Malaysian Gay Pastor Remains a Rebel

Though he now lives in New York and is engaged to be married, 41-year-old Reverend Ouyang Wen Feng is still riling up Malaysia.

The tattooed religious leader, who opened a gay-friendly church in his country, frequently returns to Malaysia, and he told Agence France-Presse last week that gays need to come out.

"When society discriminates against gay people, you only push gay people into the closet," he told AFP while in Hong Kong to launch a new book on gays and Christianity. "When gay people stay in the closet, people don't know what is gay or homosexuality and because of ignorance they keep discriminating and that will perpetuate prejudice."

Feng runs a small church outside Kuala Lampur, where gay congregants join in the services. Feng faces intense opposition from other religious leaders in Malaysia, a majority Muslim nation. In Malaysia sodomy is punishable by 20 years in prison, and gay-friendly bars are frequently raided.

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