Fridae

Brokeback Mountain, same-sex marriage, age of consent ruling in Hong King and India's public battle against Section 377. Fridae columnist Alex Au recounts the top five events of the year in terms of significance to the lesbian and gay Asian.

Same-sex marriage is set to be a political hot potato in the US in 2007. While New Jersey will offer civil unions to same-sex couples next February, anti-marriage groups in Massachusetts are working to reverse the Supreme Court ruling that allows same-sex marriage. The Pope has meanwhile reiterated his condemnation of same-sex unions commenting on the current debate in Italy over proposed legal rights for gay couples.

Singapore is a non-signatory of the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights although 152 countries other have signed it. Tan Chong Kee explains why the denial of the right of homosexuals to love is linked to the denial of many other rights for everyone and how Tasmania - the last Australian state to decriminalise homosexual sexual acts - finally repealed its laws.

Three LGBT groups have been granted consultative status at the United Nations. Gay blogger Perez Hilton, who runs his highly popular namesake gossip site, is facing US$7.6 million copyright infringement lawsuit. In the UK, the High Court has allowed Christian groups to seek a judicial review regarding new gay equality laws in Northern Ireland.

Studies in Africa have shown that a man's risk of contracting HIV/AIDS can be halved if he is circumcised but the New Zealand AIDS Foundation was quick to point out that it does not mean circumcised gay and bisexual men are only half as likely to get infected with HIV.

The Thai military will no longer define gays and transsexuals as mentally ill but will continue to reject them as soldiers. In Turkey, the owner of Turkey's only LGBT magazine has been being accused of publishing pornographic material and will face up to three years jail. A UK councillor who remarked that "equated gay people with paedophiles" was found guilty of a public order offence and ordered to pay �250.

Readers have till 9am on Dec 9 to write in to Reach Singapore regarding the proposed amendments to the Penal Code. Everyone is strongly encouraged to voice their opinion. Readers may also use a template available on the following pages while writing in.

Look out for SAFE Singapore, a new support group for straight family and friends of GLBT people with an upcoming website launch on Saturday, Dec 9 at Mox Bar. Fridae talks to Dr Khoo Hoon Eng, a co-founder of the group and a supportive mother of two gay sons.

A San Francisco lawmaker has reintroduced a bill seeking to legalise gay marriage in California as State lawmakers kicked off the new legislative session on Monday.

The 5th Singapore AIDS Conference was themed "HIV in Singapore: The Challenge and the Hope." Fittingly, speakers seized this opportunity to challenge the government and the public to liberalise laws and attitudes towards MSMs and the HIV-positive community.