Fridae

Sir Shivananda Khan, a prominent gay and AIDS activist, and founder of Naz Foundation International and the Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health (APCOM), passed away in his home on Monday, May 20. In recognition of Khan’s work with MSM in Asia, he was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 2005.

Thailand's National Human Rights Commission's Dr. Taejing Siripanich explains why hate crimes and lack of anti-discrimination legislation are not being prioritised as same-sex marriage is, and that advocating for a new law to be created to legalise same-sex partnerships is "easier than changing the existing marriage law."

As public hearings are underway before the bill will be proposed to parliament for debate, the English-language local media appears to be covering the issue positively with interviews with same-sex couples who speak about the discrimination they currently face and their hopes for the future.

Following the Singapore High Court's decision to dismiss a challenge to the country's anti-gay sex laws, Tania De Rozario recaps a long list of injustice and discrimination suffered by gay people, and argues why equality is needed right away.

From 29 to 31 March, the biggest ever international conference for Asian LGBT activists was held in Bangkok. Ng Yi-Sheng reports.

Two historic appeals on marriage are being argued in the US Supreme Court this week. One is a challenge to the federal Defense of Marriage Act. The other is about an amendment to the state constitution in California. Douglas Sanders, Professor Emeritus in Law at Canada’s University of British Columbia and Thailand's Chulalongkorn University, provides a backgrounder to the two cases.

Pioneer gay activist and blogger Alex Au examines the arguments made in the second case and adds that Justice Quentin Loh is close to issuing his decision on the first challenge filed by Gary Lim and Kenneth Chee, and his decision may be released within this month (March 2013).

The idea that "the family unit comprises of a man as Father, a woman as Mother, and Children" is not biblical, writes Rev Miak Siew, executive pastor of Singapore's Free Community Church and member of gay advocacy group People Like Us. Here he responds to a Singapore pastor's recent comments that the acceptance of gays would pose a "looming threat" to the family unit.

A well-known transgender make-up artist in Malaysia was found dead in her home last week with the media speculating that she "may have been a victim of a sexual fantasy gone wrong". Transgender rights advocate Yuki Vivienne Choe examines the media’s reportage in light of the recent commemoration of the 14th International Transgender Day of Remembrance.

We now know what the draft ASEAN Human Rights Declaration will say. Is it good news or bad news for LGBTI? Douglas Sanders looks at the issues.