Gender
Lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ)
Timely warning over gay rights
The gay community in Cambodia continues to suffer discrimination in every aspect of life, activists have warned, despite speedy progress being made around the world. Events are being held across Phnom Penh in support of Gay Pride week, which runs until Monday. But members of ...
Rules allowing censorship of depictions of homosexuality criticised
When the Ministry of Culture banned actor Denny Kwan on April 25 from appearing in movies for a year for wearing revealing clothing, the decision drew fire for what many felt were its sexist overtones. It also called attention to the ministry’s code of ethics, ...
Prison system sets up new accommodations for LGBT inmates
Bangkok’S Min Buri and Klong Prem prisons as well as Chon Buri’s Pattaya Prison have arranged separate zones to house self-identified lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender prisoners separate from non-LGBT prisoners, Department of Corrections director-general Kobkiat Kasiwiwat said on March 22. The move makes Thailand ...
Abuses prevalent for Cambodia's transgender women: study
An overwhelming majority of transgender women on Cambodia’s city streets are subject to “shocking” harassment and abuse, according to a new report from the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights. The report, released on September 21, also shines a light on a disturbing new practice that has allegedly ...
There is ‘no room’ for the gay community, Indonesia says
Indonesia said on August 10 there was “no room” for the gay community in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, as activists blasted officials for an unprecedented series of LGBT attacks. A wave of angry rhetoric directed at homosexuals earlier this year – including a call to ...
Orlando shooting gives LGBT Singaporeans an unlikely opening
A tragedy half a world away has created an unlikely opening for a repressed community in Singapore. The mass shooting at a gay club in Orlando, Florida, has galvanized LGBT people in Singapore, where a candlelight vigil was held on 14 June to express solidarity with the ...
Asia's first transgender centre opens in Bangkok
The Thai Red Cross Aids Research Centre has joined forces with US development partners to open the first transgender-specific operation in Asia. The Tangerine Community Health Centre – located on the first floor of the Thai Red Cross Aids Research Centre in Bangkok – strives to be ...
Loans to fight LGBT poverty
LGBT Cambodians driven into poverty by discrimination, and sometimes forced to sell sex to survive, may soon enjoy the benefits of a new online campaign designed to raise money to help them rebuild their lives. Micro Rainbow International, a non-profit organisation aimed at lifting LGBT Cambodians ...
In Laos, an invisible minority is finding its voice
If there is one word to describe the LGBT community in Laos, the landlocked nation sandwiched between Thailand and Vietnam, it might just be “invisible.” This is the ninth part of a 10-part series on LGBT rights in Southeast Asia, which uncovers the challenges facing the LGBT ...
