‘Two gay men forced to hide our identities to make our voices heard’: Malaysian LGBT podcast hosts on being queer in a conservative society
- Hosts of Kunyit Squared, an LGBT-themed podcast in socially conservative Malaysia, explore what it means to be gay in a country where homosexuality is illegal
- The duo, who remain anonymous for fear of reprisals, talk about their hopes for the future
“One episode that stands out to this day involved an interview with a person who participated in chemsex,” the Malaysian podcast host known as J says when asked about memorable moments from the Kunyit Squared podcast, which has now lasted for two seasons.
“Hearing about their experiences was profound. It solidified my belief that while chemsex [having sex while under the influence of drugs] is addictive, people won’t stop if they are told to not do drugs.”
Fellow host V adds that even though chemsex is mainly an issue in the gay community, the lessons apply to anyone who wishes to understand drug addiction.
V and J – the pair have never revealed their full names out of fear of repercussions – launched Kunyit Squared in 2018 as the first podcast in Malaysia dealing the with the gay experience.
“The gay experience is multifaceted and is pretty wild behind closed doors,” V told the Post. “In the beginning we wanted to normalise these experiences, but then we realised we also had a platform to raise awareness about serious issues such as HIV and sexism on dating apps.”
