🇭🇰 Support group shows Hong Kong parents struggling to accept that their children are LGBTQ, they are not alone
Source: https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society...ruggling-accept



Eric* recalls the day in 2009 when he received the long-distance phone call from his son as if it were yesterday.

James*, in his early 20s and working overseas for more than a year, told his father he was gay and in love with another man.

The news proved hard to bear for Eric, in his 50s at the time, and his wife. Although they had suspected their elder son might be gay, as he did not have a girlfriend, the confirmation stung.

“I became really unhappy,” recalled Eric, a professional at the time and who has since retired. “I felt it was some kind of punishment for me.”

Describing himself as a traditional person from a middle class background, Eric said that as it sank in that James would not marry or have children, he began to think his son was “abnormal”.

For months afterwards, he and his wife did not know who to turn to, and kept their secret to themselves.

“We were so dejected, both my wife and I cried,” he said.

It took almost a year before he found out about a support group for parents of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) children run by the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs Association (BGCA) of Hong Kong, a non-governmental organisation.

At its meetings, where parents expressed their feelings and supported one another, he learned to accept that James was gay, although it took two more years before he could show his son that he understood.

Eric’s experience in coming to terms with his son being gay was not an isolated case. The results of a survey released by the BGCA last month showed that nearly half the Hong Kong parents with LGBTQ children who were polled struggled too.

The NGO and researchers from Chinese University polled 146 parents between January 2018 and June last year.

While more than four fifths said they had hoped their children would come out to them, over 45 per cent said that when their children actually told them, their immediate reactions were unacceptance and rejection.

Almost two-thirds said they blamed themselves for their children’s sexual orientation, while 55 per cent said they had felt despair. More than a third felt anxious, including concerns that their children might face discrimination.

More than one in five parents polled said they considered sending their children for so-called conversion therapy to “cure” them of their sexual orientation.

The practice has been discredited by the World Psychiatric Association and is banned or partially banned in countries including Germany and Brazil, and in some parts of the United States, Canada and Australia.

Hong Kong has been relatively slow in promoting LGBTQ rights, with little or no progress in introducing anti-discrimination laws to protect sexual minorities.

To questions from the Post, an Equal Opportunities Commission spokesman said it would conduct research and draw up proposals on anti-discrimination laws for sexual minorities “where resources permit”, without providing a timeline for action.

The spokesman declined to say if the commission supported banning conversion therapy in Hong Kong, saying only that it believed the rights of the LGBTQ community “should not be denied because of their sexual orientation or gender identity”.

Professor Suen Yiu-tung, of Chinese University’s gender studies programme, who co-led the BGCA survey, said society’s increasing openness towards the LGBTQ community could help parents like Eric cope better.

“Parents’ worries can be understandable, given that unfriendliness still occurs within the community and workplace over people’s sexual orientation and gender identity … and existing laws cannot fully protect [the LGBTQ community],” he said.

Eric has never forgotten the turmoil he and his wife experienced after their son came out.

“We were so grateful when he graduated from university and found a stable job. Everything was going quite well when, all of a sudden, it seemed that those things were all gone,” he said.

Questions kept popping up in his head, including what to tell his friends and relatives, and whether life would become more difficult for James. But most were left unanswered.

He tried hypnotherapy, searched the internet to find out how other parents coped, and was dismayed to learn that some parents ended up driving their LGBTQ children away from home.

The confusion affected him at work too, before he found the support group.

It took years, but Eric said he now gets along well with his son, and his partner too.

* Names changed at the request of the interviewee.

🇺🇸 GOP lawmakers can't give examples of why states need anti-transgender sports bills
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/videos/politics/202...ek-in-politics/


"How many girls in Georgia had been denied opportunity because of transgender athletes participating in sports?"
"Obviously there's not a lot of statistics on that—"
"So there is none in Georgia. Thank you."

🇬🇧 First LGBT retirement home to be opened in London
Source: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/...ened-in-london/



LONDON: In a first for the UK, a dedicated retirement home for members of the LGBT community is set to open in 2021, thanks to support from the city of London.

The building for the new facility, which boasts a restaurant, bar and rooftop terrace, was designed by architect Norman Foster.

Breaking new ground in the UK, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has confirmed that the Greater London Authority’s Community Housing Fund will provide a loan of 5.7 million pounds sterling for the creation of a new retirement home that will be the first of its kind.

Located in the Vauxhall neighbourhood on the south bank of the Thames, the new facility will specifically cater to members of the LGBT community.

“London is an open, diverse, inclusive city, and I’m delighted to see these long-held plans come to fruition with the help of this loan, … Older Londoners deserve to be able to enjoy their later years in comfort and security,” declared Sadiq Khan.

The 19 units to be made available in the project designed by the renowned British architect Norman Foster will offer a choice of one or two bedrooms.

The new home will also provide high-end services, including a restaurant, bar, rooftop terrace and a “floating garden,” as well as round-the-clock access to medical care.

The first tenants are set to move in by mid-summer 2021.

Tonic Housing, the non-profit at the helm of the new project, was keen to voice its enthusiasm: “Tonic@Bankhouse will create a unique offering of housing with care that celebrates LGBT+ identities with the community at the very heart of their homes. Tonic will co-create events and activities with residents based on their interests, including collaborations with other LGBT+ organisations and support providers.”

Safety and special care

In France former retirement home director Stéphane Sauvé, is campaigning for a project similar to the one proposed by Tonic Housing, “La Maison des solidarités.”

“Working as a care-home manager, I was witness to discrimination against the gay community.” He notably cites an incident when no-one was willing to dance with Madame Martin, “an unabashed lesbian,” during a tea dance because she was viewed as “contagious.”

“If, through ignorance, I had not been confronted with this question, I wouldn’t want to wait until my final years to open my chakras. When you have moral values, you don’t want to change them at the end of your life,” explains Stéphane Sauvé.

Along with discrimination, the LGBT minority is also faced with health issues that are similar but also different to those commonly found in retirement homes.

“American studies have shown that they have more pre-existing conditions, more diabetes, more issues with addiction, anxiety and depression.

“And that is not to mention the section of this population that is HIV-positive or hormonal treatments for transgender retirees. We don’t know how they are going to grow old.”

End-of-life companionship

“I’m 49 years old, I’m gay, and I don’t have any children. Like everyone else, I wonder who will be there for me,” adds Stéphane Sauvé.

“Most members of the LGBT community do not have children, and thus are less likely to benefit from end-of-life help. They are a more isolated public.”

According to the former retirement home director, these reasons are more than sufficient to dismiss any accusation of communitarianism.

“All the more so because the LBGT environment will be straight-friendly.”

The development in London is not the first of its kind worldwide. Similar initiatives already exist in Canada, Spain, the United States and Australia.

In France, the cities of Nice, Lyon, Montreuil, Romainville and Paris have expressed an interest in the project.

🇲🇾 'Lesbian, pondan' - Netizens find more questionable articles on MOH education portal



After coming under fire for a victim-blaming article on sexual harassment, members of the public have highlighted more questionable write-ups - this time concerning homosexuality - on the Health Ministry’s public health portal.

One article in 2013 claims that women tend to become lesbian if they “prioritise their career”.

It also claims women who “further their studies” in a female-centric environment could turn into lesbians...

Full article at: https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/570635

---

Added on
Thankfully the article have been removed.




This post has been edited by internaldisputes: Apr 14 2021, 01:13 PM

🇩🇪 German Catholics plan huge blessing of gay unions on May 10
Source: https://cruxnow.com/church-in-europe/2021/0...ions-on-may-10/



ROME – Continuing to openly challenge the Vatican, several Catholic leaders in Germany are openly supporting the blessing of same-sex couples, with a massive blessing service scheduled for May 10, in direct opposition to Rome’s chief doctrinal office.

Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck of Essen said that the priests in his diocese will face no canonical consequence if they decide to bless gay and lesbian couples next month as part of the event called “Love wins, blessing service for lovers.”

However, the website organizing the campaign has no public blessings registered in his diocese to take place on May 10 or “around that date,” as the website reads.

His comments came in an interview with WDR earlier this week, and follow his comments on Easter, when he argued that there are “many blessings for gay couples” in Germany. He also said that the Catholic Church is not supposed to reject gay people but “find ways for homosexuals to be able to live together.”

Overbeck’s stance is in direct opposition to a statement released by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) March 15 with papal approval.

The document, technically an answer to a question posed to the CDF, argues that the Church cannot do so because “God does not bless sin.”

The Vatican never said who posed the original question.

The response caused division both among the faithful and the hierarchy, particularly in Germany, which is currently undergoing a synodal path to try to address the Church’s response to clerical sexual abuse, while at the same time reviewing Church teaching on human sexuality, priestly celibacy and the ban on ordaining women into the priesthood.

Among the German high-ranking prelates who support the CDF’s response are Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, Archbishop of Cologne; Bishop Stephan Burger of Freiburg; and Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg.

“Love wins. Love is a blessing,” says the website for May 10th blessing of same-sex couples. “People who love each other are blessed. On May 10th, 2021, we invite you to various places in Germany to blessing services. We don’t want to exclude anyone. We celebrate the diversity of people’s different life plans and love stories and ask for God’s blessings. Without any secrecy. On this page you will find the services that take place and you can register for a service and send us a blessing.”

Organizers also ask that on that day, Catholics in Germany use “creative symbols to make visible how many people in the Church perceive the colorful diversity of different life plans and love stories of people as an enrichment and a blessing.”

🌎 Disney Parks Are Going LGBTQ+ Inclusive
Source: https://www.out.com/lifestyle/2021/4/15/dis...lgbtq-inclusive



Disney Parks are reimagining themselves for a more diverse and inclusive magical kingdom. Visitors to any of the companies famed theme parks will be able to purchase a rainbow-colored version of the iconic Micky Mouse ears hat while employees will no longer be bound by binary-segmented rules on costuming, jewelry, hair, and nail choices. The new policies and rules are the result of Disney centering inclusion in the company’s guiding principles.

“This is just the beginning as we continue to work toward a world where we all belong – including a more diverse and inclusive Disney Parks, Experiences and Products,” Josh D’Amaro, chairman of the parks division, wrote in a blog post announcing the new policies. “There’s more to do, but we’re committed to listening, learning and making meaningful improvements.”

Disney polled its workers (or ‘cast members’ as they are known) and found inclusivity was a key area of concern. The company responded by addressing the issue from within their four guiding principles — safety, courtesy, show, and efficiency — which guided every decision made within the company. These principles were were now joined by inclusivity.

For guests, the change means they will see more LGBTQ+ inclusive products such as the rainbow-color mouse ears hat, while costumes will now be available for those guests using wheelchairs. For employees, the new key allows for a greater level of expression across the gender spectrum. In the past, cast members were guided by a binary-based dress code.

“Our new approach provides greater flexibility with respect to forms of personal expression surrounding gender-inclusive hairstyles, jewelry, nail styles, and costume choices; and allowing appropriate visible tattoos,” D’Amaro wrote. “We’re updating them to not only remain relevant in today’s workplace, but also enable our cast members to better express their cultures and individuality at work.

Activists hailed the decision.

“Disney’s move is a powerful example of a company that is walking the walk on inclusion and belonging,” Erin Uritus, president of Out and Equal, said in a statement. “With these changes, cast members can bring their full, authentic selves to their work. More Disney guests will be able to see themselves reflected in the diversity of people across all levels of the company.”

Disney Parks and programming are highly popular within the LGBTQ+ community, and the company has made efforts in the past to make their parks and products more welcoming to the community. In 2019, Years & Years out frontman Olly Alexander was chosen as one of the headliners for Disneyland Paris’s Magical Pride, the first-ever LGBTQ+ event hosted at a Disney park.

D’Amaro said the changes were designed to create “richer, more personal and more engaging experiences with our guests” by allowing cast members to more freely express their experiences and identities.

“I’m excited about where we’re headed, and we’ll have more to share soon,” he concluded. “Thank you for joining us on this journey.”

Prioritize career= lesbian?
And when a housewife dumped by her husband then left alone with her 10 kids where are these smarta$$?

I'm always shouting for career building before settling down for women. Relying on men's money only is never smart decision at all. But of course bigots disagree because when women holding the economical power for herself they will lose the control over her.

Anyway glad the article already been took down.

Its actually sort of positively discriminating lesbians if you think about it. Perhaps they got the direction of causation wrong, in the sense that they notice successful career women being lesbians. Therefore they infer that a woman being successful will 'become' lesbian. When maybe its the other way around, that a lesbian in Malaysia is less likely to be bogged down with expectations of sacrificing her career for childcare, and is free to devote her time to her career like how society expects of men.

Makes sense. Hopefully decades down the road when people see me being successful career-wise and yet still single, people will just assume I'm gay. Save me from coming out.

🇮🇩🇹🇭 Indonesian trolls flood Thai gay wedding photos with death threats
Source: https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-cu...hai-couples-gay



When Suriya Koedsang uploaded photos of his wedding to Facebook on April 4, the 28-year-old Thai never could have imagined the hate his heartwarming post would soon receive from online trolls in Indonesia.

Within days, the pictures of Koedsang and his husband Bas’ April 3 marriage ceremony began attracting homophobic comments, ranging from rants about how homosexuality is “a sin” according to Islam, to posts listing various Indonesian words for the male reproductive organ.

As of Friday, the post had attracted more than 469,000 comments and been shared some 40,000 times.

Not all the messages were negative, however – the couple’s fellow Thais were quick to jump to their defence, creating something of a cross-cultural face-off in the comments section.

“So weird. They got married in Thailand but Indonesians have a problem with that. Why? Did they [get] married in your country? Why [do] you interfere?” wrote one Thai user named Nattaworada Imsamran, in an example of the messages of support the couple received.

By April 11, however, the negative comments had snowballed into death threats that were not only directed at the couple, but also Koedsang’s “parents, relatives, including the photographer”, he wrote in a follow-up Facebook post.

“I have never replied and only [thought] that they would stop in a few days. However, they are more severe in their comments, threatening, frightening us,” he said.

Indonesian Facebook users sent the couple “video of slaughter to terrify us”, Koedsang wrote, “why? We married in my warm house … [in our] own motherland. What is wrong with Indonesia and Indonesians? Why [do they] need to be that dramatic?”

He went on to say in his post that he “respects all religions” including Islam and that “religion never teaches you to hate others and look down on people.”

“When I studied in [the southern Thai province of] Pattani where most people are Muslim, I had no problems at all, nor even [a] difficult time,” he said.

Lawyer Ronnarong Kaewpetch, head of the Network of Campaigning for Justice in Thailand, came to the couple’s defence in the comments section under Koedsang’s April 11 post.

“Indonesian people, don’t think you guys are there, and I can’t do anything. Any day you enter Thailand, I’ll have police waiting with arrest warrants against you,” he was cited as saying by Coconuts Media.

Koedsang on Tuesday said that he intended to keep the comments open on his public Facebook posts so that he would have “evidence in legal action” - a threat Rachmat Budiman, Indonesia’s ambassador to Thailand, told local news portal Detik he thought was “excessive”.

Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah told Detik that he hopes “there is no bad impact from the incident”, adding that Bangkok had not lodged any official complaint about it. On Wednesday, Koedsang wrote on Facebook that he did not want to be interviewed by the media.

The incident has highlighted what some critics describe as as an “aggressive” culture of internet discourse in Indonesia.

Indonesians were ranked as Southeast Asia’s rudest internet users in tech giant Microsoft’s latest Digital Civility Index, published in February. The survey involved 16,000 respondents in 32 countries, with Indonesia ranking 29th – just ahead of Russia and South Africa. Among Southeast Asian countries, Singapore was found to have the most civil internet users, ranking fourth, while Malaysia came 10th, Thailand 19th and Vietnam 24th.

Microsoft was forced to turn off the comments on its official Instagram account for a few days in the wake of the report’s publication, after Indonesian social media users flocked to it to bash the company.

Other targets of Indonesian online mobs in recent months have included the Badminton World Federation, which limited comments on its Instagram posts after they were targeted by Indonesians angry at the fact that Indonesia’s national badminton team were forced to withdraw from the All England Open Championships because of Covid-19; British actor and comedian Stephen Fry, after he was mistaken for one of the umpires at that competition; and Filipino teen TikToker Reema Martin, who was reportedly bullied into leaving social media by Indonesian women who accused her of seducing their partners.

One group of Indonesian trolls has vowed to carry on their attacks on Koedsang and his husband after claiming some Thai commenters “insulted Islam” by posting religiously charged memes.

Not all Indonesians were as triggered by the couple’s wedding, however. The hashtag #IndonesiaSaySorryForThailand was trending worldwide on Twitter on Wednesday, with many saying that they felt ashamed of the attacks on the Thai couple.

“As an Indonesian and a part of LGBT, I am truly sorry for the mean comments and death threats. It is such a shame. Please forgive us,” said one user named Shara.

“Not my fault, but I feel ashamed. Hope that the relations between the two countries will be even better. Sorry,” wrote another.

Koedsang in his Wednesday Facebook post thanked those Indonesian social media users who had apologised for their compatriots’ hate-filled remarks, as well as his fellow Thais for defending him, adding that both his and his husband’s families had been deeply affected by the needlessly negative comments, which were still flooding in at the time of writing.

https://youtu.be/0KPF4uxH-XQ
I guess this is very useful to be here. She has a very good personalities despite her past. She shows no anger or frustration towards other. I really love the way she carries herself. I hope the rest of the trans community can learn a cent from her.

This post has been edited by Princess_Alicia: Apr 18 2021, 07:28 AM

🇬🇧 LGBT homelessness: 'I had to pretend to be straight'
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-56718978



For Sara, university was a ticket out of an abusive home.

Sara, who identifies as queer, says she was used to hiding her identity from her Muslim family and pretending to be straight when accessing services.

But her mental health worsened after spending holidays alone in empty student halls.

"I had a roof over my head but no-one else to talk to. My mental health got really bad and I ended up dropping out. I was going to be homeless so I ended up going back to my abusive household," she says.

"It was difficult - I was rotting away in a corner of our tiny flat while trying to look for places [to live]."

Sara, now 21, came out as bisexual to one of her parents and confronted them about the abuse, but they refused to accept what she was saying.

She says she became suicidal before a charity, the Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT), helped her to find a room at a women's shelter.

Sara's story is not unusual, says the Trust, which supports young LGBTQ people at risk of homelessness.

The pandemic means many have been unable to leave "toxic environments", says its director of services Lucy Bowyer.

"We've seen young people going back in the closet and feeling they have to go home, stay home and that they can't express themselves. Then people trying to access support have found it not welcoming and that has re-traumatised them."

Temporary housing options such as staying on a friend's sofa were no longer available as people became nervous about mixing with those outside their bubble, she says.

Joe, in Manchester, also had to move back in with his family after facing money troubles during the pandemic.

But he ended up homeless after a family member started to taunt and hit him.

"He was using my gayness and throwing it at me," Joe says.

His abuser paid the household bills, meaning other family members were reluctant to intervene.

Joe slept on the streets for two weeks before being helped to rent a flat by the charity.

More than six in 10 LGBTQ young people surveyed said they felt frightened or threatened by their family members before they became homeless, according to an AKT report, while more than half feared being evicted from the family home if they came out.

The report also claimed that six in 10 faced some form of discrimination or harassment while accessing services.

The research took place over six months to January and interviewed 161 LGBTQ people aged 16-25 who had experienced homelessness in the past five years.

Both Joe and Sara said they had faced barriers while accessing services that were linked to their sexuality, ranging from homophobia from landlords or other homeless people, to forms that didn't list their sexuality.

"My default is putting on a straight persona when accessing help," Sara says. "It is exhausting."

A scheme was introduced at the start of the pandemic to bring all rough sleepers indoors in England.

"Everyone In" took more than 37,000 people off the streets by January 2021, the government says.

But the impact has been patchy. In some areas, more than 80% of those helped are in longer-term accommodation, while in others it is less than 15%, according to figures obtained by the BBC.

Ms Bowyer said her clients' experience of the scheme had been "really varied".

"In London, one borough would help anybody who turned up, but in another borough, no-one would even answer our emails and our clients couldn't get hold of them."

The government says the Equalities Office is conducting research to help better understand LGBTQ people's experiences of homelessness, the challenges they face, and to enable tailored support to be provided.

Names have been changed

🇺🇸 Why Do Some People Think They Are Straight Until They Come Out?
Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/und...until-they-come



Recently, Colton Underwood, a contestant on the popular TV show The Bachelor, went on Good Morning America and announced that he was gay. My first thought was about how sad it was that in 2021 and at the age of 29, coming out is still hard and delayed. So many say that things are better, but are they?

Have you heard all the questions and accusations? “How could he not know he was gay?” “Why would he pretend to be heterosexual in such a public way?” “Leading everyone on like that shows he has no integrity or sense of honor.”

People mistakenly think that it has to be easier to come out today because of all the media stars who are out, such as Ellen DeGeneres, Rachel Maddow, Pete Buttigieg, and Anderson Cooper, and because of programs like Will & Grace. But in Underwood’s case, it appears that he maintained the self-illusion of being straight well into his 20s. He may have really believed he was straight until he gained perspective and courage and was successful enough in his football career to feel safe enough to come out publicly. I don’t mean to imply that as kids or teens we consciously choose to have an easier heterosexual/cisgender identity. Underwood was groomed and rewarded for being straight, as are all of us, and if he came out as gay would not likely have been rewarded in the same way in his environment.

Could we take just a moment, then, and have some compassion for Underwood and other LGBT people who need a minute (or more) to come out?

Little Room for Expression in Childhood

We typically don’t teach children to be anything other than heterosexual and cisgender (identifying as having a gender that corresponds to the sex one has been assigned at birth). If we see a little boy holding hands with a little girl, we call it “puppy love.” We ask them if they are “sweet” on each other and maybe even encourage their age-appropriate little romance. When a little girl or boy develops a crush on their teacher of the opposite sex, and maybe wants to give them a Valentine, our reaction is, “Aww, that’s so cute.” But if they are of the same gender it’s a different story. In many cases, they’ll most likely be told that this isn’t proper behavior.

LGBT children and youth are lured into heterosexual/cisgender compliance by heterosexism, cisgenderism, and homophobia, groomed from childhood by our parents, teachers, neighbors, religion, and even movies and TV. You’re left to your own resources to figure your real identity out, and it's usually not until you’re an adult. Teens may not have even had sex yet, but their identities have typically already been formed and imprinted as straight. If they’re LGBT, their romantic and sexual thoughts have often become completely separated from their identity.

If you’re heterosexual in this world, you are holding the golden ticket. If not, budding affections and erotic interests will likely compete with what you are taught your identity is. There may be an internal split: “These only are sexual fantasies, only what brings me to orgasm, not who I really am.”

Imagine for a moment that everyone in your family, all your friends and nearly everyone you see in the media, is green … and you’re blue. When you look in the mirror you realize that something about you is different, but no one in your life has ever hinted that being blue is a valid way to live and you just want to fit in. So, you take all your cues from others and act as green as you can, never really acknowledging your blueness even to yourself. Also, you’ve learned that some folks don’t like blue people, so it’s a lot safer to just pretend you’re green.

I am reminded of the words of Brian McNaught, a sex educator and author of Now That I’m Out What Do I Do?, who puts into perspective what happens to a young LGBT person's development:

“... most gay people have been enormously, if not consciously, traumatized by the social pressure they felt to identify and behave as a heterosexual, even though such pressure is not classified as sexual abuse by experts in the field. Imagine how today’s society would respond if heterosexual thirteen to nineteen-year-olds were forced to date someone of the same sex. What would the reaction be if they were expected to hold the hand or slow dance with, hug, kiss and say “I love you” to someone to whom they were not and could not be sexually attracted?

The public would be outraged! Adult supervisors would be sent to prison. Youthful “perpetrators” would be expelled from school. Years of therapy would be prescribed for the innocent victims of such abuse. Volumes would be written about the long-term effect of such abhorrent socialization. Yet, that’s part of the everyday life of LGBTQ teenagers. And there’s no comparable public concern, much less outcry, about the traumatizing effects on their sexuality.”

Underwood grew up Catholic—a religion that continues to deny validity to homosexuals—in what he calls a “conservative environment” (where hetero/cisgender privilege reigns). He was very athletic, excelling at football, not a sport considered particularly friendly toward homosexuals. It’s not difficult to imagine how he became split between his secret sexual attractions and the identity he developed after being born into the culture of his family and community. Even though he was in his 20s when on The Bachelor, he claimed to have still been a virgin, never having found the “right one.” Compartmentalization like this is common in a culture where children only have permission to explore heterosexuality and being cisgender.

Compassion Instead of Criticism

Of course, acceptance of homosexuality varies from region to region. In some nations, homosexuality is so taboo that they deny it even exists. In relatively few places in the U.S., there may be teen clubs for LGBT youth, supportive teachers and counselors and such, but in most parts of our culture we’re rewarded from birth into our teens for being straight.

So, again, I’d like to encourage compassion instead of criticism for Underwood. Likely because of the grooming of children and expectations of the adult world around him, he was 29 years old by the time he announced who he really was. I wish him the best for the future, and hope that other young men and women who are struggling with this internal erotic/gender identity problem will be more supported as they begin to deal with the confusing inevitability of attraction and love.

🇺🇸 Absolutely No One Is Getting Behind Caitlyn Jenner’s Campaign Right Now
Source: https://www.thedailybeast.com/lgbtq-groups-...fornia-governor



Caitlyn Jenner seems to have no one in her corner in her high profile run for governor of California.

The Olympian, who would be among a small handful of transgender office-holders if she were elected, can’t even bank on support from members of the LGBTQ community with several groups and activists slamming her campaign.

“Make no mistake: we can’t wait to elect a #trans governor of California,” the influential LGBTQ rights group Equality California tweeted on Friday. “But @Caitlyn_Jenner spent years telling the #LGBTQ+ community to trust Donald Trump. We saw how that turned out. Now she wants us to trust her? Hard pass.”

Jenner announced her long-rumored run on Friday morning. In a statement, she raised issue with California’s “over-restrictive” lockdown and vented about high taxes, claiming they were “killing jobs.” Beyond that, there was little mention of her platform. Jenner’s campaign website is empty, aside from pages where you can buy merch or donate to her campaign.

The 71-year-old immediately faced scrutiny from members of the LGBTQ community due to her politics, citing her support of former President Donald Trump. Although she walked back her support the next year, citing Trump’s policies on LGBTQ issues, her campaign advisors are some key Republican Party members and former Trump aides.

Equality California hammered home Jenner’s former stances, adding “After Trump banned transgender troops from serving in the military, attacked transgender students and even tried to allow homeless shelters to turn away trans women, @Caitlyn_Jenner STILL hired his former inner circle to run her campaign.”

“Californians — and #trans Californians, in particular — understand all too well the risk of electing another reality TV star who cares more about fame and money than civil rights, healthcare and the safety of our communities. We can’t let that happen.” The group said it still supported Gov. Gavin Newsom, a “pro-equality champion.”

Other LGBTQ members and trans advocates chimed in, too.

Star Trek actor George Takei wrote, “Black people wouldn’t vote for Candace Owen for office. The disabled community wouldn’t vote for Madison Cawthorn. I’m LGBTQ but I won’t be voting for Caitlyn Jenner. Just so we’re clear.”

“Caitlyn Jenner is a deeply unqualified hack who doesn’t care about anyone but herself,” trans activist Charlotte Clymer added. “Her views are terrible. She is a horrible candidate.”

Even those close to the Olympian aren’t fully supportive of her run.

Jenner’s friend Jennifer Finney Boylan, a transgender writer and Barnard College professor who appeared on her reality show, I Am Cait, told the Associated Press that while she wishes Jenner “well personally” she couldn’t “see how the conservative policies she is likely to embrace will help Californians.”

Noticeably quiet in Jenner’s gubernatorial run is her famous family, with daughters Kendall and Kylie Jenner silent on the announcement. She also hasn’t received public support from her ex-wife Kris Jenner, nor from Kim, Khloe, or Kourtney Kardashian.

Hey, anyone with information regarding the laws same-sex marriages outside of Malaysia? Lets say I get married to a US citizen and obtain PR status through a fiancé visa, will my Malaysian citizenship be revoked? I highly doubt Malaysia recognizes same-sex marriages and we're not allowed to obtain other citizenships.

🇺🇸 Blinken Will Allow U.S. Embassies to Fly Pride Flag
Source: https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/04/22/pride-...rump-embassies/



Secretary of State Antony Blinken has issued a blanket authorization for U.S. diplomatic outposts around the world to fly the Pride flag on the same flagpole as the U.S. flag at their embassy or consulate showcasing support for LGBTQ rights. The directive marks a departure from how the Trump administration handled the matter while the State Department was run by former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

In a confidential cable reviewed by Foreign Policy and sent to diplomatic posts around the world, Blinken gave authority for diplomats to fly the Pride flag before May 17, which marks the international day against homophobia, transphobia, and biphobia, as well as June, which in the United States and many other countries is Pride month.

The cable contained a hedge, though, saying the authorization is not a requirement and chiefs of mission who run each embassy or consulate can choose whether to fly the Pride flag or showcase other symbols connoting support for LGBTQ rights based on what is “appropriate in light of local conditions.”

Flying the Pride flag at U.S. embassies became a point of contention during the Trump era, when, under Pompeo, the State Department blocked embassies’ requests to fly the flag on the same flagpole as the U.S. banner. Diplomats were told they could display Pride symbols elsewhere in embassies.

In 2019, then-Vice President Mike Pence defended the move, telling NBC News in an interview that “when it comes to the American flagpole and American embassies and capitals around the world, one American flag flies.”

Some U.S. embassies worked around the Trump-era directive. The U.S. Embassy in South Korea, for instance, displayed a large Pride flag on its facade, rather than on a flagpole. It later removed the flag at the same time as the State Department ordered it to remove a Black Lives Matter banner.

All U.S. diplomatic missions require prior written approval from senior State Department leadership in Washington to fly any flag from the same halyard as the U.S. flag, with the exception of a foreign service flag or a prisoner of war/missing in action flag. In accordance with U.S. law, such flags are to be flown under the U.S. flag.

When asked for comment on the matter, a State Department spokesperson said: “Chiefs of Mission are the president’s direct representatives overseas. The Department supports their prerogative to manage mission operations to maximize their effectiveness in that role, within the confines of U.S. law and regulation.”

During his Senate confirmation hearing in January, Blinken vowed to stand up for LGBTQ rights, including allowing embassies to fly the Pride flag and swiftly appointing a special envoy once confirmed as President Joe Biden’s secretary of state.

“I think the United States playing the role that it should be playing in standing up for and defending the rights of LGBTQI people is something that the department is going to take on and take on immediately,” Blinken said in January.

Three months into his job, Blinken has yet to name a State Department special envoy for LGBTQ rights, a post that was left vacant for much of the Trump administration.

U.S. embassies in countries with broad protections for LGBTQ communities—such as those in Western Europe, Latin America, South Africa, and Australia—are likely to fly the Pride flag. The presence—or absence—of one above a U.S. embassy could have greater significance in countries where LGBTQ communities face wider discrimination or even the threat of criminal prosecution or the death penalty, such as in Russia or countries in the Middle East and North Africa. At least 69 countries around the world have laws criminalizing same-sex relations, according to Human Rights Watch.

The internal State Department cable also noted that in some countries, a U.S. embassy flying the Pride flag, or discussing legalizing or decriminalizing same-sex relationships, could do more harm than good. Such measures could fuel a backlash against local LGBTQ communities themselves.

“Posts should support efforts to repeal [criminalization] legislation, while ensuring that ‘do no harm’ remains our overarching principle so U.S. efforts do not inadvertently result in backlash or further marginalization of the LGBTQI+ community,” the cable read.

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Added on
I hope the US embassy here decides to fly the Pride Flag next month! It will send a very clear message to the local authorities.

Hey there! I'm not really well-versed about citizenship laws but I wanna point out that on February there was an incident of a Malaysian gay man getting his application to visit his partner overseas rejected by the Immigration Department. If you decide to go with your plan, be prepared to face these sorts of challenges in the future. Good luck!

Oh dear..
Well, if I don't reveal my partner's information I assume it'll be fine?