Asia
How a kiss with a pilot in an elevator changed this man’s life and could help fight LGBTQ discrimination in China
Beijing (CNN) – Former flight attendant Chai Cheng still has nightmares about the moment of passion that cost him everything. In October 2019, footage was leaked online of Chai kissing a male pilot from the same airline — China Southern, the country’s largest carrier. Both men were off duty, and the kiss — which has… Read more »
Homosexuality can be called a mental disorder, Chinese court rules; LGBT community disappointed
A Hong Kong social worker’s lawsuit in China challenging a widely used textbook that calls homosexuality a mental disorder has been rejected a second time An LGBT support group spokesman says the textbook’s description is as inaccurate as saying the sun revolves around the earth A Chinese court has upheld a ruling that a textbook… Read more »
2 men in Indonesia publicly caned 77 times for having consensual sex
Two men in Indonesia’s conservative Aceh province were publicly caned 77 times each on Thursday for having engaged in consensual sex. The men, aged 27 and 29, were arrested in November after neighbors became suspicious of their relationship. They broke into their rented room and caught them having sex, according to Heru Triwijanarko, Aceh’s acting… Read more »
Chengdu, China’s ‘Gay Capital’ Is Not Giving In
Chengdu, China’s ‘gay capital’, is continuing its openness toward the LGBTQIA+ community despite increasing steps by Beijing to curb it, The Japan Times reports. The city, which is located in south-western China, has built up a reputation for welcoming the LGBTQIA+ community with gay bars and saunas. Called “Gaydu” by Chinese millennials, the city has… Read more »
Bhutan parliament decriminalizes homosexuality, to delight of activists
Kathmandu, Nepal – A joint sitting of both houses of Bhutan’s parliament approved a bill on Thursday to legalize gay sex, making the tiny Himalayan kingdom the latest Asian nation to take steps towards easing restrictions on same-sex relationships. Sections 213 and 214 of the penal code had criminalized “unnatural sex,” widely interpreted as homosexuality.Lawmaker… Read more »
The brutal institutions ‘transforming’ China’s LGBT, nonconformist youth
Played out on social media, a dispute between a 17-year-old transgender woman and her parents has shone a spotlight on the country’s ‘schools’ that exist to ‘regulate’ the behaviour of teenagers In March 2018, when Huang Xiaodi turned 17, her family told her to return home to Jiangyin, in eastern China’s Jiangsu province, so they… Read more »
Taiwan Same-Sex Couples Say ‘I Do’ At A First For Military Wedding
At a mass military wedding in Taiwan, two women became the first military officers to marry their same-sex civilian partners, Reuters reports. The Taiwanese defence ministry described the event as “open and progressive” and gave its blessings to all 188 couples married during the mass wedding. “I am hoping to boost the visibility of homosexuals… Read more »
Two lesbian couples marry in mass wedding held by Taiwan’s military
Taiwan is the only place in Asia to have legalized gay marriage, with more than 4,000 same-sex couples marrying since the legislation passed in May 2019. Taoyuan, Taiwan — Two lesbian couples tied the knot in a mass wedding held by Taiwan’s military on Friday in a historic celebration with their peers. Taiwan is the… Read more »
First openly gay election candidate in Myanmar: ‘I didn’t want to lie to get votes’
The first openly gay election candidate in Myanmar, Myo Min Tun, has vowed to fight police abuse of LGBT+ people if he wins. The 39-year-old entered politics after transgender friends told him the abuse they suffered. In one incident, officers forced them to take off their bras and kneel before touching them inappropriately. Myo Min… Read more »
Activists Demand An End To Forced Anal Exams In Sri Lanka
In shocking news out of Sri Lanka, a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Colombo-based Equal Ground, has shown that authorities had subjected seven LGBTQI persons to forcible anal and vaginal examinations between 2017-2020 looking for proof of homosexual conduct in their criminal prosecutions. In a statement Rosanna Flamer-Caldera, executive director of Colombo-based Equal… Read more »
Indian LGBT+ rights group launches landmark bid to ban conversion therapy after tragic death of bisexual woman
Following the suicide of a young bisexual woman in India, an LGBT+ rights group has filed a petition to the Kerala High Court seeking to ban the practice of conversion therapy. Queerala, an organisation based in Kerala for the safety of LGBT+ people, and Raghav, a board member of Malayalee Transmen Association (MATA), are behind… Read more »
Thailand’s Cabinet approves bills granting legal status to same-sex unions
Bangkok — Thailand’s Cabinet has approved two draft bills that would give same-sex unions legal status similar to that of heterosexual marriages. The draft Civil Partnership Act and amendments of the Civil and Commercial Code will be sent to Parliament soon for approval, deputy government spokeswoman Ratchada Thanadirek said after Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting. The Civil… Read more »
Thailand Leads Way in Southeast Asia With Same-Sex Union Bill
Thailand is set to be the first Southeast Asian country to legalize same-sex unions after the government approved a bill that will now head for parliament approval to become law. “This is an important step for Thailand in creating equality for everyone and guaranteeing rights for same-sex couples to start a family,” Rachada Dhnadirek, spokeswoman… Read more »
Gay people in Myanmar have adopted a secret language
Their slang can help protect them from abuse Wednesday has just turned into Thursday in Yangon, Myanmar’s biggest city, and pleasure-seekers are on the prowl in a glitzy neighbourhood. Drivers slow down to inspect sex workers waiting by the kerb. Three of them, all transgender women, chat brightly. Your correspondent tries to eavesdrop but even… Read more »
Malaysia’s cruel religious ban on gay sex is to be challenged in an historic court case
A man in Malaysia has won the right to challenge a religious state law banning gay sex in the mostly Muslim country. According to Reuters, a lawyer for the man said on Wednesday (May 27) that Malaysia’s top court had him the go-ahead for the landmark LGBT+ rights test case. The Muslim man in his… Read more »
Mapping out a spectrum of the Chinese public’s discrimination toward the LGBT community: results from a national survey
AbstractBackground China has the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) population. This study assessed the discrimination experienced by LGBT individuals in China in a comprehensive way, covering discrimination perpetrated by family, media, medical services, religious communities, schools, social services, and in the workplace.Methods The current study involved a national survey of 31 provinces… Read more »
Gay man forced to flee Turkmenistan after police assaulted him for being HIV-positive
The man sought asylum in Europe after police allegedly assaulted him until he confessed to being gay A gay man from Turkmenistan was forced to flee his home country after he was arrested and assaulted for being HIV-positive. Speaking to RadioFreeEurope, the 23-year-old was granted asylum in a European country after he was targeted for… Read more »
Gay Student From Turkmenistan Finds Refuge Abroad But Faces Criminal Charges At Home
Maksat’s sexual orientation as a gay man has cost him the chance of having a family and living in his home country, Turkmenistan, where homosexuality is a criminal offense and a strict social taboo. Beaten and blackmailed by police, the 23-year-old from Ashgabat recently received asylum in a European country, but he says the ordeals… Read more »
Singapore high court upholds gay sex ban
Singapore’s High Court today rejected a legal challenge to decriminalise homosexuality. The challenge was filed by three gay citizens. Peter Tatchell, LGBT+ campaigner and Director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation, commented: “This ruling reaffirms that gay men in Singapore remain criminals. It is a clear violation of the right to privacy, equal treatment and individual… Read more »
Transgender pastor defies HK court to conduct same-sex marriages
Kualal Lumpur: A transgender pastor has vowed to officiate same-sex marriages in Hong Kong despite a legal challenge failing to provide assurances that he will not face arrest. Marrz Balaoro was arrested in 2017 for holding ceremonies in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Straight (LGBTS) Christian Church which he founded in the global financial… Read more »
Transgender Character In ‘Itaewon Class’ Reflects Changing Attitudes In South Korea
Over the last two decades Korean dramas have become more open to exploring LGBTQ issues. Gay characters—or characters people assumed were gay—have appeared in several TV dramas, with Gong Yoo falling for a girl disguised as a boy in Coffee Prince (2007), Lee Min-ho, playing a supposedly gay character in Personal Taste (2008), Lee Jong-suk… Read more »
Tokyo’s High Court Rules Same Sex Marriages Have The Same Rights As Straight Marriages
In an apparent first high court ruling of its kind, a same-sex common-law couple in Japan has been recognized as having the same legal protections as a married couple, after the Tokyo High Court ruled in favor of a woman who sued her former same-sex partner for damages over infidelity at an appeal decision on… Read more »
Indonesia proposes bill to force LGBTQ people into ‘rehabilitation’
The “Family Resilience Bill” would force lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people into treatment to “cure” their sexual orientation or gender identity. Lawmakers in Indonesia are pushing legislation that would force LGBTQ people into government-sanctioned rehabilitation centers to “cure” them of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Last month, three lawmakers in Indonesia’s House of… Read more »
The Fight for LGBT Rights in Vietnam Still Has a Long Way To Go
Prejudice, discrimination, and stigma against the LGBT community in Vietnam still loom large. Change will take concerted efforts. On September 14, 2019, on a sunny Saturday afternoon in Ho Chi Minh city, Nguyen Hue street was busy as normal, attracting hundreds of tourists. But something was different about that day: the street was holding an… Read more »
Indonesia to ban homosexuality and S&M with ‘offenders’ having their children taken away
A leaked draft of a new ‘Family Resilience’ law in Indonesia has revealed plans to ban homosexuality and S&M sex, with offenders to be threatened with losing custody of their children. Under the proposed law, anyone “suffering” from “sexual deviations” would be required to report themselves to rehab facilities for treatment. It defines sexual deviations… Read more »
Mumbai’s Pride Parade cancelled after anonymous message links it to CAA-NRC protest
Mumbai has been hosting the Queer Azadi March every year since 2008. The annual LGBT Pride Parade scheduled for February 1 at August Kranti Maidan was cancelled Tuesday after an anonymous message was circulated over the weekend linking it to a protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the proposed nationwide National Register of… Read more »
In Bali, LGBT businesses targeted for catering to the gay community and ‘tainting tourism’
Indonesia’s Island of the Gods has long been touted as one of Asia’s top gay destinations But even Bali is not immune from the nation’s growing anti-LGBT sentiment LGBT visitors to Bali could be forgiven for thinking that the Indonesian island is a haven of tolerance in an increasingly conservative Muslim-majority nation. “Beautiful landscapes, sandy… Read more »
In the camp world of K-pop, it’s hard for stars to be gay
On a brightly lit stage, two male K-pop stars with glowing skin and perfectly coiffed hair are nibbling either end of the same long, chocolate stick. As the stick gets smaller and smaller, they get closer and closer – and eventually a fellow K-pop idol pulls them into a kiss. In South Korea’s glitzy, highly… Read more »
PM Khan launches healthcare scheme for transgender Pakistanis
Khan said his government was resolute in protecting the transgender population of Pakistan. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday launched a health scheme for the transgender community in the Muslim-majority country. The Sehat Insaf Card, which falls under the government’s Sehat Sahulat Program, is a scheme designed to improve healthcare access and provide… Read more »
LGBT rights: The film about gay love shaking up Georgia
“When I told my mother I was gay, she said I wish you were dead or had never existed at all. It’s better not to have a son than to have someone like you.” Lasha, in his early twenties, has his arm around his partner Beka’s waist. They are sitting together in a secluded park… Read more »
Tata Steel’s New Policy Allows LGBTQ Employees to Declare Partners, Avail HR Benefits
Employees will also get financial assistance for gender reassignment surgery and 30 days of special leave for the same. New Delhi: Tata Steel on Monday said that it has introduced a new human resource policy that enables its employees from the LGBTQ+ community to declare their partners and avail all the HR benefits permissible under… Read more »
LGBTQ faces discrimination in workplace, says CCHR report
The Cambodian Centre for Human Rights (CCHR) issued a report this month revealing workplace discrimination faced by members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) community in Cambodia. Along with the report, the CCHR in a press release on Sunday said: “LGBTQ individuals face discrimination in accessing employment. A fifth of respondents said… Read more »
Miss Universe celebrates its first openly gay contestant
The Miss Universe beauty pageant has featured an openly gay contestant for the first time — and she hails from a country where homosexuality is criminalized. Twenty-year-old Swe Zin Htet competed as Miss Myanmar at the event on Sunday night in Atlanta, Georgia. Though she failed to advance to the top 20, fans say she… Read more »
India’s Transgender Rights Law Isn’t Worth Celebrating
India’s parliament passed a bill to protect transgender rights last week, but the new law is inadequate on several fronts. Trans activists and allied human rights groups have critiqued the various trans rights bills since the first one was introduced in 2016. In the end, lawmakers failed to consider the concerns the activists raised. As… Read more »
Transgender-rights bill angers activists
New Delhi — Last week, as the Indian Parliament passed a bill for the protection of transgender people, thousands of LGBTQ community members protested in the latest battle for gay and transgender rights in the country. The legislation prohibits discrimination and criminalizes physical abuse against the transgender community, but it has been rejected by the… Read more »
China’s LGBT community in push to legalise same-sex marriage
Hundreds of thousands have shared their love stories, written letters and made submissions to a review into Chinese civil law during Novembe Same-sex marriage is not banned in China, but it currently has no legal status Nearly 200,000 people have appealed to the Chinese authorities to recognise same-sex marriage, in a month-long push sparked by… Read more »
Japan’s Support for Gay Marriage Is Soaring. But Can It Become Law?
The country is being pulled in two directions as it experiences a “boom” in L.G.B.T. awareness but also remains committed to a sometimes inflexible traditional culture. Tokyo — Ikuo Sato stood in front of a Tokyo court in April and told the world he was gay. To a packed room, he described the anxiety he… Read more »
Japan’s Support for Gay Marriage Is Soaring. But Can It Become Law?
The country is being pulled in two directions as it experiences a “boom” in L.G.B.T. awareness but also remains committed to a sometimes inflexible traditional culture. Tokyo — Ikuo Sato stood in front of a Tokyo court in April and told the world he was gay. To a packed room, he described the anxiety he… Read more »
Islamic exorcisms used as a ‘cure’ for homosexuality in Indonesia: ‘If I am Muslim, I can’t be gay’
Jakarta, Indonesia – It was in December 2017, as anti-LGBTQ sentiment was peaking in Indonesia, when Acep Saepudin’s father decided something needed to be done about his son. He sought out a spiritual teacher in their town of Purwakarta in West Java Province and asked the ustad to give the young man an Islamic exorcism… Read more »
Myanmar government urged to scrap colonial-era law on gay sex
Myanmar one of more than 40 countries where laws introduced by British entrench discrimination against LGBT people. Yangon, Myanmar – Khin Maung Htun, a gay man in Myanmar, was standing on the street one night last year scrolling through his phone when police showed up to arrest some men who had been fighting nearby. The… Read more »
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