Asia
Proud to be gay
A repeal of Section 377 would demonstrate that I am not a criminal but simply a normal human being. The social stigma around being gay is wrong. I told my parents I was lesbian when I was only 17 years old. They were scared for my future, concerned what people would say and worried I… Read more »
Adam Rippon leads tributes for Olympic figure skater stabbed to death
Denis Ten was only 25 years old The figure skating world is in mourning after thieves murdered 25-year-old Olympic figure skater, Denis Ten. The Olympic medallist was stabbed to death in Almaty, Kazakhstan after reportedly trying to stop men from stealing his car mirrors. He was taken to hospital with severe bleeding where he died… Read more »
India hires trans people as bodyguards to protect women from rape
It’s a win-win situation for the trans community who need better employment opportunities A state in India has recruited the trans community to help protect women and girls living in care homes. The drastic move came after widespread reports of sexual assaults occurring at the care homes in Bihar. A shocking audit of 100 care… Read more »
Indian state takes a step forward for transgender rights
The southern Indian state of Kerala announced this month that it would reserve places for transgender students in the state’s higher education institutions, a move aimed at easing their stigmatization. The transgender community is among the most marginalized in India, with access to education and subsequently jobs mostly nonexistent, according to experts. Kerala’s move to… Read more »
Gay men, adulterers publicly flogged in Aceh, Indonesia
Fifteen people, including five women, were punished with public caning Friday for violating Sharia law in Indonesia’s conservative Aceh province. Two men accused of being gay received 87 lashes each for gay sex, while nine others were sentenced up to 26 lashes for adultery. Four people were caned for being drunk, including one woman who… Read more »
Over 210,000 sign petition against South Korean gay pride festival
More than 210,000 people have signed a petition on the web site of the South Korean president’s office demanding that an “abominable” gay pride festival scheduled to take place in central Seoul this weekend be cancelled. The three-day Seoul Queer Culture Festival is marking its 19th anniversary this year and will include art exhibitions and… Read more »
HRW: Indonesia’s ‘Unlawful Action’ Contributes to Soaring HIV Rate
A human rights watchdog says Indonesia’s crackdown on its LGBT community is contributing to the country’s soaring HIV rate. Human Rights Watch says Indonesian authorities have taken “unlawful action,” in collaboration sometimes with militant Islamist groups, against people presumed to be LGBT. A newly released 70-page report documents how the unlawful activities have impacted the… Read more »
“Scared in Public and Now No Privacy”
Human Rights and Public Health Impacts of Indonesia’s Anti-LGBT Moral Panic Summary On May 21, 2017, police in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, raided the Atlantis gym and sauna, arresting 141 people, most of whom were gay or bisexual men. Ten were ultimately prosecuted under Indonesia’s pornography law. The Atlantis was not just a “gay club,” but… Read more »
[Opinion] The extra struggles of the LGBTQ+ community in Mindanao
‘We cannot achieve peace and genuine development if gender equality is not upheld especially in Mindanao’ Openly LGBTQ+ are everywhere in the Philippines. Given this level of normalcy, pride events are organized in the Philippines’ central metropolitan cities – a celebration of gender diversity by parading in eleganza, extravaganza, and an ensemble of rainbows all… Read more »
Alarmingly high rates of HIV among China’s youth
Young Chinese people living in urban areas have never had it so good. They have better access to education and healthcare services, and a higher quality of life overall. But authorities are alarmed by one statistic: rates of HIV among young people aged 15-19 have tripled over the past decade. While China’s youth have become… Read more »
Colombo PRIDE 2018
Go to Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ColomboPRIDESriLanka/ Source – Facebook
Colombo PRIDE 2017
Equal Ground is the only organisation in Sri Lanka to hold annual PRIDE celebrations – an important event in the Sri Lankan LGBTIQ calendar. Equal Ground works very hard to provide for the needs of the community each year giving the LGBTIQ community of Sri Lanka the space to stand up tall and be proud… Read more »
Vietnam begins testing HIV through saliva
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) – Much like home testing kits, the oral HIV quick test method will be launched in Vietnam for the first time, said an official of the Ministry of Health’s (MoH) Vietnam Administration for HIV/AIDS Control (VAAC). According to Vo Hai Son, head of the HIV/AIDS Surveillance, Monitoring, Evaluation and Testing Division under VAAC,… Read more »
Gay Rights Failures Are Holding Back Asia Banking
If Singapore and Hong Kong want to be centers of financial innovation, attitudes need to change. What makes a city a financial center? Investopedia says it requires “international connectedness, diversity and expertise in a variety of financial products and services.” In Asia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo risk falling short on measures two and three… Read more »
This Is What It’s Like To Travel As A Gay Asian Man
As a gay Asian man who works in the tourism industry and loves to travel himself, Romey Louangvilay’s goal is to make travel more inclusive for everyone. A finalist in Forbes’ 2016 Top 30 Under 30 in Marketing & Advertising, Louangvilay is head of communications, overseeing public relations, social media and influencer marketing, at a… Read more »
Gay in India, Where Progress Has Come Only With Risk
Bilaspur, India — If you had told Ayesha Kapur 10 years ago that she would help lead the fight against one of the world’s oldest laws criminalizing gay sex, she would never have believed you. For most of her life, Ms. Kapur was afraid to ever speak of her sexuality. Growing up in New Delhi… Read more »
China’s LGBT community finds trouble, hope at end of rainbow
Beijing: When two women wearing rainbow badges were beaten up by security guards in an arty part of Beijing last month, social media users quickly jumped in to fight their corner. China’s LGBT community may not get much support from authorities, but in a sign of growing tolerance in Chinese society, people are using the… Read more »
China’s LGBT community finds trouble, hope at end of rainbow
Beijing: When two women wearing rainbow badges were beaten up by security guards in an arty part of Beijing last month, social media users quickly jumped in to fight their corner. China’s LGBT community may not get much support from authorities, but in a sign of growing tolerance in Chinese society, people are using the… Read more »
It looks like Indonesia will not criminalize gay sex after all
The law will now ban the vague concept of ‘indecent’ sex which could have much broader consequences After months of debate, it seems as though Indonesia will not go ahead with plans to criminalize homosexuality. The idea to criminalize homosexuality was first floated at a Criminal Code (KUHP) bill working committee meeting. It quickly gained… Read more »
Gay sex to be banned in Indonesia – but it’s ‘not discriminatory,’ say lawmakers
Gay sex is set to be made illegal in Indonesia. The country’s new criminal code, which includes a prohibition on homosexual acts, is currently being discussed in the House of Representatives, with a goal of passing it into law later this year. ? Arsul Sani, a member of the People’s Representative Council which is forming… Read more »
Same-sex couples tie the knot in Cambodia in a stunning public ceremony
There were smiles all around as the same-sex couples felt proud to show off their relationships in public Same-sex couples in Cambodia declared their commitment to each other in a colorful public ceremony. They wanted to help raise awareness about LGBTI rights. The couples entered into Cambodia’s version of civil partnership known as the Declaration… Read more »
Malaysia Begins Blocking Online AIDS/HIV and LGBT Travel Information
TMNet, a Malaysian Internet Service provider, has begun tampering with Internet DNS domain names to prevent users in Malaysia from accessing HIV/AIDS and LGBT travel information online. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia In an unprecedented move for a multi-cultural tourism destination, Malaysia has begun to block Internet access to public information about HIV/AIDS and LGBT travel, effecting… Read more »
LGBT Supporters Rally In Tbilisi, Despite Fears Of Violence
Tbilisi – Several dozen people have marched in the Georgian capital to mark International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOTB), despite fears of potential clashes with opponents. Police in Tbilisi were on high alert on May 17 even after an event commemorating IDAHOTB was canceled to avoid a confrontation with marchers expected to take… Read more »
Pakistan Passes Historic Transgender Rights Bill
Pakistan’s parliament passed a landmark bill on Tuesday that gives the country’s transgender citizens fundamental rights. The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act allows people to choose their gender and to have that identity recognized on official documents, including national IDs, passports and driver’s licenses. The bill also prohibits discrimination in schools, at work, on… Read more »
With the theme ‘love and equality,’ this year’s march saw the biggest attendance yet.
Some 7,000 people attended Tokyo Rainbow Pride in Japan this weekend, up from 5,000 in 2016, according to organizers. “Everyone is equal in love. We seek no special rights, but the same thing, the same way. The freedom to love. That basic freedom is what we want to achieve,” organizers told Pink News. Some 37… Read more »
A transgender paradox in the Philippines
Maria Respondo: Angel Cabaluna dusted makeup onto her thighs, styled her hair in loose curls and applied smoky eye shadow that glittered on her lids. As this hamlet of cornfields and concrete houses prepared for festivities honouring its patron saint, and as some people gathered in prayer, Cabaluna, 20, was primping to compete in an… Read more »
A Transgender Paradox, and Platform, in the Philippines
Maria Respondo, Philippines — Angel Cabaluna dusted makeup onto her thighs, styled her hair in loose curls and applied smoky eye shadow that glittered on her lids. As this hamlet of cornfields and concrete houses prepared for festivities honoring its patron saint, and as some people gathered in prayer, Ms. Cabaluna, 20, was primping to… Read more »
Thailand introduces landmark same-sex civil partnerships bill
Thailand’s government has introduced a bill to legalise same-sex civil partnerships. The landmark move would make Thailand only the second country in Asia – after Taiwan – to officially recognise same-sex couples. ? Last year, the highest court in Taiwan stated that restricting unions to heterosexual couples was unconstitutional, and ruled that same-sex marriage would… Read more »
A 33-year-old hotelier is taking the fight for gay rights to India’s supreme court
One of India’s top hoteliers has decided to take the fight for the decriminalisation of gay sex to India’s top court. Keshav Suri, executive director of The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, filed a petition with the supreme court on April 23 challenging Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) that criminalises a consensual relationship… Read more »
Pakistan opens first transgender school
Founders hope vocational courses will enable marginalised community to find acceptance Pakistan’s first-ever school for transgender students has welcomed its first students this week. Around 40 adult students at the Gender Guardian School in Lahore are studying vocational courses in eight fields, including graphic design, cookery and fashion design. The pioneering institute aims to provide… Read more »
Gay men will no longer be whipped in public in Indonesia
Gay sex in Indonesia will not be publicly punished with lashings anymore – but men will still receive the punishment behind closed doors. Aceh, the only region of the secular country where Sharia law is in effect, will continue to conduct the barbaric practice, which saw two men caned 83 times last year for consensual… Read more »
Japan’s Fukuoka Begins Registering Same Sex Couples
Seventh municipality in Japan begins registering LGBT couples, continuing march to greater equality in the country. Southwest Japan’s Fukuoka Municipal Government on Monday began recognizing LGBT couples this week, becoming the seventh municipality in the country to offer such registrations after Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward began in 2015. Fukuoka Mayor Soichiro Takashima handed the first official… Read more »
Same-sex couples officially recognized in one of Japan’s big cities
Lots of couples flocked to have their relationships registered in just the first few days Same-sex couples can now register their relationship in Fukuoka, one of Japan’s biggest cities. Fukuoka Mayor Soichiro Takashima made the announcement about the good news in February. But now everything is up and running for the partnership oath system which… Read more »
Vietnam’s sex industry and the sticky subject of legalizing it
‘Sex workers should have the right to make a living, contribute to society, and enjoy welfare in terms of healthcare and education.’ Vietnamese officials have expressed their concerns about the complicated nature of recognizing prostitution as a job. Despite being illegal in Vietnam, prostitutes can still be found all over the country’s biggest cities, and… Read more »
4 People Facing 100 Lashes For Alleged Gay Sex In Indonesia
Banda Aceh, Indonesia – Rights activists called on Tuesday for Indonesia’s Aceh province to release four people detained on suspicion of having homosexual sex, amid concerns over the persecution of the LGBT community in the world’s third-largest democracy. Secular Indonesia is predominantly Muslim but ultra-conservative Aceh is the only province to follow sharia, or Islamic… Read more »
Indonesian man and transgender woman could be caned 100 times for ‘having gay sex’
An Indonesian man and a transgender woman have been arrested for ‘having gay sex’. The pair face being sentenced to receive up to 100 lashes if convicted. ? Local residents reportedly broke into a hair salon in Aceh – the only region of the Muslim-majority country where Sharia law is in effect and gay sex… Read more »
Trans violence widespread in Cambodia
Senrith Sereyroth remembers with horrifying clarity the day she was gang-raped. It was in 2005, 10 years after Sereyroth, a transgender woman, began working in the sex trade. Standing near Independence Monument, she was approached by two men with $10. They took her to an unknown location, where 10 men were waiting. “When they realised… Read more »
Paata Sabelashvili on Drugs & the LGBT Community
Exclusive Interview Politicians, journalists, and civil society observers covering the theme of drug use, in conjunction with the LGBT community in Georgia, are very familiar with the ‘White Noise Movement,’ which stems from anti-drug legislations which put drug users for small offenses behind bars for years. For consuming only a small amount of marijuana, Paata… Read more »
What’s It Like to Be LGBT in Cambodia?
Gay-friendly bars, drag shows, gay spas and saunas. Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Cambodia’s other urban centres have got the lot when it comes to catering for the LGBT scene. Visitors would be forgiven for thinking the country is accepting of the community. However, growing up gay in Cambodia can be a very different story.… Read more »
Pakistan’s first transgender news anchor Marvia Malik: ‘I struggled a lot to be accepted’
Marvia Malik is Pakistan’s first transgender news presenter. In a DW interview, Malik says she had to work hard to break taboos and finally be accepted by a society that discriminates against transgender people. DW: Congratulations on becoming Pakistan’s first transgender news presenter. How has the news been received in Pakistan? Marvia Malik: The response… Read more »
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