TAG: asia

Gay Israeli men and surrogate babies evacuated from Nepal, mothers left behind

After the magnitude 7.9 earthquake that hit Nepal on April 25th, international media has provided what is surely a disproportionate number of pieces on the ordeal of foreign citizens during a disaster that has killed 7,500 Nepalis, injured twice as many, and according to the UN, affected 8 million — more than one quarter of […]

Same Sex Marriage Now Legal in Vietnam

While Southeast Asia’s Muslim countries, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, take a dim view of homosexuality, Vietnam is leading the way with its views on LGBT. With the enactment on Jan. 1 of a law that abolishes regulations that “prohibit marriage between people of the same sex”, Vietnam now becomes only the second country in […]

LBGTI people in Asia continue to face stigma and discrimination

Across Asia, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LBGTI) people continue to face rights violations because of their sexual orientation and gender identity and weak knowledge of local legal systems impact on their ability to file formal complaints, or seek justice or legal redress. A new report released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), […]

In The Virile God’s Graveyard

AUGUST 28, 2014 tags: Love Jihad, Narendra Modi, RSS by apoorvanand ( I had spent a week in Gujarat in February-March,2007 and published two reports in TEHELKA. Reproducing the first part to remind myself that it was again in Gujarat where the fear of ‘Love Jihad’ was invented in its present incarnation.) For many Gujaratis, […]

The Fate of Feminism in Pakistan

KARACHI, Pakistan — On Feb. 12, 1983, 200 women — activists and lawyers — marched to the Lahore High Court to petition against a law that would have made a man’s testimony in court worth that of two women. The Pakistani dictator Gen. Muhammad Zia ul-Haq had already promulgated the infamous Hudood Ordinance, which reflected […]

Interview With Darkmatter—Janani Balasubramanian and Alok Vaid-Menon

Read interteview Janani Balasubramanian and Alok Vaid-Menon about South Asian-American queer activism. Here.

IGLHRC Publishes New 5-Country Report on Violence against LGBTs in Asia

International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) has launched a report on violence against LGBT person in Asia. Read it here.

Philippine court upholds contraceptive law as constitutional

The Philippines Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a family planning law but ruled out provisions to punish health workers who do not inform people about contraceptive options. Read more on Reuters. And click here to read former lawmaker Edcel C. Lagman’s article about the Supreme Court decision.

Red Lights Dim in China’s Sin City

Read New York Times article about China’s harshest anti-vice campaign in years and its efects on the economy of Dongguan, a southern city of more than eight million people. Click here.

China’s government launches crackdown on prostitution

In mid February, the Chinese government launched a policy offensive against activities deemed as vices such pornography and prostitution. The operation took place in the city of Dongguan and had the support of the official media, which had been broadcasting news on the sex trade in the region for some days before the operation began. […]

6th Asia Pacific Population Conference

The 6th Asia Pacific Population Conference (APPC) took place at the end of September in Bangkok. The final document brings recommendations on gender equality and sexual and reproductive rights, including access to contraceptive, reduction of maternal mortality and access to safe abortion (at this point, the document points that such access must be avaialable under […]

Rape is ‘a cross-cutting global issue’

Almost one in four men surveyed in six Asian countries admit to having raped their partners at least once, according to a UN report. Researcher Emma Fulu explains the factors that prompt men to accept and commit rape. Read DW’s article.