A Malaysian newspaper faces backlash for publishing guidelines on identifying gay and lesbian individuals. In Malaysia, homosexuality is illegal and carries severe penalties, including lengthy prison sentences, caning, fines, and deportation for foreigners. The newspaper named Sinar (Sai-nar) Harian (Har-ian), provided bullet points to help readers identify gay men and lesbians. It claimed that gay men often have beards, wear branded clothes, and visit the gym not for exercise but to admire other men. The article also suggested that gay men's eyes light up at the sight of attractive men, while lesbians can be identified by behaviors such as hugging, holding hands, and speaking negatively about men. Malaysian YouTuber Arwind (Arr-Wind) Kumar criticized the publication. He also mentioned knowing many priests and religious people who keep beards. He asks if the government calls them gay now. But LGBTQ+ hatred is not new for Malaysian people. Human rights organizations label Malaysia as highly anti-LGBTQ+. The Global Trans Rights Index ranks Malaysia as the second most anti-trans nation. A 2013 poll revealed 86% disapproval of homosexuality in Malaysia. Last year itself, two members of the British rock band The 1975 shared a kiss on stage during a music festival in Malaysia and this led to the cancellation of the rest of the event. While neighboring Thailand is making astonishing progress in LGBTQ+ rights, this small Southeast Asian country has a long long way to go. #Queer Up The USA View