IHT.com – The Associated Press
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Transsexuals are gaining more acceptance in mostly Muslim Malaysia, a well-known transsexual said Tuesday, a little more than a year after she held a high-profile but controversial wedding with an accountant.
Jessie Chung, an ethnic Chinese Malaysian who had sex-change surgery in 2003, said her country’s transsexuals are “luckier than those in some other places” because anti-discrimination campaigns by nongovernment groups have helped to change the way in which many people view them.
“I know this because when I walk down the street, strangers who recognize me often approach me with encouraging words,” Chung told reporters. “Our society is becoming more open-minded.”
Chung, a Christian in her 30s who was born male, made national headlines by becoming the first transsexual to have a public wedding, on Nov. 12, 2005. She married accountant Joshua Beh in front of 800 guests in a ceremony conducted by independent church pastors.