Fridae

With the 31st annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade - the largest of its kind in the world - upon the city this weekend, Fridae's Sydney correspondent Justin Ellis finds the parade to still be relevant to LGBTs today.

The California Supreme Court has to decide whether to defer to the voters of whom 52 percent support a same-sex marriage ban, or reaffirm their original ruling that preventing gay people from marrying is unconstitutional.

Boo Junfeng's short film Tanjong Rhu and Kan Lume's Female Games will premiere in Singapore at the 22nd Singapore International Film Festival, April 14-25.

Gay Asian viewers have expressed their outrage that the words "gay" and "lesbian" in Milk writer Dustin Lance Black and actor Sean Penn's Oscar speeches have been muted out during the recorded broadcasts.

Hawaii has become the latest battleground in the fight for same-sex civil unions. At the time of writing this report (10:57pm local time), the state Senate Judiciary and Government Operations Committee are still taking testimony from the 1300 people who signed up.

Organisers of what was to be Chiang Mai's second gay pride parade called off the event late Saturday evening following a confrontation with protesters.

Dustin Lance Black, whose script for Milk won the award for original screenplay, and Sean Penn who played the slain gay rights leader in the same movie both made a plea for same-sex marriage rights in their acceptance speeches.

British officials have barred anti-gay US pastor Fred Phelps and his daughter from entering the country after announcing plans to protest against a play based on a gay hate crime.

Four firefighters ordered to take part in a gay pride parade have been awarded over US$34,300 after successfully suing San Diego city for sexual harassment.

The proportion of HIV infections being transmitted among MSM is larger and more significant than originally believed, says World Health Organization adviser Massimo Ghidinelli as a 3-day conference is underway in Hong Kong to consider strategies to deliver better services to MSM communities.