Travel agents and operators in India are gearing up to promote itself as a LGBT-friendly travel destination despite not getting any support from the Tourism Ministry. Sylvia Tan reports from New Delhi.
The decision to rebrand the iconic gay parade as the 'Sydney Mardi Gras' as part of the festival’s new strategy to attract broader local, national and international audiences has got Sydneysiders debating the removal of the two words.
At least five gay men have reported being attacked by several men – although it's too early to know if it's the same attackers involved – last week in the South Korean capital city of Seoul.
Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam wants to amend Syariah laws to deal with gay men and lesbians although Malacca's Syariah laws already criminalise "intentional anal sex", "attempted intentional anal sex" and “sexual relations... against the order of nature”.
The week-old Bali Medika Clinic will provide confidential medical check-ups, screenings for sexually transmitted diseases, CD4 testing and antiretroviral treatment, and a range of other services specifically targeted at men who have sex with men and other at-risk groups.
With the festival being slammed by religious groups and even a Malay Supremacist organisation, Deputy-inspector general of police Khalid Abu Bakar has declared a blanket ban on all events related to the 'Seksualiti Merdeka' festival.
British Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Perth in October did not adopt sweeping recommendations for change that included calling for the repeal of anti-homosexual criminal laws. We are not surprised. But the door has not been slammed shut. Doug Sanders reports.
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