We wish to offer belated condolences to the friends and family of Yuki Vivienne Choe, a conversion therapy survivor and lesbian trans woman who took time to write for Ex-Gay Watch 12 years ago while advocating for LGBTQ rights in her home country of Malaysia.
Yuki died of a heart attack in September. She was 44.
Just two years ago, Yuki was named one of Malaysia’s best-known ex-gay survivors, and four years ago she was noted as one of Malaysia’s best-known trans advocates.
Yuki identified as post-Christian. Amid global harassment of LGBTQ people and Muslims, Yuki saw a need to identify common ground last year — a cause close to my own heart:
Do you know, homosexuality and gender variance actually existed long before religion did, and at those times, no one bothered them, because they are recognized as part of the diversity of what makes us human? Do you know that back in the beginning of Islam, the civilization was responsible for the advancements of science and mathematics, giving birth to algorithms and alchemy, and world leaders in philosophy? How wonderful life could be if we live and let live, and progress. Unfortunately, it is so much easier to hate, than to love one another.
For fun, Yuki was active on the Kuala Lumpur pub quiz circuit. She also proctored International Quizzing Association/World Quizzing Championship events. In 2017 she volunteered for the Asia-Pacific Quizzing Championships held at Sid’s pub in Kuala Lumpur.
Yuki’s blog is located at yukishock.blogspot.com. She had many friends on Facebook.