LBQ women's struggle for the right to their own bodies
In much of Southeast Asia, lesbian, bisexual and queer (LBQ) women live in the shadow of laws, religious norms and deeply rooted patriarchal structures. To be a woman, and a queer woman at that, is to live in an environment where access to basic healthcare is scarce and the right to one's own body is constantly questioned.
RFSU’s partner organisation Asia Feminist LBQ Network just recently published the report “Queering Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights in Southeast Asia : An examination of LBQ+ realities in the Malay Archipelago". It paints a picture of how religion, gender identity and sexuality create a dangerous cocktail of discrimination and violence.
‘We documented cases where lesbians were subjected to corrective rape because society sees them as deviant and in need of “correction”,’ says Jean Chong from Asia Feminist LBQ Network. ‘One of the women in the study became pregnant after being subjected to such an assault, but when she sought an abortion, she was met with shame and denial of care. She was eventually forced to have an illegal abortion that damaged her health.‘
In countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, where homosexual acts are criminalised and religious laws prevail, many LBQ women live in constant fear.
‘In our survey, we saw that there are organised groups that offer to rape lesbian women to ‘help them’ become heterosexual. They even advertise their services online,’ says Jean Chong.
A failing health care system
It's not just about violence and oppression in the home or on the street, but also about a health care system that refuses to recognise the needs of LBQ women.
‘Many LBQ women are afraid to seek gynaecological care for fear of discrimination, and when they do, they are often misinformed or denied basic tests such as pap smears, Jean explains.
The report also reveals that LBQ women often fall through the cracks in sex education and prevention programmes. They are not included in the heteronormative public health template or in STI prevention, which mainly targets gay men. The same pattern applies to abortion care. Although abortion is legal in countries like Indonesia, many women are denied the right to a safe abortion because health services assume they do not need it.
Even within the LGBTI movement, abortion is an invisible issue.
‘There is a reluctance to talk about the fact that some LBQ women also have sex with men and may therefore also need abortion care,’ says Jean. ‘We want to raise the profile of SRHR for all, to show that LBQ women have the same need for STI testing and abortion as other women.
The fight for change
Asia Feminist LBQ Network actively works to raise awareness and challenge societal structures. They organise workshops where LBQ women can learn about their rights and get support, while also working with international actors to influence policy at regional level.
‘We see more people starting to use our language, more movements starting to talk about sexual and reproductive rights for LBQ women. There is still a long way to go, but we are on our way,’ says Jean.
Through research, education and activism, Asia Feminist LBQ Network hopes that the future will offer a world where women - regardless of sexuality - have the right to control their own bodies.
‘We are only at the beginning of our work, but we will not stop until LBQ women have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else,’ Jean Chong concludes.
Text: Ulrika Hammar
Photo: Asia Feminist LBQ Network