Asia
Meet Vietnam’s Gay Power Couple: U.S. Ambassador and His Husband
Since their December arrival in Vietnam, U.S. Ambassador Ted Osius and his husband have become the most prominent gay couple in the Southeast Asian country. Osius and Clayton Bond landed with their toddler son shortly before the government abolished its ban on same-sex marriage. Now the couple, who recently adopted an infant girl, find themselves… Read more »
Gay literature is firmly out of the closet in India
Even as same-sex couples in India struggle to gain legal recognition, in literature they are the heroes and heroines. Over the years, a number of Indian writers have steadily produced remarkable gay literature, keeping alive the issue of inequality in love through their compelling stories. Here is an overview of some of the books and… Read more »
Thousands rally for gay marriage in Taiwan
In wake of US ruling, numbers estimated in their thousands come out to push for Taiwan to legalize same-sex unions On Saturday gay rights supporters marched through the streets of Taipei to push for same-sex marriage. The march ran between parliament and the headquarters of Taiwan’s two main political parties. Supporters waved rainbow flags and… Read more »
In wake of U.S. ruling, Taiwanese rally for gay marriage
Thousands of gay rights supporters marched through Taipei on Saturday, months ahead of elections that are likely to usher in a pro-gay party and could make Taiwan the first place in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. Protesters waved rainbow flags, lit candles and shouted “gay votes are still votes” as they marched between parliament and… Read more »
Gay couple sue for recognition in South Korea
Famous gay couple in socially conservative South Korea suing officials for refusing to recognize their 2013 same-sex marriage. Buoyed by the landmark US Supreme Court ruling a celebrity couple, Kim Jho Gwang-Soo (a rare openly gay celebrity) and his partner Kim Seung-Hwan, fought for legitimacy on Monday when they took their case to the district… Read more »
Address stigma and discrimination against LGBT people
Komnas HAM has called for an end to discrimination and stigma against the LGBTI community, urging the government to issue more supportive regulations. The former Chairperson and member of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) Hafid Abbas has called for an end to discrimination and stigma against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender… Read more »
Many Chinese Cheer For U.S. Marriage Equality, But What Would Confucius Say?
When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to extend legal marriage nationwide to LGBT couples, it set Chinese social media abuzz with celebratory messages and rainbow flags. Chinese law does not recognize gay marriage, but recent years have seen the beginnings of an LGBT rights movement and broader public acceptance of it in the country. But… Read more »
Gay Pride In Korea Faces Christian Wrath As Seen At Rally In Seoul
Gay pride faced Christian outrage in central Seoul in a showdown that dramatized the conflict between Korea’s deeply conservative values and the country’s latter-day surge toward democratic equality. Advocates and foes of gay rights clashed after a gay pride rally on the grassy plaza in front of Seoul City Hall that drew several thousand people… Read more »
Protest held in Kyrgyzstan in favour of law to ban ‘gay propaganda’
A protest took place in Kyrgyzstan at the weekend in favour of a proposed law to ban “gay propaganda”. The bill is similar to one introduced in Russia law last year, banning the “promotion of non-traditional sexual relationships”. The Interior Ministry told 24.kg news agency that around a hundred people attended the demonstration, which urged… Read more »
Alibaba Helps Chinese LGBT Couples Say ‘We Do’ in West Hollywood
Beijing – It took a trip across the Pacific, but this week seven Chinese same-sex couples finally had the chance to say “I do” in West Hollywood. In an event co-sponsored by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba and the Chinese gay dating app Blued, the lucky couples won the chance for a destination wedding and star… Read more »
First ever gay couple marries in Guam
A same-sex couple has become the first to marry in the US territory of Guam. Deasia Johnson of Killeen, Texas and Nikki Dismuke of New Orleans married in a low-key ceremony earlier today. The couple, both military members, kissed to solemnise their vows after both saying “I do”, and the Public Health Director James Gillan… Read more »
West Hollywood marries seven contest-winning gay couples from China
West Hollywood, Calif. Seven gay and lesbian couples from China were married in the Southern California gay capital of West Hollywood on Tuesday after winning a contest sponsored by a pair of Chinese Internet companies. The seven couples were selected from among more than 2,000 based on videos they submitted detailing their love stories, after… Read more »
China’s Impressive Performance on HIV/AIDS
With a unique model of cooperation, the country has achieved a remarkable turnaround in its response to the disease Sex is a controversial yet evolving issue in China. In this field, like many others, the country’s economic boom and opening to the world are clashing with traditional values. China has become a destination for international… Read more »
North Korean Defector Opens Up About Long-Held Secret: His Homosexuality
Seoul, South Korea — When the North Korean defector Jang Yeong-jin arrived in South Korea in 1997, officials debriefed him for five months but still hesitated to release him. They had one crucial question unanswered: Why did Mr. Jang decide to risk crossing the heavily armed border between the two Koreas? “I was too embarrassed… Read more »
Federal Judge Strikes Down Guam’s Gay Marriage Ban
A federal judge on Thursday struck down Guam’s ban on gay marriage as unconstitutional. Plaintiffs in the case, Kathleen Aguero and Loretta Pangelinana, both 28, filed their lawsuit in April, five days after they were denied a marriage license in the village of Mangilao. Guam falls under the jurisdiction of the Ninth Circuit Court of… Read more »
Seoul gay pride organisers vow to defy police ban
Organisers of South Korea’s annual gay pride festival vowed on Thursday to push ahead with a planned parade in downtown Seoul, despite a police ban and protests from conservative Christian groups. More than 20,000 people had been expected to take part in the street parade on June 28 at the end of the Korea Queer… Read more »
First Pink Dot rally held in Taipei
3000 people attended the inaugural LGBT rally, Pink Dot, in Taipei this weekend. Huashan creative park in Taipei witnessed the first Pink Dot rally in the city, meaning that Taipei joins the likes of Okiwana, Hong Kong, Montreal, Toronto, and Utah in hosting the event. With the tagline ‘Freedom to love’, Pink Dot originated in… Read more »
Male Victims of Sexual Violence Struggle for Voice
A recent spate of cases of alleged sexual abuse of boys, several involving directors of child welfare NGOs, has drawn renewed attention to the prevalence of such crimes in Cambodia. Yet the male victims of such abuse remain shut out from support services due a perception that only women and girls can be victims of… Read more »
Bangkok’s first Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
The Bangkok Gay and Lesbian Film Festival brings together 15 LGBT films from around the world next week The festival boasts a mix of dramas and documentaries from Thailand, Southeast Asia and beyond. It runs from next Friday to June 14 at the Esplanade Cineplex Batchada. The festival will feature 15 films from 12 different… Read more »
Anti-‘gay propaganda’ bill blocked in Kazakhstan
Opponents of human rights for LGBTI people in Kazakhstan suffered a setback last week, as the nation’s Constitutional Council blocked enactment of a Russian-style anti-“gay propaganda” bill. The council announced on May 26 that it rejected the bill last week on the grounds that it contained “vague and ambiguous definitions and terms.” Last August, the… Read more »
Gay Ambassadors Represent U.S. and LGBT Interests to the World
Gay American diplomats are beacons, whether in tolerant Western Europe or homophobic Russia and China. Hanoi — When U.S. Ambassador Ted Osius, his husband, and their 15-month-old boy came onto the stage at the American Club in Vietnam’s capital last week, the crowd cheered and drew closer. Hundreds of young Vietnamese were there, many of… Read more »
Mother seeks a groom for her son in India’s first gay marriage advert
New Delhi (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – A 57-year-old mother has placed India’s first gay matrimonial advertisement, seeking a groom for her son, but it was not an easy task in a country where homosexuality is illegal, said her son on Wednesday. Mumbai resident Padma Iyer hit the headlines when her advertisement appeared in a daily… Read more »
Eastern partners
As Georgia chooses between Europe and Russia, attitudes to homosexuality are caught in the crossfire It was as discreet a gay-pride rally as could be imagined: a few dozen activists (pictured) in a park in Tbilisi, marking the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT) on May 17th. The organisers did not announce the location… Read more »
Prince Manvendra, The World’s First Openly Gay Prince, Fights For LGBT Rights In India
In 2006, the Crown Prince of one of India’s oldest royal families made a public announcement that made headlines around the world: the 40-year-old formerly married Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil was actually gay. This announcement made Prince Manvendra the world’s only openly gay prince — and it also outraged his community and ripped his family… Read more »
Japan belatedly joins gay rights movement
Tokyo — As the U.S. Supreme Court considers whether to sanction same-sex marriage across the United States, gay couples in Japan are belatedly making strides of their own. Starting this summer, one of Tokyo’s largest districts will begin issuing domestic partner agreements that for the first time will give legal protection to gay couples in… Read more »
Which China provinces are most gay friendly?
Tibet ranks among the least accepting Economically developed cities and China’s southeastern coastal provinces are the most gay friendly, a new survey has found. A WeChat user conducted the poll on attitudes towards homosexuality in different Chinese provinces on the mobile messaging. Marvel Studios on 24 April posted a heat map of the results that… Read more »
The Inequality of India’s Queer Spaces
“Space is power, right? We don’t have a lot of it.” While the U.S. Supreme Court is still debating same-sex marriage, public opinion has already come down in its favor. For many, the striking down of the Defense of Marriage Act last year ushered in a new chapter in the history of the LGBTQ-rights movement.… Read more »
Guam has lifted its ban on same-sex marriage
Pacific US territory Guam has lifted its ban on same-sex marriage, as an alternative to defending itself against a lawsuit brought by a gay couple. The Guam attorney general Barrett-Anderson this week announced that she had ordered that marriage licences be processed for same-sex couples. “Today I have issued a legal memorandum… advising the department… Read more »
Asia’s LGBT people migrate to escape violence at home
Bangkok (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Long before Joe Wong surgically removed his breasts and uterus, he was Joleen, who once used an entire roll of brown duct tape to flatten her chest in an effort to look less feminine at her new secondary school in Singapore. A close relative, angered by her clumsy and obvious… Read more »
Blackmail and abuse: Gay sex ban in India stirs violence
New Delhi (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – When Rajan was followed by two men into a public toilet in Mumbai and forced to perform oral sex on them, the 31-year-old gay marketing professional realized this was the beginning of the end of his short-lived sexual freedom. “They knew I was gay. They were watching me and… Read more »
South Korean teachers banned from talking about LGBT issues
New sex education guidelines outlaw teaching about sexual minorities. The guidelines, issued to schools and teachers this week state that “sex education is not intended to be an opportunity for teachers to share their views on sexuality” and “teaching about homosexuality is not permitted.” It also orders teachers to remove any references to LGBT issues… Read more »
Tokyo Ward Shibuya To Recognize Marriages Of Gay Couples
The assembly of Tokyo, Japan’s Shibuya ward on Tuesday approved a plan to recognize the relationships of gay and lesbian couples as the “equivalent of a marriage.” According to the AP, a majority of the ward’s 34 legislators favored the proposal, which only applies to Shibuya – a dense district known as a fashion center… Read more »
Indonesia Anti-Gay Fatwa Ignites Debates
Jakarta – A new fatwa by the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) that criminalizes homosexuality in the world’s most populous Muslim state, has drawn mixed reactions, with rights activists seeing it “discriminatory”. “The fatwa combines molestation, which is a crime in the penal code system in Indonesia, with sexual orientation, which is not regarded as a… Read more »
India votes against gay rights for UN employees
India supported a Russian-drafted resolution that opposed benefits for same-sex partners of UN staff, but the resolution failed to pass in the General Assembly committee. The move comes in the wake of a growing debate in the country about decriminalising gay sex. New Delhi, however, justified its move to vote in favour of the resolution… Read more »
Indonesian activists reject Muslim clerics’ anti-gay fatwa
Criticism greeted a harsh proposal from Indonesia’s top Islamic clerical group, which called for the country to enact a law against same-sex intimacy and to impose the death penalty. The proposal was contained in an edict, or fatwa, from the Indonesian Council of Ulema, which is known as the MUI, from its Indonesian name, Majelis… Read more »
Costa Rica Seeks Same-Sex Civil Union Law
San Jose, Costa Rica (Reuters) – Costa Rica will this week put forward a plan to allow same-sex civil unions based on previous initiatives to change the law in the Central American nation, a government official said on Wednesday. Costa Rica follows Chile, which in January became the most recent Latin American country to recognize… Read more »
Armenia: HIV/AIDS Patients Struggle with Rampant Discrimination
If you are an HIV/AIDS patient looking to visit a dentist, attend school or have your hair cut in the South Caucasus country of Armenia, you might well find that your options are limited. Despite years of public-awareness campaigns, discrimination against Armenians with either Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is widespread,… Read more »
Transgender sweetness beats Muslim intolerance
By day they wear normal workers’ uniforms. At night they dress up in lipstick, stilettos and bright clothes. This is daily life for thousands of transvestites and transgender people in Pakistan. But they’re a minority that conservative Muslims find it hard to tolerate. The rest of Pakistan’s population, however, seek them out for their own… Read more »
Online activists spur change in Middle East, China, world
Online LGBT activism and community-building are the focus of this week’s video in the “Quorum” series of 11 discussions of international LGBTI issues. Moderator for the latest discussion is Andre Banks, executive director of AllOut.org, the U.S.-based advocacy organization that has enlisted 2 million people worldwide to take action online for LGBTI rights. Panelists /… Read more »
Junta to pass law banning homosexuals from monkhood
The junta cabinet has approved a bill on religion which can be used to prosecute, with jail terms, people who propagate ‘incorrect’ versions of Buddhist doctrines or cause harm to Buddhism. The bill also posts jail terms specifically for homosexual monks. In recent decades, although Theravada Buddhism, the prominent Buddhist sect in mainland Southeast Asia,… Read more »
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