Yet another Baha'i community taking an anti-Gay stance, this time Lady Gaga is the target for her new song "Born This Way".

Here is the link :

http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/print.cfm?NewsID=77487

They should call it the Bahai Office for the Advancement of Women and The Oppression of Gays! I think the following is their website: http://www.bahai.org.sg/local_boaw.html

If so, I plan to write them a little email. Folks, as LGBT people stand up more and more worldwide to the centuries of oppression wether blatant or more subtle (as the Bahai community is doing currently), we are going to see more and more homophobes in the Bahai commuity make statements such as this Young Su Sien person.

So why should we care if we live comfortable, free lives in the Western world? Because that poor young gay person living in the Bahai community in Malaysia may be thinking of ending his or her life because of homophobes like this person. They need to know that they are NOT alone.

Peyam,

Thanks for the link. Why should Baha'is take a stand on a pop song that promotes being true to yourself? Why not single out pop songs that promote pre-marrital sex, under age sex, drug use, materialism, violence towards women? Oh wait , it is because in most Baha'i communities LGBT people are treated like we are inferior and lack morality, versus the upright heterosexuals...

YEah Sean. ESPECIALLY the abundance of songs that promote materialism. It's a lot harder to protest when they have to protest themselves!

Happy Birthday Lady GaGa ! ......

Don't tell me Malaysia censors songs that promote violence towards women and sleeping around ?

If a young woman named Stephanie aka Lady Gaga can help to prevent even one more senseless suicide or ruined life in the name of being a "misfit" by sending a positive message of worthiness and love ....well, she's got my vote. Outrageous as the visuals may be....the point is being made and kids are feeling better about who they are. A good place to begin a spiritual awakening.

Maureen, Pey & Sean...thanks... like Madonna, she is outrageous, but she brings attention to something that clmer/conservative forms of discussion only add shame...

This opinion out of Malaysia has brought shame to the Baha'i Faith once more over this issue.

ITs a cultural thing more than anything else.
There are gay bars in Malaysia, but its illegal. they imprisoned their own leader for sodomy. He had a wife also.

American Bahais accept homosexuals.
Iranian / Pakistani ones wont.
Its a cultural thing.
Also a generational one.

Good insight , it is a HUGE challenge in the years ahead , and I am sure the Administrative Order knows they have a diverse attitudes out there in regards to this issue. I also see that inter-racial relationships and women's equality to be two other huge issues for many Persian , Arabic, Middle Eastern, Indian, Pakistani, etc. Baha'is as well.

Well, I dont know what the theology of it is, but whatever the House says, it goes.
But I do know in the east when Moslem men became Bahais if they had two wives they were advised NOT to divorce theiir second wife but to keep both wives and treat them fairly.

Its not as black and white as [you cannot be a practicing homosexual Bahai] as it looks. I think its possible to fudge it [hes my flatmate].....

I mean, basically Im a Bahai -- a follower of Bahaullah for myself. believe in his station. period.

sweetboy why must it be a "cultural thing"? I don't buy that excuse. If Iranian Bahais were racists and European ones were not, would we just shrug our shoulders and say "oh well, it's a cultural thing, then can't do anything about it." Hell no! It is a BAHAI tihng. As long as the Bahai administrative order sets the tone that gays can change their sexuality then you will have idiots like this woman helping protest a Lady Gaga song in Malaysia. THis isn't about Lady Gaga, it isn't even about this one ignorant, homophobic person in Malaysia. This is about the 9 elected men who set the tone for the Bahai world. If they want to continue feeding people like this individual with their homophobic propaganda, then we just want to make sure the world knows. Now, do I believe they have the ultimate authority in the Bahai Faith? Yep! Do I believe that they are directly speaking on behalf of Almighty God and can't make any mistakes, NOPE! Am I still a Bahai, you betcha! :)

Female circumcision is a cultural thing... yet it doesn't seem to be accepted by the Baha'i community, anywhere that I am aware of. However allowing homophobes to speak out in the name of the religion does seem acceptable... shame!

Dear All,

No matter how devoted and fine the
love may be between people of the same sex, to let it find expression
in sexual acts is wrong. Immorality of every sort is
really forbidden by Bahá'u'lláh, and homosexual relationships
He looks upon as such, besides being against nature.

(Baha'u'llah, Synopsis and Codification of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 64)

Dearest Hoe-ever you are...

I cannot for the life of me understand your motive. If you would kindly spend some time and read the postings and stories here you might notice that the quote you shared is most likely the first place most of went to.

I am sure you mean well, but really...

As a Baha'i,I don't agree that you should ban something just because you don't agree with it.It reminds me of how
Iranian govt. ban the Baha'i faith just because they don't agree or like it.