Fridae

It's an oft-used descriptor in personal ads but what does it really mean to advertise yourself as a "straight-acting" gay man? Shinen Wong delves into the term's underlying assumptions and bias.

It says 'Empowering Gay Asia' at the top of each and every Fridae page. But what exactly does it mean to be empowered or feel empowered? Shinen Wong invites readers to respond.

Along with frequently used insults "bitch" and "slut", "that's so gay" has joined the club and is used by schoolchildren and adults alike to put others down. Shinen Wong reflects on the use of commonly used slurs by gay and straight people alike.

Jireh Tan writes from California's Bay Area about the much-awaited Harvey Milk biopic starring Sean Penn in the title role and the pertinence of the film's message.

Shinen Wong brings out the Christmas Queer.

Are black people homophobic? Are gays and lesbians racist? Shinen Wong weighs in on the debate as African American voters are blamed for the passage of Prop 8 which has effectively banned same-sex marriage in California.

The International Lesbian and Gay Association (now known as International Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans and Intersex Association) - more international than ever - held its 30th anniversary conference in elegant Vienna. But the conference had problems. Doug Sanders reports.

Keep the message short and simple. Keep it one that millions of gay and bisexual people can embrace, through their own personal experience, so that they can confidently go out to change minds.

Do the sentences ranging from 18 months in a reformative training centre to 4 � years' jail and eight strokes of the cane - and charges of causing grievous hurt - commensurate with the severity of the offence?

Shinen Wong contemplates the police raids of gay venues in Malaysia last weekend and the riots at Stonewall Inn in New York City in 1969, which is today seen as one of the most significant milestones in the history of the global LGBT rights movement.