the mention of HIV from the headline and instead refer to the laws the accused has been charged under.
  • In the body of article, the article could reiterate the laws that the accused is being charged on rather than leading with the disclosure of the accused’s HIV status.
  • Include a reference to how international human rights bodies and experts consider criminalisation of HIV a human rights violation that also undermines HIV prevention and treatment. This could create narrative balance.
  • Include LGBTQ voices without exploitation, shaming, and erasure of their experiences and identities.
  • Include sources that highlight the structural discrimination that leads to criminalisation and vilification that create barriers to opportunities for marginalised populations. Such barriers may result in LGBTIQ people being pushed into industries considered immoral such as sex work rather than being inherently wayward or morally corrupt. 
  • Ensure that the visuals and stories published are ones that do not reinforce stereotypes or disempower LGBTQ people. For example, a trans woman applying makeup on her face or a trans woman in men’s clothing in a mosque (depicting “repentance”).
  • Avoiding false balance.That is, presenting both sides as equal though one side may be less credible/lack evidence for its claims.

You can reach out to LGBTIQ+ groups and/or NGOs in Malaysia for their expertise and to help identify other experts. Contact info@justiceforsisters.org

Example on representation with dignity

Bekas mak nyah kini hidup ‘dikelilingi’ batu nisan, keranda Seorang wanita trans pulang ke kampung halaman untuk menghasilkan batu nisan dan keranda.

1 November 2023, 8:07 am

[REDACTED DEADNAME] Seorang wanita trans menyiapkan tempahan keranda di Kampung Kastam, Alor Setar, Kedah. – UTUSAN/JAMLIAH ABDULLAH

ALOR SETAR: Tiada yang lebih diinginkan oleh seorang lelaki yang merupakan bekas mak nyah setelah pulang ke pangkal jalan melainkan untuk terus beristiqamah dan berharap taubatnya diterima.

ALOR SETAR: Setelah menetap selama 15 tahun di Kuala Lumpur, seorang wanita trans kembali ke kampung halamannya untuk menempuh jalan hidup yang jarang dipilih khalayak ramai. 

  • The headline reinforces stereotypes that LGBTQ people must repent.
  • The article refers to the subject as “bekas mak nyah” (former trans woman) and as a man without providing a wider context of the pressures on LGBTQ to hide or renounce their identities.

This article about a trans woman who has detransitioned frames this decision as a positive one.

How to increase ethical reporting:

  • Do not use the person’s full name and do not use identifying photos.
  • Include an expert opinion about the structural barriers to a dignified life faced by trans people in Malaysia.
  • Do not frame detransitioning as a positive act of repentance.
  • Fact check harmful practices and narratives such as conversion or “balik ke pangkal jalan” that have been normalised within Malaysia, but are condemned globally. This resource provides more information about the harm of conversion practices.
  • Ensure the accuracy of LGBTQ-related facts and information published in the media. For example, the notion that LGBTQ people can be changed is harmful misinformation that is often published unchecked or unchallenged.  
  • Find relevant and credible experts when reporting on LGBTQ issues.

Example on uncritically publishing or broadcasting statements

Stres dengan kerja mungkin salah satu punca terjebak LGBT

Zaf Seraj, Mohamad Al As

Dr Zulkifli Hasan EIZAIRI SHAMSUDIN

Kuala Lumpur: Tekanan kerja mungkin menjadi salah satu punca individu terjebak dalam komuniti lesbian, gay, biseksual dan transgender (LGBT), kata Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Hal Ehwal Agama), Dr Zulkifli Hasan.

Merujuk kepada sebuah kajian tahun 2017, beliau menyatakan bahawa pengaruh sosial, pengalaman seksual, dan faktor peribadi lain turut mempengaruhi seseorang terbabit dengan LGBT.

“Mengenai faktor-faktor yang menyumbang kepada isu berkaitan LGBT, antaranya seperti yang ditunjukkan dalam kajian oleh Sulaiman et al. (2017), terdapat pelbagai faktor yang mempengaruhi penglibatan individu dalam gaya hidup LGBT.

“Pengaruh sosial, pengalaman seksual, tekanan berkaitan kerja dan faktor peribadi lain mempengaruhi individu untuk tergolong dalam kategori ini.

  • The headline makes the minister’s quote appear as a fact.

An article that presents a minister’s remarks about work stress as a determinant to a person’s sexuality is presented as fact.

How to increase ethical reporting:

  • Make it clear that it is a quote from the minister’s remarks in Parliament.
  • Journalists should fact check the quoted study and provide context about the validity and reliability of said study.
  • Providing a quote from an accredited expert and/or an LGBTQ organisation about LGBTQ identity could provide further context for readers.

Assess if it is necessary to disclose  a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity and health status. Such disclosure must not violate an individual’s privacy. In the context of Malaysia, LGBTIQ people are criminalised and discriminated against. Disclosing such information is likely to violate an individual’s privacy without serving public interest. Reporting on crime is generally considered to be in the public interest. However in Malaysia, where LGBTIQ identities themselves are criminalised, reporting on charges related to people’s gender identities and sexualities has little public interest value. It is important to note that criminalisation of consensual acts is not a crime. The victims of criminalisation are the prosecuted individuals. 

Avoid violations of privacy and dignity.  For example, chasing LGBTIQ people facing persecution because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or due aspects of their identities in court for photos and video footage. 

https://www.nuj.org.uk/resource/nuj-guidelines-on-lgbt–reporting.html

Example ethical pursuit

Jurujual berpakaian, berkelakuan seperti wanita didakwa Jurujual didakwa di bawah Seksyen 33 Enakmen Kesalahan Jenayah Syariah Terengganu

Januari 14, 2026 @ 12:21pm

KUALA TERENGGANU: Seorang jurujual sebuah kedai permainan dihadapkan ke Mahkamah Tinggi Syariah Terengganu di sini, hari ini atas pertuduhan berpakaian dan berkelakuan seperti wanita. dibawah Seksyen 33 Enakmen Kesalahan Jenayah Syriah Terengganu, Seksyen tersebut mengkriminalikan wanita trans yang memakai pakaian wanita. 

Tertuduh, [REDACTED DEAD NAME], 33, yang juga dikenali sebagai [NAME REDACTED] bagaimanapun mengaku tidak bersalah sejurus pertuduhan dibacakan terhadapnya di hadapan Hakim Syarie Hamidi Shafie.

  • The headline could be amended to the specific section of the law that the accused is charged under.

  • The featured video clearly shows reporters engaging in persistent pursuit.

  • The individual’s deadname and name have been redacted to protect the person’s privacy.

This article features a video that violates the privacy of the accused. The disclosure of the person’s legal name and the name she goes by risk affecting both her safety and job security.

How to increase ethical pursuit:

  • Use an interview with the lawyer instead of pursuing the accused. An interview with the lawyer explaining the charges has more public interest value than footage of the accused trying to evade reporters.

  • Do not include the accused’s deadname or the name they use.

Disclosure of personal information can result in increased risks such as job loss, violence and harassment. For example, publishing details as per legal documents.

A non-human rights based reporting of criminalised populations and acts can exacerbate stigma, discrimination and violence against LGBTQ people. “I’m Scared to Be a Woman”, a report by Human Rights Watch includes Beka’s account, a trans woman who was fired after her arrest at an event was reported in the media, despite her face being blurred. 

“Because of that I lost my job. [My arrest] was published in the newspaper, with a blur on my face, but my statement was there. … My colleagues at work spread around the story. My manager got the newspaper, and he said, ‘I don’t agree with that.’ My manager knew I was a mak nyah , but he was upset that I was in the paper, so he fired me.”

Learn more about criminalisation and discrimination faced by LGBTIQ and gender diverse people in Malaysia.

Good Practices

Media practitioners can incorporate the following practices into their reporting to create more accurate and fair portrayals of LGBTIQ+ communities in Malaysia.

  • Reach out to LGBTIQ organisations, advocacy groups, and relevant experts for their opinions – this allows for balanced reporting
  • Consider regularly featuring expert opinions in your publication or platform
  • Compare domestic developments on queer issues with global progress on similar issues

You can reach out to LGBTIQ+ groups and/or NGOs in Malaysia for their expertise and to help identify other experts. Contact info@justiceforsisters.org

While the report does feature quotes from the religious authorities it also highlights local NGOs’ response to the book and a report by an international expert that notes Malaysia practices systemic discrimination towards queer people. The article also compares Malaysia’s use of conversion practices with global developments by listing countries where the practices have been challenged or banned. It also states that these practices are “widely seen by the medical and scientific community as potentially harmful and a form of pseudoscience.” Together, these elements create balanced reporting on the issue of conversion practices.

Jakim-endorsed LGBT conversion therapy ‘app’ yanked off Google Play Store

First Published: Thursday, 17 Mar 2022 9:51 PM MYT

An anti-LGBT e-book endorsed by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) has been removed today from the Google Play Store after six years. — Picture via Twitter/Jakim

KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 — An anti-LGBT e-book endorsed by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) has been removed today from the Google Play Store after six years.

Originally published as an app in the store in 2016, it was reportedly removed as the technology giant found the app to have been in breach of its guidelines.

In 2019, local NGOs included the e-book as among evidence of state-sponsored violence & discrimination against LGBT persons in the country.

A May 2020 report by independent expert Victor Madrigal-Borloz to the United Nations’ Human Rights Council noted Malaysia one of several nations globally that implemented measures to curb LGBT activity at the level of public policy.

The report claimed Malaysia had adopted several programmes and plans to curb behaviours perceived as immoral, including same-sex behaviour, and were found to specifically promote practices of ‘conversion therapy’, including through university programmes.

Conversion therapy, which consists of psychological treatment or spiritual counselling to change a person’s sexual orientation from homosexual or bisexual to heterosexual, is widely seen by the medical and scientific community as potentially harmful and a form of pseudoscience.

The practice is opposed and has been legally challenged, or even banned, in countries such as Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Ecuador, Israel, Lebanon, Malta, South Africa, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Glossary of Terms

Using neutral and LGBTIQ+ affirming language in media reporting is one way to combat stigma, harm and media sensationalism of LGBTIQ identities and issues. Below are the appropriate terms to use when referring to LGBTIQ and gender diverse people in both English and Bahasa Malaysia.

Keep in mind that this glossary does not include all terms related to sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression & sex characteristics (SOGIESC). People within the LGBTIQ+ spectrum of identities may also use different terms, and may even reappropriate derogatory language or slurs when referring to themselves or talking about the community at large. Given the power of these terms, it’s important to distinguish between their use by LGBTIQ people and non-LGBTIQ people.

LGBTIQ+ Terminology - English

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LGBTIQ+ terminologi - Bahasa Malaysia

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Respectful vs Discriminatory Terminologies

To describe LGBTIQ and gender diverse people

Untuk merujuk kepada individu LGBTIQ dan pelbagai gender

Yes/Ya

  • LGBTQ identities, 
  • LGBTIQ people, persons or individual
  • individu LGBTQ dan pelbagai gender 
  • golongan LGBTIQ

Not/Bukan

  • LGBT lifestyle
  • budaya / golongan songsang
  • Golongan sejenis 
  • homosexual

To describe trans people

Untuk merujuk kepada individu transgender

Yes/Ya

  • Transgender or trans person, people, individual 
  • Transgender or trans woman or man 
  • Perempuan/Wanita atau Lelaki trans atau transgender 
  • Individu trans

Not/Bukan

  • transvestite
  • Lelaki berperwatakan atau berpakaian perempuan 
  • pondan

To describe intersex people

Untuk merujuk kepada individu intersex

Yes/Ya

  • Intersex people, person or individual 
  • Individu intersex

Not/Bukan

  • Khunsa (outdated) 
  • Hermaphrodite

Translating LGBTIQ related terms to Bahasa Malaysia

English

Gender Diverse

Bahasa Malaysia

Pelbagai Gender

English

Non-Binary

Bahasa Malaysia

Individu bukan binari atau Non-Binary

English

Sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression & sex characteristics (SOGIESC)

Bahasa Malaysia

Orientasi seksual, identiti gender, ciri-ciri seks (SOGIE)

English

Sex

Bahasa Malaysia

Jantina

English

Sexual Orientation

Bahasa Malaysia

Orientasi Seksual