Bhutan Becomes Latest Asian Nation to Dial Back Anti-Gay Laws
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/12/world/as...alizes-gay.html



HONG KONG — The kingdom of Bhutan prides itself on maximizing “gross national happiness,” but it doesn’t always feel that way to members of the country’s L.G.B.T. community.

Stigma and discrimination are rife, activists say, and it’s common for gay people to be blackmailed. “These are the issues that don’t get talked about, but this is the reality,” said Tashi Tsheten, a founding member of the local advocacy group Rainbow Bhutan.

This week, however, lawmakers in the Himalayan country voted to amend a line from Bhutan’s penal code that criminalizes “sodomy or any other sexual conduct that is against the order of nature,” previously treated as a reference to gay sex.

The move, which still needs the king’s approval to become law, was the latest example of an Asian government loosening restrictive laws governing the private lives of L.G.B.T. people.

In neighboring India, the Supreme Court unanimously struck down one of the world’s oldest bans on consensual gay sex in 2018, ruling that gay Indians were to be accorded all the protections of the Constitution.

Last year, lawmakers in Taiwan voted to legalize same-sex marriage, a first for Asia. That gave new leverage to activists campaigning for marriage equality in Japan and beyond.

And in July, Thailand’s cabinet said that it had approved a draft bill that would give same-sex unions many of the same benefits as heterosexual marriages. The legislation avoided the term “marriage,” but allowed for the legal registration of same-sex partnerships.

Bhutan’s new law, which passed both houses of Parliament on Thursday, “folds Bhutan into the global momentum toward recognizing equality for lesbian, gay, and bisexual people,” said Kyle Knight, a senior researcher in the L.G.B.T. rights program at Human Rights Watch who has written about the law.

However, he added, “Bhutan still has significant work to do to ensure that the rights of people who have been long marginalized on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity are fully protected.”

Bhutan’s penal code was introduced in 2004, four years before this Buddhist-majority nation of 800,000 people held its first elections as part of a transition from absolute monarchy to constitutional democracy. Much of the code was adopted from criminal laws in the United States, according to a recent analysis by the legal scholars Dema Lham and Stanley Yeo.

The parts about sodomy and “unnatural sex,” though, are identical to language in other penal codes around South Asia that was copied from the Indian Penal Code, a law introduced in the 1860s by the British colonial authorities, said Mr. Tsheten, the Bhutanese activist. Individuals charged with “unnatural sex” acts in Bhutan would be subject to penalties consistent with a petty misdemeanor.

The campaign to amend anti-gay language in Bhutan’s penal code did not involve much direct lobbying from L.G.B.T. activists, Mr. Tsheten said, in part because formally registering a gay rights advocacy group in the country could be interpreted to mean that you were “standing up for criminals.”

Instead, he said, it grew out of an effort to help the Health Ministry prevent H.I.V. in the country’s gay community. “What we did was just show people in Bhutan that we exist,” he said.

The ministry became an ally because it recognized that the penal code’s reference to “unnatural sex” could prevent gay and bisexual men from seeking H.I.V. treatment. And when the penal code came up for review last year, Finance Minister Namgay Tshering — who had previously worked at the Health Ministry and the World Bank — stood up in Parliament to insist that the outdated language be repealed.

“My primary reason is that this section is there since 2004 but it has become so redundant and has never been enforced,” Mr. Tshering said. “It is also an eyesore for international human rights bodies.”

When Bhutan’s lawmakers voted on Thursday to amend the penal code’s reference to “unnatural sex,” Pema Dorji, an L.G.B.T. activist who was sitting in the chamber, was so nervous that he could not watch.

“I just closed my eyes,” said Mr. Dorji, a founding member of the advocacy group Queer Voices of Bhutan. “I was looking at the floor the whole time as I waited for them to raise their hands.”

Ugyen Wangdi, a lawmaker on a panel considering the changes, told Reuters on Thursday that 63 of Bhutan’s 69 lawmakers had voted to amend the penal code. The other six were absent.

The language about “unnatural sex” will reman in the code, Mr. Tsheten said, but will now be followed by a sentence clarifying that “homosexuality between adults” does not meet that definition.

He said that while the amended language “opens up a lot of doors” for Bhutan’s L.G.B.T. community, there would be no shortage of homophobia to overcome. Gay friends of his who have been blackmailed, for example, have been forced to change schools[ or start new social media profiles.

“You get a very hostile sense,” he said, “that your friends or colleagues would not be supportive if you came out.”

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A growing number of Asian countries are starting to get into their senses. Malaysia bila?

Federal Court told only Parliament can criminalise ‘unnatural sex’, state govt no power to introduce as Shariah offence



PUTRAJAYA, Dec 14 — The offence of committing “unnatural sex” is a criminal matter that only the federal government — via Parliament — has the powers to make laws on, while state governments lack the power to make state laws to criminalise and punish it as a Shariah offence, a lawyer argued in the Federal Court today.

Today was the hearing by a nine-man panel at the Federal Court of a Malaysian Muslim man’s constitutional challenge against a Selangor state law that makes unnatural sex a Shariah offence in the state, with the challenge revolving around whether the Selangor state government had the power to make state Shariah laws on the offence.

This Shariah offence, which the man was charged with in the Shariah courts in Selangor, is Section 28 of the Syariah Criminal Offences (Selangor) Enactment 1995.

Section 28 makes it a Shariah offence for “any person” performing “sexual intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal”, with the punishment being a maximum fine of RM5,000 or a maximum three-year jail term or a maximum whipping of six strokes or any combination.

Lawyer Datuk Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, who represented the man, explained that the case today involved the key question of the Federal Constitution’s limits on what the state government can make laws on.

While the Federal Constitution gives state governments the powers to make laws on certain Islamic matters such as offences against the religion of Islam, Imtiaz pointed out that the Federal Constitution at the same time carries the condition that such state laws should not be on matters that are already within the powers of the federal government to make laws on.

“So under the Constitution, the criminal system of law is in Parliament’s hands. So Parliament has what we say exclusive powers to create the laws pertaining to the criminal justice system — that means the laws, the prosecution, sentencing, everything.

“So then we have this exception for offences against the religion of Islam, which the state can make. So the question for the court is how to reconcile the two powers, because strictly speaking any offence is a matter of criminal law, and if that is correct, then that has to be in Parliament’s power.

“Because the power in the state is also said as being qualified to the extent that it is not in the federal list, so that’s the issue before the court.

“So what we argued today is a matter of substance, this offence is a criminal offence falling within the federal list. And just because you put a term ‘Islamic’ on it, doesn’t change it from a criminal law or a criminal offence to one of Islamic offence, because the substance of the offence is the same going both ways,” he explained to reporters when met after the hearing at the Federal Court.

Federal government’s powers vs state government’s powers

In the Federal Constitution’s Ninth Schedule, List I which is also known as the Federal List states what the federal government via Parliament can make laws on, while List II which is also the State List states the matters which state governments through their respective state legislative assemblies can make laws on.

Citing the State List in the Federal Constitution, Imtiaz highlighted that it allows state governments to make state laws on the “creation and punishment of offences by persons professing the religion of Islam against precepts of that religion, except in regard to matters included in the Federal List”, stressing that this carries the condition or acts as a “preclusion clause” to exclude the state government from making laws on matters that are in the Federal List or fall under the federal government’s jurisdiction.

Imtiaz then highlighted the Federal List in the Federal Constitution, which covers matters such as internal security, police, criminal investigation, prisons, civil and criminal law and procedure and the administration of justice, and creation of offences in respect of any matters included in the Federal List or dealt with by federal law.

In arguing that the state governments have no power to make unnatural sex a Shariah offence through state laws, Imtiaz highlighted that the federal government or Parliament has already made unnatural sex an offence through a federal law known as the Penal Code.

“There’s a provision in Parliament, the Penal Code is there, it provides the same offence, there cannot be two offences administered by two separate bodies,” he said during the hearing.

Read more: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/202...te-govt/1931815

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The lawyers are not questioning whether homosexuality is okay or not but whether or not as a Muslim, somone should be charged TWO times (one in civil court and one in syariah courts) for commiting "unnatural sex". They have made some great arguments and I believe the judges will be wise enough to see how prejudice the law is and decide to scrape it off soon.

Gay rights progress, but same-sex relations still a crime in 69 states: Report
Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/...-in-69-13775542



GENEVA: Despite significant progress on gay rights around the world, dozens of countries still criminalise consensual same-sex activity, including six where being gay is punishable by death, campaigners said on Tuesday (Dec 15).

In a fresh report, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) found "considerable progress" in legal protections for LGBT people worldwide.

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has created significant additional challenges for LGBT and other minority communities, "positive developments have taken place," the organisation said.

But while the trend is towards acceptance, a full 69 UN member states continue to criminalise consensual sex between people of the same gender, the report found.

That is one fewer than last year, after Gabon backtracked from a 2019 law - "the shortest-lived law of its kind in modern history," ILGA research coordinator and lead author of the report Lucas Ramon Mendos said in a statement.

More urgently than laws on the books, ILGA verified that 34 countries - more than half of those with criminalising laws - have actively enforced them in the past five years.

The report warned the real number could be "much higher".

"Wherever such provisions are in the books, people may get reported and arrested at any time even just under the suspicion of having sex with someone of the same gender," Mendos said.

"Courts actively prosecute and sentence them to jail, public flogging, or even death," he said.

In six UN member states, the death penalty is the legally prescribed punishment for consensual homosexual sex: Brunei, Iran, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, as well as across 12 northern states of Nigeria.

And the report said sources indicated that the death penalty could potentially be used in such cases in five other countries - Afghanistan, Pakistan, Qatar, Somalia and the United Arab Emirates - although there was less legal certainty.

"OPPRESS, PERSECUTE, SCAPEGOAT"

Another 42 countries have erected legal barriers to freedom of expression and sexual orientation and gender identity issues, while 51 have legal barriers to setting up NGOs that work on LGBT issues.

ILGA's head of programmes Julia Ehrt voiced concern that some governments had taken advantage of the coronavirus crisis to step up efforts to "oppress, persecute, scapegoat and violently discriminate against us".

The organisation also voiced concern over the proliferation of so-called "LGBT-free zones" in places like Poland and Indonesia, and renewed support for "conversion therapies".

But even as anti-gay rights forces seem to gain ground in a number of places, ILGA said its latest report showed "how our global community has collectively achieved progress in every single legal category tracked".

It highlighted that Sudan in July repealed the death penalty for consensual same-sex sexual acts, and hailed that Germany had become one of four UN member states which ban conversion therapies at the national level.

A number of jurisdictions within Australia, Canada, Mexico and the United States have also done so.

And it celebrated that Costa Rica had joined the growing number of countries that have introduced marriage equality, bringing the total to 28.

Another 34 countries provide for some partnership recognition for same-sex couples, it pointed out.

Tuesday's report also showed that as of this month, same-sex sexual acts are legal in 124 countries - 64 per cent of UN member states.

A full 81 countries meanwhile have laws offering protection against discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation, ILGA said, pointing out that 20 years ago, only 15 did.

Despite the challenges, Ehrt said the report "contains hope for a better tomorrow (and) a future in which our communities will no longer have to fight to reclaim rights that should have never been taken away from us in the first place".

‘Breaking Fast’ Follows Gay Muslim Man Looking For Love During Ramadan
Source: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/breaking-fas...5b6f24ae35cef79



This post has been edited by internaldisputes: Dec 18 2020, 09:12 AM

‘Gay is OK!’ is not okay for home ministry
Source: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/...-home-ministry/



PETALING JAYA: The home ministry has banned two publications for “promoting” homosexuality and pornography.

In a statement today, home ministry secretary-general Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz said a book titled “Gay is OK! A Christian Perspective” was seen as trying to promote the homosexual culture in Malaysia – which he said went against the religious and cultural sensitivities of the country.

“The practice is clearly forbidden and is contrary to all religious teachings including Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism,” he said.

The book, which was published in 2013, focuses on subjects related to gender and sexuality as well as religion. The author, who is also a pastor, argues that several verses in the Bible have been wrongly employed and misused by Christians to condemn gays and lesbians.

Meanwhile, a book titled “Peichi” has been banned for containing pornographic and immoral content that is contrary to the cultural values and norms of Malaysian society.

He added that the books were banned because they contained content that might be detrimental to public order, morals and public interest.

The ban is in accordance with Section 7(1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act, which prohibits the printing, production, reproduction, publication, importation, sale, distribution or ownership of the publications in Malaysia.

Anyone who commits an offence under the said section of the Act can be fined up to RM20,000, face a jail term of up to three years, or both.

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It's just a book...

🌎 Grindr reveals which countries have the most tops and the most bottoms
Source: https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/12/21/grind...t-tops-bottoms/



Gays, get your passports ready for a post-pandemic trip – Grindr has revealed the countries with the highest numbers of tops and bottoms.

The global hook-up app is active in nearly every country in the world, but some regions have markedly different preferences than others.

Vietnam, Sweden Thailand, Peru and South Africa are home to the biggest proportion of users who list themselves as bottoms, according to the gay app’s 2020 Grindr Unwrapped roundup.

Meanwhile, Nigeria, where gay sex is illegal, is home to the one of the highest proportions of tops, behind only Morocco and India and ahead of Chile and Israel.

If you’re looking up for a man who is up for anything, South America is definitely your destination of choice, with men in Venezuela, Guatemala and Argentina most likely to list themselves as vers.

Grindr did add an important clarification: “This data only represents a subsection of our users (not all Grindr users include this information on their profiles), and Grindr itself only represents a subsection of the global queer community.

“So it’s important to note that this is not meant as a comprehensive or scientific report on global queer sex and dating behaviours.

“Instead, it’s meant as a fun and informal way to help our users get to know each other better, serve as an ice-breaker for conversations in the app, and provide some insights into Grindr activity trends from the year.”

In more robust data, the United States remains the biggest market for the app, followed by Brazil, Mexico, India and the United Kingdom, with Brits admirably cracking the top five despite the UK’s smaller population.

Meanwhile, the holy day is looking more like the holey day, with Grindr revealing Sunday evenings are the most active time for users.

Grindr also revealed the most-listed songs of 2020, and we are stunned to report that gays love listening to Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande.

The pair’s collaboration “Rain on Me” topped the list, followed in short order by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s year-defining cultural phenomenon “WAP”. The jokes write themselves, really.

Grindr added: “It was a year unlike any other, and many of the usual ways people enjoy Grindr—in-person dates, hookups, tennis (yes, some of us use Grindr to find tennis partners)—were off the table in 2020 due to COVID-19.

“But that doesn’t mean people weren’t still connecting. This snapshot of activity shows that even in a year of quarantine and isolation, people still found ways to express themselves and connect safely from home.”

Facebook pages of some of the local NGOs fighting for LGBT rights in Malaysia.

🇬🇧 COVID-19: LGBTQ+ calls to homelessness charities surge during coronavirus pandemic
Source: https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-lgbtq-c...ndemic-12169821



For most of his life, Prashanta Ray kept a secret from his family.

He is gay, and he feared how his conservative parents would react if they found out.

But when a sibling outed him without his permission, Prashanta said it was far worse than he ever imagined.

"I was confronted by them, I had locked myself in my room because I felt very vulnerable and unsafe," he said.

"They had essentially broken down the frame of my door, gone in and physically attacked me, telling me that I should be more of a man and then essentially trying to push me back into the closet."

He added: "There's a part of you that hopes that because they are your family they would understand you for being you, but of course there's a cultural and religious implication of coming out which makes it difficult for them to accept their children."

Things got even worse when the coronavirus lockdown started.

The 25-year-old says he felt trapped behind closed doors with his increasingly hostile family, and endured daily verbal abuse from which there was no respite.

Prashanta left home, and with help from a charity found a room at a YMCA in Essex, where staff say they have seen a rise in young gay people seeking refuge since the beginning of the pandemic.

"We've seen an incredible increase in people being homeless - we've had an 80% increase in applications during COVID, and a percentage of those are young people who have come out to their parents, and said - I am gay," said Brian Cooke, director of housing at YMCA Thames Gateway.

He told Sky News he believes that restrictions turned some homes into pressure cookers and made it difficult for those hiding their sexuality from relatives to keep up appearances.

"Before lockdown people could, if they felt they had to, hide and they could get relief by leaving the house, or going to their friend's house and going to different groups - during lockdown that has not been available," he said.

LGBTQ+ homelessness charity akt says calls to helplines surged as coronavirus restrictions tightened.

The number of young people seeking help from akt in April 2020 was 108% higher than in April 2019, and by June rose to 190% more referrals than in June 2019.

The charity had to temporarily pause the service in September because it breached capacity, and hire more caseworkers to handle the demand.

But akt warns that young people should weigh up the risks of coming out while the country is gripped by coronavirus.

"Generally, our advice is to wait until the pandemic is over so there is better support - you can access support more readily, more easily," said Hayley Speed, the assistant director of services at akt.

"You hope people's responses will be positive and embracing at all times but I think at the moment, it might have been that additional stresses on family are going to make that really hard."

With restrictions likely to last for months more, that's a bleak prospect for many young people for whom being open with their families could mean losing their home.

🇮🇩 Empty salons: Indonesia’s transgender women count cost of COVID
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/23/h...ountcostofcovid



Medan, Indonesia – Iwan is transgender, and a “micro-minority” in Indonesia.

Before COVID-19, he employed four other transgender peopleas hairdressers and makeup artists at his Anna Sui Salon in Medan in North Sumatra, but now he can afford to hire only one.

“We used to have 10 to 15 customers a day, now we haven’t had a customer in over a week,” Iwan said. “Maybe we get one customer every two weeks now. It’s been that way since the pandemic started in March.”

Salon work and the wedding industry are two of only a few sectors in Indonesia that offer employment opportunities to those who are openly transgender.

“People in the transgender community are still considered ‘deviant’ in much of Indonesian society,” said Irna Minauli, a psychologist in Medan. “They are stigmatised and bullied. However, they are accepted in a few narrow sectors such as the beauty industry.”

Antonius Remigius Abi who teaches ethics at the Faculty of Law at Santo Thomas Catholic University in Medan, tells Al Jazeera that, “a mistaken school of thought has built up that transgender people are ‘abnormal’ in Indonesian society”.

The lecturer regularly discusses the transgender community in his classes, and says that students often criticise the community based on narrow perceptions of sexual behaviour and gender identity. All of this, he continues, has an impact on transgender visibility in civil society.

“From an ethical perspective, every human being is equal and must be respected. However, the transgender community are rarely accepted to work in public spaces other than salons or the entertainment industry in Indonesia,” he said.

Indonesia has been the most badly affected country in Southeast Asia by the pandemic with more than 20,000 deaths reported since March. The archipelago currently has nearly 127,000 active confirmed cases of coronavirus, and the beauty industry has been severely affected.

Forced to close

While the Anna Sui Salon has employed dozens of transgender workers over the years, Iwan says business has been so slow they now only have Emmy, 40, who has worked as a hairdresser there for 10 years. They say it is lucky that Iwan owns the building where the salon is located and does not have to pay rent.

“If we were still renting, we would have had to close by now,” Iwan said. “I have friends in the transgender community who also own salons and many of them have had to close as they couldn’t afford to pay their rent any more. Some of my friends have laid off all their staff and just call them in on a freelance basis when someone makes an appointment.”

Iwan says many transgender employees in the beauty industry use social media to get clients and do home visits, something which is no longer popular during the pandemic when people are fearful of outside workers coming to their homes and unable to afford non-essential services like beauty treatments.

Shinta Ratri, the head of Pondok Pesantren Waria Al-Fatah in Yogyakarta, believed to be the first transgender madrassa, or Islamic boarding school, in the world, tells Al Jazeera many transgender people are struggling because of the pandemic.

“The impact of COVID-19 has reduced the transgender community’s income by 60 percent,” she said. “They are finding it hard to pay for accommodation and they only have enough money to cover basics like food. That is why many of them are so stressed.”

As it is almost impossible for members of the transgender community to get jobs in more stable sectors such as education or the civil service, Pondok Pesantren Waria Al-Fatah has set up a food security training programme for 20 people for two months to help them diversify their employment opportunities.

“We have also set up a fundraising programme to help pay costs for 60 members of the transgender community and have set up mental health support for 20 more,” she added.

Disparaging

Across Indonesia, members of the transgender community often have difficulties accessing formal government support, because of the stigma surrounding gender identity and the fact that many of them are undocumented or have documents that do not reflect their identities.

Both Iwan and Emmy are disparaging of the government response to COVID-19, saying that they have received no financial aid or subsidies.

“We didn’t even get help to pay our electricity bills. Nothing,” said Iwan.

“Yet four government officials have just been arrested for corruption, including the social affairs minister while we are struggling,” said Emmy, who adds that they like to watch political commentary on TikTok since there is little else to do at the salon.

On 6 December, Juliari Batubara, Indonesia’s social affairs minister, was arrested on corruption charges regarding food aid earmarked for those affected by the pandemic after taking bribes from contractors in charge of supplying food parcels.

Harvard just proves itself as a leader in gender equality amongst institutes of higher education.

Hey there! Giga here... What's your name?

It's okay! It took years for me to really understand who I am before finally accepting myself. I think everyone else also have pretty much the same journey. So don't worry if things don't really make any sense at first. The fact that you've taken the first steps to self-discovery is already great.

🇨🇳 Chengdu: China's permissive 'gay capital'
Source: https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2020/12/...ive-gay-capital



CHENGDU: It's Saturday night at the HUNK club in Chengdu and men in gold lycra shorts and black boots dance on stage. They wear kimonos, in an apparent tactical compromise with new morality codes creeping into China's "gay capital."

But across town, young women still lounge on leather sofas drinking beer at a lesbian club, while a nearby bar is hosting an LGBTQ board game night.

Far from the administrative glare of Beijing, the cosmopolitan southwestern city, dubbed "Gaydu" by Chinese millennials, has long cherished its reputation as a safe haven for a community that faces stigma and widespread harassment elsewhere in the country.

But activists now say the city's permissive streak is under threat, as the central Communist leadership puts the squeeze on the few bastions of sexual freedom across the country.

But Chengdu's resilient LGBTQ community is not ready to be forced into the closet.

"There is some tacit acceptance by the authorities, but it is very delicate," said Matthew, an activist from the NGO Chengdu Rainbow, who requested use of his first name only.

The recipe for survival, Matthew says, is "making small progress" rather than big political and social statements that rattle China's hyper-sensitive authorities.

The mood in Chengdu started to sour in October when the MC Club was closed after explicit photos were posted online and local media reported that HIV infections had been linked to sex parties allegedly taking place at the venue's sauna.

Some in the gay community say a spike in the number of domestic LGBTQ visitors – unable to travel overseas because of the coronavirus pandemic – drew unwanted attention from city authorities.

Major gay bars in the city were temporarily shut down, ostensibly to control a public health crisis.

Then, an activist told AFP, all of the city's LGBTQ organisations were suddenly investigated.

China's LGBTQ population still encounters discrimination and lacks legal safeguards in a country that as recently as 2001 still classified being gay as a mental illness.

Gay marriage is still not legally recognised, despite mounting calls to introduce it, especially among the younger generations.

But major obstacles block their progress.

President Xi Jinping has overseen a drive against anything considered antithetical to Communist Party values – leaving little room for gay pride.

Beijing also frowns on large civil society mobilisations of any kind.

To locals, Chengdu is the final holdout.

They say the city's gay-friendly ambience derives from its eclectic mix of ethnic minorities and cultures – as well as its handy distance from Beijing and the strictures of mainstream China.

The city's allure is "its openness," said activist Matthew, whose office is festooned with rainbow flags and posters reading "Be proud, Be yourself."

"People here generally don't care what your sexual orientation is."

Before it was shut, the MC Club was packed with about 1,000 people each night, an activist told AFP.

Its anything-goes reputation is folkloric across the gay community in the city of 16 million.

"These past few years, mainstream ideology became more aggressive and the LGBT community has been more marginalised," said Tang Yinghong, a professor who teaches sexual psychology.

The secret to survival is avoiding noisy social and political advocacy, says Hongwei, a member of a Chengdu NGO, using a pseudonym.

LGBTQ groups in the city instead focus on community needs such as psychological support and help for those coming out, while some readily report planned events to authorities to keep everything above board.

"I never had anyone here tell me how to live," says Hongwei, pouring out cups of green tea from a stylish black pot.

"We just manage our own business here, and don't interfere with others." - AFP

When Covid19 is over I want to move to Japan.

🇺🇸 This is America: Gender expression in a socially distanced world
Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2020/12...ica/4032512001/



Personal identity in a socially distanced world

As a queer person, I've thought about my gender presentation a lot, both before and during the pandemic.

In 2019, I got a short pixie cut. During the pandemic, I went even shorter, with a faded undercut.

Gender identity means being male, female — or some combination or neither (called "nonbinary").

Gender expression is how you show it. "Gender expression is a public communication of your gender identity," said Julie Woulfe, a psychologist who cowrote "The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Transgender and nonbinary Community."

But what does "public communication" mean in a year of social distancing?

Working in person with coworkers, physically attending classes at school or even riding the subway are all public activities that many of us are no longer doing on the regular. While the activities are mundane, the decisions of gender expression in these spaces could be deliberate.

Woulfe and her cowriter Melina Wald, both of Columbia University, told me that trans and enby (that's another word for nonbinary) people they work with have experienced newfound freedom from the removal of social pressures surrounding gender expression.

For better or worse, many of us only see fragments of our coworkers and classmates in brief intervals over Zoom.

What has that meant for me? My faded undercut is bolder and well, more queer, in 2020. If we were all working in person, maybe I wouldn't have made as bold a change.

Sometimes, I don't feel feminine enough to be a "she" at all, and during the pandemic a few of the people I'm closest with started using the gender-neutral pronouns "they" and "them" to refer to me.

It feels different and, well, really good to embrace gender as much or as little as I want to – on my own terms.

Some young trans and nonbinary people say lockdowns feel like a 'break'

The pandemic has given many trans and nonbinary people a chance to experiment with gender expression or begin hormone therapy at home "without having to worry about how others may respond," Woulfe and Wald write.

Pandemic social norms are also giving these people confidence to come out to their friends and family, they say.

As one tweet from August said: "The amount of (people) coming (to) terms (with) gender identity over lockdown really proves how social interaction is inseparable from gender performance like ... the moment (you're) isolated from constant promotion of gendered behaviour (you) have the space to question what it even means for (you)."

One twenty-something friend of mine started growing out his hair, shaving his legs and knuckles and wearing nail polish during the pandemic. He said he's flirting with the idea of wearing dresses.

His family is thousands of miles away in Chile.With the pandemic's travel restrictions, he doesn't have to worry about seeing his parents anytime too soon. He told me he has temporary reprieve from cultural norms.

Not every pandemic experience is the same

This space I'm describing is one that requires the privilege of living alone or among allies, and also requires a job that can be done remotely. These, I know, are big requirements. And they only reflect some experiences.

If you're new to this space, a word of advice: Honest introspection is key. Unfortunately, that can be hard.

When you wake up in the morning, ask yourself: Do I feel like a woman? Do I feel like a man? Do I feel like a little of both? Whatever you feel is the true answer, well, that's your gender identity. What's more, it can change on any given day.

There is no right answer.

And even if you're in a safe mental and physical space to explore gender identity in an empowering way, there are still nuances: My Chilean friend told me that his desire to appear more feminine can manifest negatively. When he looks in the mirror now, he said he wishes he were skinnier and that his 6-foot-tall body could shrink. (I mean, raise your hand if you're a woman and you've been personally victimized by the pressure to lose weight?)

My hope is that when we all get out of this pandemic and can see each other fully, we're more open-minded and inclusive – with ourselves, with those we love, and with strangers in the public world, because policing gender hurts every body.

🇬🇭 There are gays in Ghana - KKD
Source: https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/ente...ana-KKD-1146746



Celebrated Broadcaster Kwasi Kyei Darkwa says it is stupid for homosexuals in Ghana to hide their sexual orientation.

According to him, regardless of the fact that the laws and systems in Ghana frown on their choices, there is no need to hide their sexual orientation from the public.

“There are people in Ghana who are gays. It is because of the law in Ghana that they hide. I think it is stupid that anybody living their truth must hide.

I do not know (whether homosexual should be legalized). I haven’t given it any thought. I need to think about it. I don’t know enough about it. I have read about it just because my son came out to say he is a gay,” KK said.

Although he will not disclose whether he supports the legalization of LGBT, the former Citi FM Broadcaster indicated that wherever he has worked in Ghana, there are people who are gay but that does not baffle him.

“Everywhere I had worked, there were people who were gay. It didn’t bother me. It is a subject that baffles only those who want to be baffled because there are people living with people who are gays and lesbians but do not know. People are condemning others for sins that they do not commit but they are committing worse sins than the ones they condemned,” he pointed out.

On whether his son’s upbringing in the United Kingdom contributed to his choice of sexual orientation, he indicated that the upbringing and country play no such role because there are people in Ghana who are also gay.

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Respect... His son is very lucky to have a supportive father like him.

🇺🇸 2021 Starts with Drama Between COVID-Risking Queens and the Gays Who Shame Them
Source: https://wehotimes.com/2021-kicks-off-with-c...who-shame-them/



2021 is off to a dramatic start within the gay male population during the COVID-19 pandemic. The claws are out with online catfights between the COVID-risking queens who insist on gathering in large groups and partying, and the COVID concerned gays (dubbed Karens) who have no qualms about spotting, tagging and shaming them via social media.

From the calls of karmic justice when a boat-full of partying gays capsized in Puerto Vallarta on December 31, 2020 (dubbed the Boston G Party), to the partying gays that have been called out by name for cancellation purposes via Instagram accounts like @gaysovercovid, to the $500 bounty seeking information exposing the culprits behind the gaysovercovid account with the hashtag #gaysoverkaren, it’s been an interesting start to a new year.

The Gays Partying in Mexico vs The Other Gays have sparked a debate about gay male culture, our dark nature, drugs, sex, steroid abuse, selfishness, flashbacks to the AIDS epidemic, sanctimony, hypocrisy and straight up slut shaming.

The back and forth between the#covidovergays, vs #covidoverkarens is getting a lot press in the media. It’s not exactly showing gays in the best light.

On the one hand, older gays forget what it’s like to be young and selfish and to foolishly navigate through life like the rules don’t apply, acting like you’re unteachable, untouchable, and you can do whatever you want.

On the other hand, a lot of the COVID-risking queens who are out partying with complete disregard to the current health crisis are not that young. With the pandemic comes financial hardship. Getaways to Mexico and White Party passes don’t come cheap, so the men with the means to make these trips aren’t exactly twinks on a barista budget.

It’s been a long list of comments and heated discussions. It’s been an opportunity to dig deep and look at the lies that we tell ourselves that make us front like we are special and exempt to the rules while the world crumbles around us. We also get to look at the tools that we use to cut people down when we don’t feel they are acting right, even if we think it’s for their own good.

We gays are covering a lot of ground in 2021. And it hasn’t been a whole week into the new year.

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Not sure where I would put myself in the GayOverCovid vs GayOverKarens spectrum, but hopefully the issue will be resolved soon.

🇦🇪 Dubai to Host Discussion About LGBTQ+ Identity Issues and Rights
Source: https://www.albawaba.com/node/dubai-host-di...-rights-1402909



Weeks after an overhaul of social laws in the UAE, one that has been considered to create a more open environment for the expat community in the country, an online announcement of an international conference in Dubai is showing an even more progressive Dubai that is set to emerge in the near future.

On the World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology's website, the International Research conference has announced that Dubai will be hosting the 2021 digital International Conference on Gender Identity and LGBT Rights next May, which is supposed to tackle a number of issues related to gender, identity, and sexual relationships including homosexuality and LGBTQ+ rights.

This announcement comes as a surprise, especially that UAE laws still label same-sex relationships as illegal, despite a halt on punishments carried out against LGBTQ+ people in the country.

Last week, several social media accounts posted photos that were allegedly shot in a number of Dubai clubs and concerts, showing PDA moments by two women, triggering questions on whether homosexual relationships have finally been allowed in the country or not.

Analysts also wondered whether the increasingly open Emirati policies over the last several years are ever going to include political freedoms, such as freedom of expression and freedom of the press, as these issues are still sparking international criticism against the UAE.

Last month, the UAE's neighbor rival, Qatar, had also committed to allowing pride flags to be shown in the country's football stadiums during the 2022 World Cup, in an unprecedented move that has for long been demanded by human rights organizations.

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I think the move to bring the country more in line with international human rights standards is genuine seeing the trend of the region which is becoming increasingly tired of conservative values. But for strangers to out LGBT people on social media is totally uncool, though.

🇬🇷 Greece names its first-ever openly gay minister
Source: https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/life/greece-name...y-gay-minister/



Nicholas Yatromanolakis has been named the country’s first ever gay deputy minister in historic cabinet reshuffle.

Yatromanolakis, 44, has been promoted from his previous role as general secretary to the new deputy minister of culture.

During Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ cabinet reshuffle, Alternative Press reported the Greek government maintained the ministry positions of health and finance, as well as other vital positions in the change.

Despite suffering setbacks due to the global pandemic, the Cabinet of Kyriakos Mitsotakis was mostly unaltered, with few changes to key standings. A few notable positions which remained untouched included Christos Staikouras’ role as finance minister and Vasilis Kilikias as health minister.

Greece has suffered quite heavily from the impact of COVID-19 which caused a spike in deaths across November.

Alex Patelis, the Greek Prime Minister’s chief economic adviser, said it was a “historic day for LGBTI+ representation, a big win for meritocracy and better decision-making through diversity”.

“Congrats to Nicholas Yatromanolakis for showing you can be yourself and still succeed,” Mr Patelis said. “May others draw strength to live their life openly.”

Yatromanolakis’ appointment as deputy minister is a welcomed public example of the country embracing an LGBTQ+ figure into government.

The inclusion of the deputy minister comes five years after same-sex unions became legally recognised, however same sex marriage is yet to be implemented.

🇨🇳 The ex-cop behind China’s largest gay dating app
Source: https://www.malaymail.com/news/life/2021/01...ing-app/1939033



BEIJING, Jan 10 — Browsing the internet as a young policeman in China, Ma Baoli recalls the sheer volume of web pages telling him he was a pervert, diseased and in need of treatment — simply because he was gay.

“I felt extremely lonely after I became aware of my sexual orientation,” says Ma, at the time a newly minted officer in a small coastal city.

Two decades later, the softly spoken 43-year-old now helms Blued, one of the world’s largest dating platforms for gay men.

The app went public last July with an US$85 million (RM343 million) debut on Nasdaq, a remarkable tech success story from a country that classified homosexuality as a mental illness as recently as 2001.

Parent company BlueCity’s sunlit Beijing campus teems with young and casually dressed programmers who hold meetings in rooms named after Oscar Wilde and other prominent LGBTQ figures from around the world.

The office boasts rainbow unicorn mascots, gender-neutral toilets and photos of Ma’s meetings with dignitaries, including Chinese premier Li Keqiang.

‘Everyone was scared’

Ma’s journey to the apex of China’s tech industry began in the early 2000s when he began publishing Danlan.org, a blog about his life as a gay man.

There were few places in China at the time for gay men to socialise, Ma says, adding that “people would write on the walls of public toilets, saying meet here at this and that time.”

“Everyone was scared of being found out by others.”

Ma’s blog gradually expanded into an influential online forum for LGBTQ people in China to share lifestyle articles, health advice and short stories.

“I thought I could build a website, to tell gay people like me... you don’t need to feel inferior, you don’t need to be suicidal,” he told AFP.

Increasing local media coverage of the website outed Ma to his coworkers and prompted him to leave the police force in 2012.

He launched Blued the same year.

The app today says it has more than 58 million users in China and countries including India, Korea and Thailand.

It has yet to turn a profit but company figures show losses have narrowed since the platform began paid memberships, livestreams and ads in 2016.

Like other dating apps, many Blued users are seeking hookups and casual dates.

But Ma also keeps a stack of letters on his desk from users who have written to thank him for helping connect them to their long-term partners.

Working for tolerance

Discussion of LGBT issues remains contentious in China, with activists complaining of tightened restrictions on public discussion in recent years.

But despite Danlan.org being repeatedly shut down in the first few years of its existence, Blued has largely avoided conflict with authorities.

It has opted for a cautious approach in raising mainstream awareness and tolerance of the LGBTQ community.

That includes its efforts to tackle the stigma around HIV that has fuelled discrimination against gay men and prevented people from seeking medical care.

BlueCity runs an online platform that sells HIV diagnostic kits and brokers consultations with doctors. It also works with local authorities to direct users to free testing centres.

Ma said he was pleasantly surprised by at the response he received after sounding out health officials to cooperate on HIV prevention campaigns.

“They said they had really wanted to reach the gay community,” Ma told AFP, “but they didn’t have the channels and didn’t know how to find them.”

‘Brighter and healthier’

Still, the platform has suffered its share of teething problems.

It temporarily froze new user registrations in 2019 after local media reported that underaged boys had been using the app, and the company pledged to tighten age and content controls.

Ma says his team are committed to “building a brighter and healthier image of the community”.

He believes his work has helped improve the mainstream perception of LGBTQ people in China, including friends and family who previously shunned him.

And he thinks more positive recognition is on the horizon.

“I think there will eventually be a day when gay marriage is legal in China,” he says. “It’s only a matter of time.” — AFP