Last month, police in the Malaysian state of Kelantan arrested more than 20 men who allegedly attended a private gathering for gay men at a rented bungalow in the village of Kampung Kemumin. Authorities claimed the men were suspected of intending to engage in “immoral activities.”
At a July 19 press briefing, Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said the raid followed a public tip about the mid-June event, which led officers to form a special task force to investigate. The gathering, he said, was a closed-door event promoted on social media and charged an entry fee.
Police said the early morning raid turned up condoms and HIV medication, which, according to Mohd Yusoff, suggested the men may have intended to engage in same-sex relations. No sexual activity was observed during the raid, however.
Mohd Yusoff claimed the men, aged 20 to 30 and from various professions, admitted to being part of a gay group. One attendee allegedly offered sexual services and tested positive for HIV. All were fully clothed and described as “manly” in appearance, which police noted meant they were not in violation of local laws against cross-dressing. Authorities believe over 100 men attended the event in total.
Police said they found pornographic videos on the phones of three attendees, who were later charged with possession of obscene materials.
The raid was the first of its kind in Kelantan, a conservative state ruled by the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party since 1990, where 95% of the population is Malay Muslim.
“It is too early to assess the full extent of their activities,” Mohd Yussof said. “Police will continue to monitor the movements of gay groups such as this, as we fear they are becoming more active and brazen.”
In an Instagram post, the LGBT rights group Justice for Sisters (JFS), supported by a coalition of 31 non-governmental organizations, said the event was mischaracterized by police and media, leading to threats against LGBTQ individuals.
JFS described the gathering as a health outreach event offering HIV-related information, condoms, and voluntary testing. According to the post, the event began at 8 p.m. with talks led by medical professionals and was winding down by midnight. About 20 attendees remained to await test results. No one was there to provide or solicit sexual services.
The post also stated that attendees were not charged a fee and that the event was not promoted on social media. Although police alleged drug use, JFS said urine tests showed none of the arrested men tested positive for narcotics.
The coalition called on police to correct the record.
Under Malaysian law, sodomy, same-sex relations, and cross-dressing are criminal offenses. The Muslim-majority country operates a dual legal system, with Islamic law applied to Muslims alongside civil law.
Malaysian authorities have increasingly cracked down on what they view as expressions or events supporting same-sex relations. According to JFS and Amnesty International, LGBTQ content made up nearly half of all publications banned in Malaysia between 2020 and May 2025.
In 2023, Malaysian authorities shut down a music festival after the frontman of British band The 1975 kissed a male bandmate onstage and criticized the country’s anti-LGBTQ laws. The band was later fined $2.6 million for breach of contract.
Five years earlier, two women were publicly caned in a courtroom after being convicted of attempting to engage in lesbian sex.
Advocates say the Kelantan raid is part of a broader trend of policing LGBTQ spaces under the guise of morality enforcement. They warn that mischaracterizing health events as criminal gatherings not only undermines public health but further endangers LGBTQ communities already at risk of violence and discrimination.
A New Orleans teenager was assaulted and robbed of his phone and sunglasses by a man who allegedly yelled homophobic slurs during the attack.
DeShan Joseph Jr., 18, was walking home past Louis Armstrong Park in the French Quarter around 6:30 p.m. on June 11 when the attack occurred, according to the New Orleans Police Department.
Joseph, who is gay, believes the man also tried to sexually assault him by attempting to pull down his pants, Kim Joseph, the victim’s mother, told The New Orleans Advocate.
Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón, a Republican and member of the New Progressive Party, has signed what is now the strictest law in the United States prohibiting doctors from providing gender-affirming care to anyone under the age of 21, with steep penalties for violations.
The law imposes a $50,000 fine and up to 15 years in prison for each violation by health care professionals who provide gender-affirming care to minors and young adults. Offenders would also lose their medical licenses and permits and would be permanently barred from practicing medicine in Puerto Rico, reports The Hill.
State has 10 days to ban transgender athletes from girls’ teams or risk losing federal education funding, under a Title IX ultimatum from the Education Department.
The Trump administration has issued an ultimatum to the California Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation, demanding they ban transgender athletes from competing on girls' sports teams.
In a June 25 announcement, the U.S. Department of Education said California’s policy allowing transgender girls to compete on girls' teams violates Title IX, the 1972 law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in federally funded educational institutions.
The department also proposed a resolution requiring California to bar transgender athletes from girls' sports teams and revoke any records, titles, or awards they’ve received. It further calls on the state to send personalized apology letters to female athletes who were denied honors or recognition after being displaced by a transgender competitor.
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