Speaking before an audience at the John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Richard E. Hoagland, the principal deputy assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs stated in a Press Trust of India report that appeared in Siasat.com, “We monitor the situation in India, where the Supreme Court overturned a landmark ruling…
NEW DELHI — The Supreme Court’s ruling recognizing transgender people as the third sex might pave the way for decriminalizing same-sex relations in India, say gay-rights lawyers and activists in India, GayAsiaNews reports. In a landmark ruling on April 15, a Supreme Court bench comprising Justices KS Radhakrishnan and AK Sikri directed that transgender people…
NEW DELHI — Today, India’s highest court has directed that transgender people be recognized as the third sex, besides male and female and be accorded social acceptability and an equal standing under Indian law, reports GayAsia News.com. “The spirit of the Constitution is to provide equal opportunity to every citizen to grow and attain their…
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM — Brunei has adopted a new penal code that calls for death by stoning for same-sex relations which will come into effect April 22, reports GayAsiaNews.com. Same-sex relations have long been a crime in Brunei, but the maximum punishment till now has been a 10-year prison sentence. The United Nations human rights office…
THAILAND — Asia’s most picturesque resort is set to embrace the LGBT community during the upcoming Phuket Pride Week in what is likely to be a record for Thailand tourism. GayAsiaNews reports that Although Thailand does not recognize marriage between same-sex couples, Phuket is being promoted as one of the best places in the world…
TAIWAN — Despite growing social acceptance of marriage between same-sex couples, equality in Taiwan remains largely a dream because of a lack of legal recognition reports gayasianews.com In the past, same-sex relations were taboo but recent studies show attitudes are changing, said a taipeitimes.com report citing last year’s poll conducted by Academia Sinica showing 52 percent…
Thirty-five men has been arrested in Saudi Arabia for what officials are claiming is their participation in a “gay party,” reports the PeninuslaTimes.org. The men were arrested in the early morning of April 4 in a suburb of Jeddah, a city in the Hijaz Tihamah region on the coast of the Red Sea and a…
In a world first, this coming Wednesday (Tuesday USA) every major, professional sport in Australia will collectively commit to tackling discrimination based on sexual orientation. Australian Football League’s Andrew Demetriou (CEO), Australia Rugby Union’s Bill Pulver (CEO), National Rugby League’s Dave Smith (CEO), Football Federation of Australia’s David Gallop (CEO) and Cricket Australia’s Ben Amarfio…
The Indian Supreme Court April 3 has agreed to consider the plea by gay activists to reconsider its verdict that recriminalized same-sex relations. Naz Foundation, a voluntary organization fighting for gay rights and the repeal of the colonial-era anti-gay law, had filed a curative petition requesting the Supreme Court to “correct” its verdict. A bench…
Despite a 28-year effort to get Taiwan to recognize same-sex marriage, Chi Chia-wei and his husband in all but name, have failed to persuade a Taiwanese court to strike down a ban preventing a government agency from registering their marriage. The decision, the ManilaTimes.net reports, is “a major setback for equal rights.” Taiwan, an outlier…
