Fridae

Fridae speaks to Vietnamese-American novelist Monique Truong, bestselling author of The Book of Salt which is set in 1920s Paris and features a young gay character – a Vietnamese cook who lives in the household of famous lesbian writers Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. 

Registration for the 8th Singapore AIDS Conference Delegates is now open. Sign the declaration to commit to expand prevention efforts, ensure access to antiretroviral treatment, and provide accessible, non-discriminatory and comprehensive care to end HIV/AIDS in Singapore now.

Hong Kong singer Denise Ho Wan-Si, whose sexual orientation has long been the subject of speculation, has officially come out as gay at Saturday's gay pride parade.

Following the Legislative Council's decision on Wednesday to reject a motion to hold a public consultation to explore anti-discrimination laws on the basis of sexual orientation, members of Hong Kong's LGBT community have called on the community to come out in full force at the pride march on Saturday.

As US voters re-elected President Barack Obama to a second term, voters in Maryland and Maine passed referendums to allow gay couples to marry – making it the first time same-sex marriage has been approved by a popular vote; Wisconsin's Tammy Baldwin also made history by becoming the first openly gay person elected to the Senate.

Legislative Council (LegCo) member Cyd Ho Sau-lan is planning to move a motion on Wednesday, Nov 7, to urge the Government to conduct a public consultation on legislation to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

US actress and director Jodie Foster won the coveted prize which will be presented at the annual film awards show in January; she’s also the first openly gay woman to win since the award since it was first presented in 1952.

In the last two years, three internet surveys in Europe, the USA and Asia asked over 200,000 gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) about sex, safety and stigma. Gus Cairns looks at some of the data, and finds a mix of the expected and unexpected and some challenging findings for HIV prevention.

It was a record turnout at the Taiwan LGBT Pride Parade on Saturday with over 50,000 attendees from more than 20 countries.

Titled "LGBT Diversity in the Workplace", the event is part of Fridae's ongoing efforts to promote the empowerment of LGBTs in Asia. Registrations are now open.