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12 Jul 2006

news around the world 12-jul-06

The Hong Kong Appeals Court last week heard debates by lawyers seeking to overturn a ruling that a higher age of consent for gays than for heterosexuals and lesbians is discriminatory and unconstitutional. Last weekend, French lesbian tennis player Amélie Mauresmo won the Wimbledon title last Saturday. Meanwhile, Tokyo's gay film festival marks its 15th year.

Hong Kong awaits age of consent ruling
The Hong Kong Appeals Court last Thursday and Friday heard debates on the age at which both homosexuals and heterosexuals can have sex in the government's appeal against a landmark ruling in a case that sought to lower the city's age of consent for gays from 21.

The government of Hong Kong is seeking to overturn a ruling last August by Justice Michael Hartmann that a higher age of consent for gays than for heterosexuals and lesbians, for whom consent is granted at 16, is discriminatory and unconstitutional. Homosexuals who break the law risk possible life in prison while heterosexuals face a maximum of five years.

Hong Kong only decriminalised homosexuality in 1991.

The case was brought about by 21-year-old William Leung who thought that the current laws are unfair.

Senior counsel for the government Gerard McCoy had sought to convince justices Geoffrey Ma Tao-li, Robert Tang Ching and Woo Kwok-hing that Leung's case was flawed because it was not challenged under the Crimes Ordinance and that it was a "hypothetical" issue that did not relate to any previous legal decision.

"You can't get in the door at all except as the law comes to you. The law has not stepped towards him. He stepped towards the law. You cannot walk in off the street and plunk down HK$1,150 (US$150) and say: 'I want to change a law that has been around for years.'" McCoy said.

Ma asked: "Why should a bad law be perpetuated? Especially if others have already been convicted of it? If a law is bad the sooner it is dealt with, the better to be rid of it."

Although McCoy agreed with Ma that "homosexual behavior is not deviant or unnatural," he denied that the law was discriminatory.

In an argument that centered around anal sex as a form of sexual affection, McCoy asserted that Hartmann's decision created "inequality" as legalising anal sex for gay men 16 and above would in fact discriminate against "all heterosexuals who commit buggery with females" under 21 as anal sex is considered illegal for males and females under 21.

When asked if anal sex and penile-vaginal sex were equivalent, McCoy said they were not because intercourse is "procreative."

Ma then asked, "Is that the only purpose of sexual intercourse?"

"Of course not," McCoy responded.

Ma said, "So buggery is a form of affection between loving homosexuals just as sexual intercourse is for heterosexuals."

Woo added, "the only thing which can't be criminalised is a male under 21 committing buggery (having anal sex) with a female over 21. That would not be a crime."

McCoy was repeatedly asked by Tang to define the "moral issue" concerning buggery and age of consent laws.

He said, "I can only assert that the moral issue must be that it takes two to tango and that males mature more slowly than females and that the legislature decided that the youth of Hong Kong must be protected from itself."

Gay groups have criticised the government's appeal against the original ruling. It is not known when the Appeals Court will announce their decision.
Lesbian tennis star wins Wimbledon
French lesbian tennis player Amélie Mauresmo won the Wimbledon title last Saturday beating Belgium's Justine Henin-Hardenne 2-6 6-3 6-4 for her second grand slam title, having won the Australian Open in January. The win, a first by a Frenchwoman in 81 years, has consolidated the 27-year-old on top of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings.

Mauresmo, currently ranked No. 1, came out at the Australian Open in January 1999 at age 19.
The 27-year-old then attended the post-match press conference sporting a T-shirt with the slogan "2006 Wimbledon champion: I am what I am," declaring her sexuality.

Mauresmo came out at the Australian Open in January 1999 at age 19 and was infamously called "half a man" by fellow tennis player and opponent Martina Hingis, then 18, while speaking to reporters before the final. Ironically, Hingis was named after Martina Navrátilová, a lesbian and outspoken gay rights advocate who is considered to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time and possibly the most famous lesbian in the sporting world today with 18 Grand Slam singles titles (including nine Wimbledon titles) and 40 Grand Slam doubles titles.

Reflecting on the incident after winning the Australian Open in January, Maursemo said, "That final and those days seven years ago were a bit painful," reported the New York Times.

On her win this time, Mauresmo said: "It feels great. I had a great two weeks. I really wanted to win this trophy. It's a great moment for me. This trophy is so special in the world of tennis. I am very proud."
Tokyo gay film festival marks 15th year
The 15th Tokyo International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, set to run July 7-8 and 13-17, will show 14 feature-length films and 21 shorts from around the world.

The Masseur (Masahista) by first-time director Brillante Mendoza is a well-received Filipino film about a gay for pay rent boy.
The festival opened with Saving Face, an acclaimed lesbian film by Alice Wu, which explores the relationship between a closeted Chinese-American lesbian and her mother played by screen legend Joan Chen.

Other features include the Indian film Sancharam (The Journey), directed by Ligy J. Pullappally which has widely toured film festivals worldwide and won three awards in India despite its controversial theme and The Masseur (Masahista) by first-time director Brillante Mendoza is a well-received Filipino film about a gay for pay rent boy.

The German feature Sommersturm (Summer Storm), by writer-director Marco Kreuzpaintner, is a coming of age tale involving gay (and straight) teenagers at a rowing camp.

Films in this festival are from Japan, Argentina, Australia, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Russia, South Korea, Spain and Switzerland.

Tickets for each screening are 1,300 yen in advance or 1,500 yen at the door. Except for the Japanese film "g8-2 (kari)," movies not in English will have English subtitles. For details, fax (020) 4666-6983 or visit www.tokyo-lgff.org.

Reader's Comments

1. 2006-07-12 21:49  
just 2 share the following with everyone, esp those who still doubts it is a privilege 2 b G:
Good 2 b G - that's the title of a special issue of the BK mag, a free mag in outlets like Starbucks in Bkk

Trendsetters: notice how we always do things ahead of everyone else? Even if something looks ridiculous, somebody will pick it up sooner or later - usually later.

Time is on our side: Because we don't have to worry about a family or kids. Chances r u have more money as well because ur savings are spent only on urself. So u will have more for eating & drinking & shopping & travel. & we have time to maintain our youthful looks so that when the ultimate anti-aging technology arrives, we just need to enhance what is already good.

Sex experts: Both str8 guys & gals come to us for advice. Diamonds aren't a girl's best frenz - a gay man is! Just ask all the str8 women married to gay men - we make great husbands! We r in touch with both our femme & our macho side - all in one body! & we might have even tried both, if you know what I mean.

Innovation "out of the box": We r constantly pushing the envelope of what is acceptable & what is cool. Why do u think there r so many of us in advertising? Look at all the gays u see on TV & in other media. Gays r in the spotlight now more than ever. & our "pink dollar" is something marketers constantly have their sights on.

Best hope for world peace: We can be as competitive as str8 men, but in the end we r lovers, not fighters. I have yet to witness a fight resulting from one gay stepping on another gay's foot. Instead we exchange phone numbers. Jing jing!
2. 2006-07-13 10:58  
To be honest, I think it is fine that the legal age to have sex should be set at 21 years old. However, this should be applicable to all as a whole nation or society and not between gay and straight. Come on, can u imagine your daughter and your hubby going after 16 years girls. That is also morally "wrong" as it was implied to us by the straight ppls. How many straight kids about 16 to 21 yo accidentally get pregrant. I am sure it is also a problem too rite. So why dun impose the law for all. The straight should be mature enuff before they can have sex to avoid all the morally "wrong -doings" and same for the gay. Lastly, the punishment should be the same as well right. Come on...be fair....seriously, if we do have sex, we r doing with our own kind, not as if we r bothering the straight ppls....gosh....sometimes....i dun think they really understand what they r saying at all....we never disturb u guys at all...so dun disturb us... fair enuff
3. 2006-07-14 02:26  
Frankly speaking, I think that the legal age to have sex should be set at 16 years old. Moreover the church or the government should stop moralising and dicate laws about how we have to enjoy sex.
Let us do what we want with our bodies, we are mature enough to take care of it, we do not need any dictatorship tell us how we have to rule our private sexual life. For those who disqagree, I suggest they read first the novel "1984" from George Orwell . It is amazing to see that law in Asia and more recently in US is turning against homosexuals. What about progress, democracy and freedom ? What about all the people who died to portect freedom and democracy in WWII ? Are we blind enough to forget it ? Any new dictatorships in the world start by discriminating minority rights. And this is just a beginning.
Will the history be repeating ? What will be the next step ? Concentration camps for gays & Lesbians that had anal sex under 21 ? Thanks for reading.
4. 2006-07-14 11:28  
For the age of consent to be 21 is unrealistic. It also means that it would be a crime for anyone to be sleeping with someone under 21. Looking back, I don't think it's practical to try to restraint sexual expression for those in their late teens.
5. 2006-07-14 13:52  
woo woo go girl!
6. 2006-07-14 15:14  
The whole issue is about discrimination. If it is already so obvious that there is an age discrimination base on sexual orientation. What else is there to debate? is there a different definition of a gay male at age 16 and a straight male at the same age? So the difference is sexual orientation! It boils down to gay discrimination! That's no difference then being robe on the street or rape by a stranger!

Why's are we wasting any more tax payer money on nonsense like this. We live in the 21st century, so open your mind and be in-tune with the world! We are here to stay and we are not going to be scared by your heterosexual/bliical BS! God create man to love and not to destory or segregate one another! So put down your swords and armor. Take a deep breath and be happy that we are still alive. Say "hi" and "thank you" to everyone you see. Make peace with your enemy and let's celebrate wiht love and caring for one another! Let's PARTY!
7. 2006-07-14 15:17  
Yeah! Another one for the girl! But where are the men? Come on guys let's see some muscle here!

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