Introduction Debates centring the relationship between gender and sexuality, religion, and the politics of identity widely pervade existing literature. The politics of identity focuses on the ways in which people 's politics may be shaped by aspects of their identity such as race, class, religion, gender, and sexuality. This paper looks at the aspects of gender, sexuality and religion, and through our research and fieldwork, we put forward that the interplay between gender, sexuality, religion, and the politics of identity is subject to the individual and is relative to his or her environment. We argue that individuals are active agents who are able to negotiate the boundaries that are set upon them, and the way an individual is able to navigate spaces that enforce structure or enable agency is implicative of the interplay between gender, sexuality, religion, and the politics of identity. Gender, Sexuality and the Politics of Identity The patterns of relatively high autonomy and economic importance of …show more content…
In most Southeast Asian countries, religion plays a big part in preserving culture and tradition and is integral to social cohesion. In many parts of the region, religion is also closely linked with an individual’s race thus further enhancing the role religion plays in culture and the community. For example, Malays and Indonesians, and Indians see Islam and Hinduism as symbiotic to their race and culture. The same goes for Buddhists in Thailand and Burma. Converts are rare because of a fear of being an outcast in their society and abandoned by their family. Through this we can see how religion is necessary in shaping one’s identity and losing it would mean an inability to identify with that particular race or culture. Religion is not just a way of life but it determines identity, familial ties and your place in the