How to Spot Gay People? Malaysia Newspaper Has List

A top newspaper in Malaysia has produced a guide on spotting homosexuals on the street. It may sound nuts, but the Guardian has some of the tips from the daily Sinar Harian. Gay men, it seems, are partial to facial hair and branded clothing, "like to wear tight clothes to show off their six-pack abs," and frequent the gym not only to work out but to watch other men work out. Lesbians, on the other hand, are always hugging each other, holding hands, and saying bad things about men. Got it? As you might expect, the list is being ridiculed far and wide and might be funnier if not for one thing: Homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia and punishable by an old colonial law of up to 20 years in prison, notes the Washington Post.

Advocates are worried the list may set off anti-gay violence in a nation known for it. Last year, for instance, an 18-year-old student was burned to death by classmates who suspected him of being gay. “If you really want to educate society then explain to them the traits of a pedophile, a molester, a murderer, a kidnapper, people who actually endanger the lives of others," says one of the nation's biggest social media stars, Arwind Kumar, in a YouTube video. "How the hell does a gay person endanger your life?” (Also last year, Disney had to pull Beauty and the Beast from Malaysia over a "gay moment.")