Asia
Nepal gay marriage ‘victory’ hits legal roadblock
Maya Gurung and Surendra Pandey were poised to create history. Maya is a transgender woman but has not changed her gender on official documents. Her partner Surendra is a gay man. They were to be Nepal’s first same-sex couple to legally get married, following an interim order from the country’s Supreme Court that directed the… Read more »
Queer Asia: The collective unearthing Pan-Asian history
Meet the project pushing queer Pan-Asian voices to the forefront, from London to Berlin. Interview Queer Asia, a network and collective of queer-identifying scholars, academics, activists and creatives, has been spotlighting issues affecting LGBTQ+ people – or those belonging to other non-normative sexualities and gender identities – in Asia or Asian diasporas. Set up in… Read more »
LGBTQ+: India’s first Pride march which made history
Pride parades in India today are vibrant affairs, where thousands gather to express themselves and offer support to the queer community. But things were very different in 1999, when the country’s first Pride walk was organised in the eastern state of West Bengal. Journalist Sandip Roy revisits the trailblazing event. On 2 July 1999, Pawan… Read more »
Nepal ordered to recognise same-sex marriage by Supreme Court
The Supreme Court in Nepal has issued an interim order enabling the registration of same-sex marriages, a move which has been described as a “significant step towards marriage equality” in the country. The interim order was issued by the Supreme Court on Wednesday (28 June), asking the government to establish a separate register of marriages… Read more »
Nepal ordered to recognise same-sex marriage by Supreme Court
The Supreme Court in Nepal has issued an interim order enabling the registration of same-sex marriages, a move which has been described as a “significant step towards marriage equality” in the country. The interim order was issued by the Supreme Court on Wednesday (28 June), asking the government to establish a separate register of marriages… Read more »
In the Philippines, a survey shows growing support for gays and lesbians
Manila, Philippines – A sharp majority of Filipinos say they agree that gays and lesbians are trustworthy and contribute to the progress of society, according to a national survey. The survey, conducted in March by the nonprofit social research group Social Weather Stations and released in June — Pride Month in many nations — shows… Read more »
Singapore holds first LGBTQ rally since gay sex decriminalised
Singapore (AFP) – Hundreds of people wearing pink attended Singapore’s annual “Pink Dot” LGBTQ rally on Saturday, the first to be held since the city-state decriminalised gay sex last year. Brandishing rainbow flags and sporting glittery makeup, participants gathered in a downtown park — the only place in Singapore where protests are allowed without a… Read more »
With Rainbow Flags, 2 Students Test China’s Shrinking L.G.B.T.Q. Space
The students at an elite college in China found themselves on a collision course with the authorities amid a crackdown on gay and transgender expression. Karolyn Li still remembers reading the brochure from China’s prestigious Tsinghua University when she was in high school preparing to apply to college. It highlighted a graduate who had co-founded… Read more »
Second thoughts on homosexuality
In his own way, Pope Francis has changed the conversation One of the side effects of democracy is that everyone wants to have his — or her — say. And this is not just in the political life with the right to vote, but in other areas too. In earlier times, a hegemonistic majority might… Read more »
Police bust two ‘gay sextortion gangs’ operating on Grindr dating app; four held
With the arrest of four men in separate operations, the Delhi Police on Friday claimed to have unearthed two ‘gay sextortion gangs’ active in south east Delhi, who used to trap victims using online dating app ‘Grindr’, an official said. The accused were identified as Arun Kumar alias Chotu (22), Vishal Kohli (24), Rajesh Kumar… Read more »
Taiwan: The best LGBTQ+ destinations in one of Asia’s most progressive countries
From gay bars to cafés and book shops, there are countless destinations for the LGBTQ+ community in Taiwan. As the first Asian country to legalise same-sex marriage, Taiwan is known for its progressive LGBTQ+ values. Did you know that Taiwan is the only jurisdiction in Asia – and the Chinese-speaking world, as a matter of… Read more »
Pakistan court rules against trans individuals as contrary to Sharia
In its determination the court found that “the Islamic teachings do not allow individuals to change their gender at their own will Islamabad, Pakistan – The Federal Shariat Court ruled May 19 to enact revocation of sections of the country’s Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, of 2018. According to Pakistan media outlet ARY, the… Read more »
The Religious Right’s Hidden Sway as Japan Trails Allies on Gay Rights
As a G7 summit nears in Hiroshima, Japan is under pressure to show greater support for equality. A national Shinto group has spread a more hostile message. To millions of Japanese, the Shinto faith is not so much a spiritual practice as a cultural one. Every January, crowds gather at shrines to pray for good… Read more »
Taiwan grants right of adoption to same-sex couples in latest move toward full equality
Taipei, Taiwan – Taiwan’s legislature passed a bill Tuesday that granted same-sex couples the right to jointly adopt a child neither of them are related to, clearing one of the final hurdles in achieving full marriage equality. Taiwan in 2019 became the first jurisdiction in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage but it stopped short of… Read more »
Second Japanese court rules same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional
Judge issued ruling in Nagoya In a ruling issued Tuesday, the Nagoya District Court became the second major higher court in the country to rule that the lack of legal recognition of same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. Presiding Judge Osamu Nishimura said more people have become supportive of recognizing same-sex marriage, and the reasoning behind excluding… Read more »
Report on Violations of LGBT People’s Rights in Kazakhstan in 2022
f discrimination by medical professionals, most of which are related to doctors disclosing patients’ personal data. In 2022, ECOM registered more cases of extreme violence against queer people in Kazakhstan compared to previous years, including a case of conversion therapy and the use of cold weapons. The following main barriers were identified in the legal… Read more »
Taiwan: The best LGBTQ+ destinations in one of Asia’s most progressive countries
From gay bars to cafés and book shops, there are countless destinations for the LGBTQ+ community in Taiwan. As the first Asian country to legalise same-sex marriage, Taiwan is known for its progressive LGBTQ+ values. Did you know that Taiwan is the only jurisdiction in Asia – and the Chinese-speaking world, as a matter of… Read more »
Never knew PRIDE like this before – Thailand Pride Festival 2022: Pride for Unity and Diversity
The coalition of Thai LGBTQI groups, a network of individuals and community-based organizations working to advance the human rights of LGBTQI community for decades, hosted the premier Thailand Pride Festival 2022 during 25-27 November 2022 in Bangkok as the annual and national event. Under the concept of “Unity and Diversity”, this festival aims to raise… Read more »
Hong Kong court strikes down ‘unacceptable’ gender law that forces surgery on trans people
Hong Kong’s highest court handed down a landmark ruling that will allow trans people to change their gender on identity cards without undergoing surgery. Trans activist Henry Edward Tse and another trans man, only identified as “Q”, filed a legal challenge in 2019 against the government’s current policy that trans people can only update their… Read more »
Indian government refused to appoint openly gay judge: Supreme Court
New Delhi – India’s government has refused to appoint a senior lawyer as a judge because he is gay and has a foreign partner, the country’s Supreme Court said. New Delhi only decriminalised gay sex in 2018 with a Supreme Court ruling, and opposition to gay rights is widespread in the largely conservative and devout… Read more »
Edwin Chiloba: LGBTQ activist found dead in Kenya
Police in Kenya are investigating the death of young fashion designer and LGBTQ activist Edwin Chiloba after his body was found dumped in a metal box by the roadside near the town of Eldoret. A suspect believed to be a friend of the victim has been arrested but police have not spoken about a motive.… Read more »
‘More work needed’ to eradicate Aids by 2030
Civil society organisations that advocate on behalf of Aids victims and related issues have urged the government to work harder to achieve the goal of wiping out cases of acquired immune deficiency syndrome… During a recent media interview, Midnight Poonkasetwattana, executive director of the Asia Pacific Coalition for Male Sex Health (APCOM), said there are… Read more »
Superheroes, jazz, queer art: how Pakistan’s transgressive pop culture went global
In August, Pakistan’s three censor boards cleared Saim Sadiq’s award-winning film Joyland for release. Shot in Lahore, the film is about a young married man from a conservative family who finds work at a dance theatre and falls in love with a trans woman struggling to land her moment on stage. It was the first… Read more »
Gay couples in India ask Supreme Court to legalise same-sex marriage
New Delhi (Reuters) – Four gay couples have asked India’s Supreme Court to recognise same-sex marriages, setting the stage for a legal face-off with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government which has in the past refused to legalise such marriages. In a historic verdict in 2018, India’s top court decriminalised homosexuality by scrapping a colonial-era ban… Read more »
‘Queersapien’ by Sharif D. Rangnekar and queer as new normal
For a queer person, “coming out” happens multiple times. First and the most difficult one is coming out to the self, then the family and close friends and ultimately to the larger world. The process is neither linear nor always progressive. For instance, during the Covid-19 emergency, many queer persons had to move back into… Read more »
Gay couples in India ask Supreme Court to legalise same-sex marriage
New Delhi (Reuters) – Four gay couples have asked India’s Supreme Court to recognise same-sex marriages, setting the stage for a legal face-off with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government which has in the past refused to legalise such marriages. In a historic verdict in 2018, India’s top court decriminalised homosexuality by scrapping a colonial-era ban… Read more »
LGBTQ people remain outcasts in Muslim world
Yogyakarta, Indonesia (AP) — On the outskirts of Yogyakarta is a small boarding school with a mission that seems out of place in Indonesia, a nation with more Muslim citizens than any other. Its students are transgender women. It is a rare oasis of LGBTQ acceptance across the far-flung Muslim world. Many Muslim nations criminalize… Read more »
LGBTQ people remain outcasts in Muslim world
Yogyakarta, Indonesia (AP) — On the outskirts of Yogyakarta is a small boarding school with a mission that seems out of place in Indonesia, a nation with more Muslim citizens than any other. Its students are transgender women. It is a rare oasis of LGBTQ acceptance across the far-flung Muslim world. Many Muslim nations criminalize… Read more »
Thailand Pride Festival 2022
Thailand Pride Festival 2022:Pride for Unity and Diversity The coalition of Thai LGBTQI groups, a network of individuals and community-based organizations working to advance the human rights of LGBTQI community for decades, hosted the premier Thailand Pride Festival 2022 during 25-27 November 2022 in Bangkok as the annual and national event. Under the concept of… Read more »
Tokyo issues long-awaited same-sex partnership certificates
Partnership certificates allow same-sex couples to be treated as married couples in areas like housing, health and welfare Tokyo’s metropolitan government began issuing partnership certificates to same-sex couples who live and work in the capital on Tuesday, a move that’s been long-awaited in a country that still does not allow equal marriage. The status does… Read more »
Indonesian soldiers get jail time for gay sex
Jakarta: Two Indonesian soldiers have been given a seven-month jail term for having gay sex, which is banned by the Southeast Asian nation’s military as “inappropriate behavior.” The soldiers, who joined the army last year and were based on the archipelago’s main island of Java, were also booted from the army, according to a military… Read more »
Hun Sen marks World AIDS Day
Cambodia was recognised for having a treatment rate of over 99 per cent for HIV-positive persons, which is the highest rate in the Asia Pacific region. As of the second quarter of this year, there were 63,610 HIV-positive patients receiving anti-viral therapies free of charge from state-run hospitals, according to Prime Minister Hun Sen. The… Read more »
South Korea’s supreme court rules on legal transgender recognition
In a victory for LGBTQ rights, South Korea’s supreme court ruled that transgender people have the right to change their legal sex status, regardless of whether they have underage children. Click link for audiohttps://www.npr.org/player/embed/1139190242/1139190243 TranscriptA Martinez, Host:South Korea has been a democracy for more than three decades. Now, despite this, some minorities, including sexual minorities,… Read more »
South Korea’s supreme court rules on legal transgender recognition
In a victory for LGBTQ rights, South Korea’s supreme court ruled that transgender people have the right to change their legal sex status, regardless of whether they have underage children. A Martinez, Host: South Korea has been a democracy for more than three decades. Now, despite this, some minorities, including sexual minorities, are still battling… Read more »
‘They Torture And Kill Us’: Gay Afghan Men Fear For Lives Under The Taliban
https://gandhara.rferl.org/a/torture-murder-gay-afghan-men-lgbt-taliban/32119338.html Source – gandhara.rferl.org
Tokyo issues long-awaited same-sex partnership certificates
Partnership certificates allow same-sex couples to be treated as married couples in areas like housing, health and welfare Tokyo’s metropolitan government began issuing partnership certificates to same-sex couples who live and work in the capital on Tuesday, a move that’s been long-awaited in a country that still does not allow equal marriage. The status does… Read more »
Taiwan celebrates diversity, equality in east Asia’s largest Pride march
Taipei – About 120,000 people, many carrying rainbow flags, marched through Taiwan’s capital Taipei on Saturday to celebrate LGBTQ+ equality in east Asia’s largest Pride march. Taiwan legalised same-sex marriage in 2019 in a first for Asia, and is proud of its reputation as a bastion of LGBTQ+ rights and liberalism. The rainy streets of… Read more »
Here’s how hundreds of Chinese same-sex couples are getting married in Utah
Two laws in the state have converged to make this possible. A legal loophole has led a slew of LGBTQ couples from China – where same-sex marriage is not recognized – to get legally married in Provo, Utah. Two laws in the state have converged to make this possible. Number one: the state of Utah… Read more »
Vietnam says homosexuality ‘not a disease’ in win for gay rights
Announcement from Health Ministry also bans conversion therapy but lacks enforcement powers. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – Phong Vuong was preparing for the launch of a campaign advocating for the legalisation of gay marriage when he heard that the government had decided that homosexuality was “not a disease”. Vietnam’s Ministry of Health also announced… Read more »
Singapore to Repeal Ban on Sex Between Consenting Men
In announcing the move, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong took a step long sought by gay rights advocates, but he said same-sex marriage would continue to be illegal. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore said on Sunday that the government would repeal the country’s colonial-era law criminalizing sex between men, a step long sought… Read more »
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