The Pride House Podcast

Speaking up and Commonwealth sport in SE Asia: Theresa Goh, Amazin LeThi and Numan Afifi

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Episode notes

When para swimmer Theresa Goh came out publicly via the media after a career in which she had competed at two Commonwealth Games and won a Paralympics medal, she was truly blazing a trail for Asian LGBTQ+ athletes.

Goh shared her truth in 2017 in an interview with the biggest newspaper in her homeland of Singapore, one of three Commonwealth countries with coastlines onto the South China Sea. Malaysia and Brunei are the others - all retain colonial-era laws put in place during British rule that criminalise same-sex intimacy.

On the fifth episode of the Pride House Podcast, Goh joins Pride House Ambassador and fellow athlete activist Amazin LeThi and the Malaysian equality campaigner Numan Afifi for a conversation with host Jon Holmes about fighting for change in the region in the face of contrasting levels of discrimination.

Goh carries what she describes as “a pretty unique set of labels” and she talks through her passion for an intersectional approach to advocacy. She says that, in Singapore, Section 377A - the part of the penal code that makes sex between male adults illegal - may not be stringently enforced but it contributes to an ongoing climate of stigma and discrimination.

She also explains why she wanted to be visible for more than just her sport and offers suggestions for how Pride House can make an impact on podiums at Birmingham 2022.

Amazin says these Games offer “the perfect platform” for detailed discussions about specific forms of inclusion, such as for Asian LGBTQ+ athletes, and explains how “the power of storytelling” can make a difference.

Numan describes the worsening situation in Malaysia with regards to hate speech and urges sports personalities competing at the Games to raise their voices as allies.

Follow the links for more info. If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know!

Theresa Goh on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wheelie_wonka/

Amazin LeThi on Twitter - https://twitter.com/amazinlethi

Numan Afifi on Twitter - https://twitter.com/NumanAfifi

Pride House Birmingham - https://pridehousebham.org.uk/

Music credit: Song: MusicbyAden - Freedom. Music provided by Vlog No Copyright Music. Creative Commons - Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported. Video Link: https://youtu.be/AUQE67tap_E