Fridae

While all such weddings can now take place without the threat of censure, the government will still not officially recognize same-sex marriages or provide related legal protections.

The National University Hospital believed to be the last public hospital to do sex-reassignment surgery said it no longer offers such a service.

Madhu Kinnar's wins comes after the Indian Supreme Court ruled last April that transgender people be recognized as the third sex, be accorded social acceptability and an equal standing under Indian law.

According to research conducted by an anti-gay-rights group, 70 percent of people in Hong Kong believe society should tolerate anti-homosexual attitudes.

Many gay men and women also hide their sexual orientation “fearing rejection, discrimination and violence,” said the popular American weekly news magazine

Fifty-nine percent of Chinese people say society should accept gay people and 40 percent of respondents supported marriage between same-sex couples.

The survey of 751 people across eight cities showed more than 50 percent admitting to living in constant fear of their sexual orientation being found out.

The movie Madam Phung's Last Journey played to sold-out rooms in Ho Chi Minh City and is now currently showing in the national capital Ha Noi.

The new rules come into effect following a Supreme Court ruling in January that allowed two transgender Israelis to change their gender on their cards without medical intervention.

  Activists hope that the head of the Catholic Church’s scheduled visit Jan 15-19 to the Philippines will help change local peoples attitude toward the LGBT community.