Fridae

A survey of some 2,000 people will be used to assess the general Hong Kong public's likely reception to proposed anti-discrimination laws. In Tennessee, a judge has shut down the ex-gay Love In Action Ministry, a "treatment" centre which claims to help gays "turn" straight.

In a new fortnightly column for Fridae, Singapore pioneer gay activist, Alex Au, writes about Warwick University's recent rejection of a Singapore proposal to set up a full-fledged campus in the city-state and why that signals a new phase of Singapore's liberalisation.

Fridae's fabulous fashionista, Alvin Tan, unveils the much-awaited dress codes for the upcoming Nation.V parties and offers some sartorial suggestions for the party people at Phuket!

The inaugural Girl Pride Asia festival will be held in Phuket, concurrently with Nation.V from Nov 4-6. Despite being in the works for over a year, plans for Singapore to be home to Britain's Warwick University's branch campus have fallen through. In HK, activists criticised its leader who disgreed with a recent ruling which decriminalised gay acts between men under 21.

Fridae speaks with Alice Wu, writer-director of the lesbian hit Saving Face which explores the relationship between a closeted Chinese-American lesbian and her mother (played by screen legend Joan Chen), in an exclusive interview.

Fridae's travel bug, Alvin Tan, plays advance scout to Nation.V partygoers and shares the sights and delights of sunny Phuket!

Party with Asia's hottest gay party organisers such as Hong Kong's HX Production and Cocktail; Japan's Ageha; Malaysia's Liquid; and Taiwan's G5, Wonderland and Follow Me, all in one explosive weekend at the Nation.V party, 4-6 Nov, Phuket, Thailand.

Teens are coming out earlier than ever before, according to a new US study that's also featured in the Oct 10, 2005 issue of Time magazine. In Germany, health authorities are alarmed over a surge in the number of new cases of HIV particularly within the gay community, meanwhile, gay Arabs have a new magazine to call their own.

Malaysia-born lesbian filmmaker Desiree Lim picked up her 8mm video camera and made her first short film, which won an award at the 1995 Tokyo Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, after watching a Hollywood film which she felt did not do lesbians justice. Her films will be screened at the inaugural Girl Pride Asia to be held concurrently with Nation.V from Nov 4-6 in Phuket.

Politicised robots, sexualised cartoons and Singapore's founding fathers are among the figures that populate the splendid universe of gay artist Brian Gothong Tan. Rich with subtexts, The Mysterious Book of Invisible Children is on display at the Esplanade Tunnel in Singapore till 23 October.