Asia

 

 

 

Eurovision winner speaks out against Azerbaijan gay rights record

Sweden’s Loreen met with human rights activists before winning the international pop contest Eurovision winner Loreen, who stormed to victory last night (26 May) at the Eurovision Song Contest, has spoken publicly about Azerbaijan’s gay rights record. The Swedish pop star met with human rights activists this week in the capital to encourage their fight… Read more »

Eurovision winner speaks out against Azerbaijan gay rights record

Sweden’s Loreen met with human rights activists before winning the international pop contest Eurovision winner Loreen, who stormed to victory last night (26 May) at the Eurovision Song Contest, has spoken publicly about Azerbaijan’s gay rights record. The Swedish pop star met with human rights activists this week in the capital to encourage their fight… Read more »

Behind Eurovision’s Crystal Hall: Gay life in Azerbaijan

As Baku welcomes the camp Eurovison Song Contest, we examine the challenge that gay, bi and trans Azeris face in an oppressive Azerbaijan ‘Welcome to the Eurovision Song Contest, from Baku in Europe!’ greeted star-eyed host Eldar ‘Ell’ Gasimov, the 2011 contest in a duo with Nigar Jamal. The flamboyant contest is being held in… Read more »

Gays Face Rampant Homophobia in Azerbaijan

Intolerant Eurovision Host The Eurovision Song Contest has a massive gay following. But homophobia is rife in this year’s host country, Azerbaijan, where gays and lesbians have to keep a low profile and fear violent attacks. Even so, locals say that gay Eurovision fans traveling to Baku needn’t fear for their safety — because the… Read more »

Lady Gaga Meets Thailand’s ‘Lady Boys’

Bangkok — Lady Gaga has met Thailand’s premier “lady boys” at a Bangkok drag show featuring busty dancers who were not born that way. Diving in to the city’s nightlife, the pop diva and an entourage from her “Born This Way Ball” took in a show at the well-known Calypso Cabaret, where she cheered on… Read more »

Third gender finally recognized in Nepal

LGBT community welcomed a decision by the Nepalese government to recognize third gender as ‘other’ The LGBT community in Nepal has welcomed a decision by the government to recognize third gender people as ‘other’ on citizenship identification cards. Third gender refers to people who consider themselves neither male nor female and includes people who present… Read more »

Lady Gaga responds religious protests with emotional speech

International pop star who has met protests from Christians and Muslims during Asian tour speaks out during Manilla concert Lady Gaga’s Asian tour has been met with religious protests in Korea, the Philippines and Indonesia. At last night’s concert in Manilla she finally aired her views. ‘So many people have been protesting and it really… Read more »

Lesbian couple exiled from village in Punjab

Swaran Kaur and Harsharan Kaur banned from village and disinherited by family in northern India A lesbian couple from a village in Punjab northern India have been told to leave their home by the village government and disinherited by their families. Last month the Punjab and Haryana high court ordered the police to protect the… Read more »

Ordinary Lives Extraordinary People: A Photo Essay Of MSM And Transgender People From South Asia

In a region of often intense stigma, discrimination, violence and social exclusion, males who have sex with males, hijras, and transgender people, try to live ordinary lives at home, at work and at play, just like any other person. Like you. Like me And in such an environment, they are extraordinary people Access to photo essay available at… Read more »

Homosexual teens encounter dilemma of discrimination

A majority of homosexual students have suffered from communal discrimination and violence, including from their friends and teachers, according to experts addressing a workshop in the capital on Wednesday. Duoc la chinh minh (Stereowoman), performed at the Youth Theatre of Viet Nam, marks the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia on May 17. — VNS… Read more »

Orthodox Christians attack gay parade in Georgia

International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia event ruined by religious homophobic activists Orthodox Christians put a stop to a rare attempt to combat homophobia in Georgia on Thursday (17 May). Around 20 participants in the gay parade had joined the march through the country’s capital Tbilisi waving rainbow flags and placards. The march was meant… Read more »

Malaysia: Muslim lesbian activist launches controversial book

A Canadian Muslim has launched a controversial new book on liberal Islam in Malaysia, where the majority of citizens are Muslim, despite attempts by a government minister to ban the event. The book, titled ‘Allah, Liberty and Love,’ was launched by its author, Irshad Maji, in the capital Kuala Lampur earlier today, after two other… Read more »

How LGBT-friendly are Singapore universities?

Ng Yi-Sheng, a regular Fridae contributor and openly gay creative writing teacher at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, looks at the state of queer acceptance in Singapore’s universities – and wonders if the opening of the new Yale-NUS college will improve things. In July 2013, Singapore’s very first liberal arts college is opening up its classrooms… Read more »

First Hong Kong study into LGBT people at work published

Groundbreaking study makes business case for LGBT inclusive workplaces in Hong Kong he first study into LGBT inclusion at work in Hong Kong has found closeting stifles productivity. The majority, 60%, of the LGBT people who filled in the anonymous online survey are not out at work and 44% are not out to their parents.… Read more »

Report warns families to accept gay children or lose them to the street

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youths fleeing discrimination at home face a much harder life on the street Years ago, Yen’s father kicked her out of the house. The transgender, who refused to give her real name, said she has struggled to survive on the street ever since. “My father told me ‘If you can… Read more »

“Homophobia, Transphobia is Violence”

in Korea, Republic Of, Today, May 17, is the day when the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from its list of mental diseases. It is also the International Day Against Homophobia. Today, LGBT people living in many countries around the world come out to the streets and rallies to convey the message that homophobia is… Read more »

HIV programmes for MSM and transgendered people gradually being scaled up in India

Rupali always felt she was different. Born as a boy in India, she liked wearing girls’ clothes and finally at the age of 20, decided to disclose to her family her gender orientation. She declared she wanted to live as a woman. “When I first decided to tell people about my sexual orientation and gender… Read more »

Neo Nazis launch two arson attacks on Armenia gay bar

Lesbian-owned DIY Rock Pub in Yerevan, Armenia gets petrol bombed and vandalized twice since start of May Suspected Neo Nazis have launced two arson attacks at a lesbian-owned pub in Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, since the start of the pub. Armenian News reported that in the second attack on 15 May, a group of young men… Read more »

Fighting at gay rights march in Tbilisi Georgia

Religious protesters have blocked a small gay rights march in the capital of the former Soviet republic of Georgia, Tbilisi. Fighting broke out as protesters attacked marchers, tearing up placards, and police made several arrests. “How can you promote such a thing in the streets where there are children?” a priest told AFP news agency.… Read more »

Myanmar holds first gay pride celebrations

Yangon (AFP)- Myanmar held its first gay pride celebrations Thursday, organisers said, in a sign of liberalising social attitudes paralleling political reforms in the formerly army-ruled nation. Around 400 people packed into the ballroom of a Yangon hotel late Thursday for an evening of performances, speeches and music to mark the International Day against Homophobia… Read more »

A pride with no parade for Burma’s first gay festival

Hundreds of people in Burma have attended the country’s first public gay pride event. The festival reflects a new climate of political reform that has led to the election of a civilian government, ending 50 years of military rule. Gay relationships are still a crime in Burma, but the law is not strictly enforced. However… Read more »

Anti-gay Eurovision protests intensify in Iran

Homophobic Muslims take to streets of two cities in Iran, furious at rumors of a gay pride event during the Eurovision Song Contest in Azerbaijan Angry homophobes took to the streets of two Iranian cities on Friday (11 May) to protest rumors of a gay pride event during next week’s Eurovision Song Contest in neighboring… Read more »

Burma prepares for first ever public LGBT rights celebration

‘Our message is just to end homophobia – this is not a political issue’ says IDAHO Burma organiser Rangoon and Mandalay, the two largest cities in Burma, will host public LGBT rights events for the first time on Thursday. ‘This year there have been some changes in Burma,’ one of the organisers of the events,… Read more »

Gay people in Burma start to challenge culture of repression

Clubs, magazines and even an LGBT-oriented TV show are building momentum against institutionalised prejudice The nightclub is heaving, sweaty and loud, pulsating with blinding blue and white lights, and packed with drunken dancers. At the bar, the young sons of Burma’s elite are buying bottles of Jack Daniel’s and Johnnie Walker with thick wads of… Read more »

Indian society struggling with gay rights: Activist

New Delhi (Reuters) – Legalising homosexuality has had little impact on the deeply entrenched homophobia in India, where thousands of gays still face discrimination and a lack of basic rights, the country’s most prominent gay rights activist told Reuters. Hours after US President Barack Obama turned the global spotlight on gay rights by saying that… Read more »

No parade, but a Buddhist blessing: Cambodia Pride

Cambodia Pride starts on Saturday with support from other south east Asian nations Cambodia Pride starts on Saturday, and 2012 is a bumper year because the kingdom hosting ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations). So Pride organisers RoCK (Rainbow Community Kampuchea) are joining forces with LGBT groups in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand,… Read more »

Tears and Broken Glass as India’s Largest Transgender Festival Closes

Devotees pull the cart  carrying the statue of Aravan around the village on the second and final day of the festival in Koovagam, Tamil Nadu.Ayush RankaDevotees pull the cart  carrying the statue of Aravan around the village on the second and final day of the festival in Koovagam, Tamil Nadu. Human beings often seek spiritual… Read more »

Changing face of AIDS

A decade ago, New Delhi’s The Ashok turned away a dozen gay men who wanted to book a conference room at the hotel for a think-in on AIDS, which was still labelled a gay man’s disease. It took several phone calls from the senior bureaucracy at the Union Health Ministry’s National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO)… Read more »

Cambodia ASEAN Pride 2012

What is Cambodia ASEAN Pride Week 2012? Cambodia Pride Week has become a regular event in the Kingdom since 2009. Before that time, Pride was first celebrated in 2004 with a Pride party in Phnom Penh which highlighted safe sexual health issues. An annual Pride party continued until 2009 when a group of Cambodian and… Read more »

Shanghai Pride Tshirt design revealed

We love the design of the new Shanghai Pride Tshirts The design of the new Shanghai Pride Tshirts were revealed today, ahead of the festival in early June. We love the use of Shanghai landmarks – the Jin Mao tower, the Expo’s China Pavilion, Shinmao International Plaza, the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Shanghai World… Read more »

Living on the Fringe

Despite decriminalistion of homosexuality, Delhi hasn’t become a safe city and  crimes against gays keep happening. Dr. Himadri Roy writes about some cases that received wide media coverage Ever since homosexuality was decriminalized in 2009 by Delhi High Court, there has been some confusion pertaining to whether the ruling applies to the whole country or… Read more »

Koovagam, India’s Largest Transgender Festival, Opens

Ayush RankaHarani a transgender from Tiruvannamalai district in Tamil Nadu was crowned the first runner-up at the beauty pageant held a day before the Koovagam festival, April 30, 2012. Senthil Thomgon is a 36-year-old bellman at the Balaji, one of only a handful of air-conditioned hotels in the dusty city of Villupuram, 162 kilometers southwest… Read more »

Japon: 2.500 personnes à la Gay Pride de Tokyo

En costume de carnaval ou en tenue de samouraï, les LGBT défilaient dans un pays où l’attention portée aux minorités sexuelles est assez faible. Environ 2.500 personnes ont pris part à la Gay Pride de Tokyo, qui se déroulaient hier. Les LGBT réclamaient comme chaque année une plus grande tolérance de la société nippone à… Read more »

2,500 march for gay pride in Tokyo

Organisers of Tokyo Rainbow Pride say an April march will now be a firm fixture in the LGBT calendar Wataru Ishizaka, Taiga Ishikawa, the first two openly gay politicians elected in Japan, and Aya Kamikawa, the only openly transgender politician in Japan, march in the Tokyo Rainbow Pride parade Sunday’s Tokyo Rainbow Pride parade attracted… Read more »

Happy endings in Bali

We discover the best massages, meals and uncharted territories in the Island of the Gods – Bali GSN’s intrepid explorer Jean Paul feeds an elephant in Bali. A few friends, all the travel books and what little I know about the book Eat. Pray. Love suggested that the best of Bali was to be found… Read more »

Tokyo has twice the Pride

The capital of Japan has two LGBT Pride marches this year. Gay Star News speaks to the organisers of this Sunday’s Tokyo Rainbow Pride In Tokyo Pride marches are like buses. You wait for over a year and then two come along at once. Although with Tokyo’s excellent transport system, the analogy doesn’t translate so… Read more »

Tokyo gets double dose of gay pride for 2012

LGBT community deserves to be spoilt for choice after a parade-free 2011 For the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, gay pride parades are not only a great means to raise awareness of LGBT issues and spread the message of diversity and acceptance, but also a much-needed excuse to gather supporters together and party down.… Read more »

Hillary Clinton talks about promoting equality around the world

US Secretary of State says in parts of Africa and Asia, gay rights is ‘just a totally foreign concept Hillary Clinton has faced many challenges during her time as US Secretary of State and one of the biggest has been trying to promote LGBT equality around the world. Clinton said during an appearance at Syracuse… Read more »

Malaysia Says No To Gay Characters On TV, Radio

The government of Malaysia has banned television and radio shows which feature gay characters. The ban, effective immediately, was reported by The Star. Deputy Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Maglin Dennis D’Cruz told The Star that the ban was meant to curb the “influence” of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community. State-owned… Read more »

Thousands scream for hate at anti-LGBT rally in Malaysia

Thousands of protestors, including students, gathered for an anti-LGBT rally outside Kuala Lumpur on Saturday Thousands, including hundreds of students, gathered at an anti-LGBT rally outside Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, witnessing speeches clamouring for intolerance of sexual minorities in Malaysia. Several NGOs met to express their dissatisfaction with tentative calls for LGBT rights in the… Read more »