Criminalised by the state and targeted by vigilantes, Malaysia’s LGBT community faces rampant persecution. Thi Laga, a co-founder of rights group Justice for Sisters, has become a leading figure in the fightback

In September, in a case that made headlines around the world, two women in Malaysia were caned for attempting to have sex in a car. It should have been the cue for a fundamental re-evaluation of British colonial era laws dating back to 1860. Instead, Malaysia’s draconian stance on sexual relations was this week underscored by the decision of a court in the same state to sentence another woman to caning after she pleaded guilty to a charge of prostitution.

Against this background, Thi Laga, whose gender identity and sexual orientation had led to discrimination, helped to found Justice for Sisters, a grassroots advocacy group for the LGBT community. Here, Thi Laga talks to Lucy Lamble about the nature and scale of the issue and the challenges facing campaigners.

Subscribe via Acast, Apple Podcasts Audioboom, Soundcloud, Mixcloud & Sticher. Join the discussion on Facebook and Twitter and email us at podcasts@theguardian.com