Muslim Official Says Working Too Hard Can Turn People Gay
Zulkifli Hasan, Malaysia’s minister for religious affairs, said Tuesday that workplace stress can influence people’s sexual behavior, comments that drew widespread criticism and mockery online.
In a written response submitted to the Parliament of Malaysia, Zulkifli listed “work stress” among several factors he claimed could contribute to LGBT behavior. He was responding to a question from opposition lawmaker Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff, according to reporting by the South China Morning Post.
“Societal influence, sexual experiences, work stress and other personal factors come under this category [of possible causes],” Zulkifli wrote in the parliamentary reply, as cited by the newspaper. The report also noted that he referred to a 2017 study he called “Sulaiman et al,” which he said suggested those factors “can contribute to the increase in LGBT acts.” The publication did not include the full text of his response.
Earlier in the week, Zulkifli made similar remarks during a televised interview, according to the Bangkok Post. In that appearance, he argued that exhaustion from overwork can “dominate” the mind and “potentially” lead to changes in sexual orientation.
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