Fridae

In response to the National Council Of Churches In Singapore (NCCS)'s statement on the proposed amendments to the Penal Code, the Free Community Church and SAFE Singapore have issued statements objecting to NCCS's call to criminalising lesbian acts and advocating the retention of Section 377A.

Hong Kong's Legislative Council panel has unanimously passed a motion demanding that the Broadcasting Authority withdraws its earlier ruling that a TV show that discussed same-sex partnerships was biased. In France, the highest court has declared the first marriage by a gay couple in France to be unlawful.

As Singapore is looking at its first major review of its Penal Code in more than 20 years, the National Council of Churches has praised the government for its proposal to retain laws criminalising homosexual acts, and for the first time advocated the specific inclusion of lesbians in its scope.

Sen. Hillary Clinton has pledged to support gay causes if elected president in the 2008 race. Same-sex couples in Taiwan may soon be covered under the revised Domestic Violence Bill. In London, a man responsible for the 1999 bombing of a London gay bar, which killed three, has had his original prison sentence extended from 30 years to 50.

Doug Sanders reports on "Queer Asian Sites," the second International Conference of Asian Queer Studies, which was held back to back with "Queer Space: Centres and Peripheries" in the lead up to the Mardi Gras parade in Sydney last weekend.

Look out for a Fridae Version 5 (V5) beta launch party happening near you in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and even San Francisco this March and April.

A woman in Kuala Lumpur has gone to the press about a club's discriminatory policy of a club for not admitting ''tomboys.'' Gaydar co-founder Gary Frisch was found dead outside his London apartment. Captive female koalas in Australia have been found for the first time engaging in 'lesbian' sex.

With the shut down happening just days ahead of the big Mardi Gras parade and party weekend, last Sunday's drug bust has somewhat dampened moods in the Australian city as some fear similar action by the police.

The second International Conference of Asian Queer Studies will convene in Sydney this week. New Jersey has became the third state in the US to offer civil unions, meanwhile in Italy, the civil union debate rages. A Russian lawmaker has introduced a bill to recriminalise homosexuality, punishable with a five-year prison sentence.

During a busy lunch hour on Valentine's Day in Beijing's central business district, six lesbians and gays handed out 200 red carnations wrapped in leaflets calling for the acceptance of gay love and marriage. A Beijing exclusive by Dinah Gardner.