ST Life!: Colourful Castro centre

23 June 2009
Straits Times Life!

Colourful Castro centre
By yong shu hoong, in san francisco

Acclaimed film-maker Alfred Hitchcock once described San Francisco as ‘a good location for a murder mystery’.

So it is no wonder he set several of his famous thrillers, such as Vertigo (1958) and The Birds (1963), in San Francisco and its Bay Area.

More recently, San Francisco’s iconic landmarks, in particular, the Golden Gate Bridge, have popped up in Hollywood movies, such as the animated feature Monsters Vs Aliens and the fantasy film Land Of The Lost.

On a more serious note, the 2008 Oscar winner Milk, director Gus Van Sant’s biopic of slain politician Harvey Milk, was also filmed on location in San Francisco.

Zaobao: Shanghai Pride Week

17 June 2009
Lianhe Zaobao
Source

English translation by Signeller Kay Loh. Original Chinese text follows below.

(Breakfast news – The New Shanghainese) “The Shanghai Pride Week”

2000-06-17.   He Xi Wei

Last Monday, at a chit chat session that was supposed to be attended by youngsters, the appearance of an “uncle” with grey hair stood out like a sore thumb.

It was a discussion related to the developmental process on homosexuality in China, and the majority of attendees are either “comrades” in the circle or people driven by curiosity to take a peep at the psychology of gays. However, the reasons given by “uncle” was different: the organizers knew later that because his daughter was also gay, “uncle” wished to take part in the discussions to better understand his daughter.

ST: ‘Coming out’ in China

20 June 2009
Straits Times

MEMO FROM BEIJING
‘Coming out’ in China

While homosexuality is still largely a social taboo, Chinese society is slowly opening up

By Sim Chi Yin, China Correspondent

TWO empty white picture frames hung on the art gallery’s wall.

Hours earlier, the authorities had marched in, inspected each art piece and asked for the sexually explicit ones to be removed.

But apart from those casualties, Beijing’s first gay art exhibition opened without trouble last Sunday.

A crowd of 200 gay, straight, Chinese and expatriate guests gathered over soft drinks and beer at the Songzhuang Art District on the city’s outskirts for what organisers quietly hailed as a breakthrough for gays in China, where homosexuality was delisted as a ‘mental illness’ only in 2001.

BBC: State media praises Shanghai gays

10 June 2009
BBC
Source

State media praises Shanghai gays

Chris Hogg
BBC News, Beijing

China’s first gay pride festival has been praised in the state media in a significant shift from the previous attitude to such events.

The festival was described in the China Daily newspaper as an event of “profound significance” and a “showcase of the country’s social progress”.

Film screenings, discussions and parties are being held as part of the week long festival in Shanghai.

ST: ‘Intolerance’ can bring a nation down

28 May 2009
Straits Times

‘Intolerance’ can bring a nation down

That poses the biggest threat to S’pore, says Prof Koo in apparent reference to Aware saga

By Jeremy Au Yong

INTOLERANCE, not the economic crisis, poses the biggest threat to Singapore, Associate Professor Koo Tsai Kee (Tanjong Pagar GRC) warned in Parliament yesterday.

While the economic slump will pass, religious and racial bigotry could bring about Singapore’s downfall, he said during the debate on the President’s Address at the opening of the new session of Parliament.

Indonesia: Anti-gay campaign sweeps Jakarta

Source:  Website – Action in Solidarity with Asia and the Pacific
Date: Not precisely dated, probably July 2008

Indonesia: Anti-gay campaign sweeps Jakarta

According to Rido Triawan, the chairperson of Arus Pelangi (“Rainbow Current”), an Indonesian LGBTI rights organisation, a new anti-gay and lesbian campaign is sweeping Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, in the wake of hysterical media coverage about a so-called “Gay mutilation murder case”.

Verry Idam Henyansyah, better known as “Ryan” confessed to the murder and mutilation of a gay man, Heri Santoso, in Jakarta a few weeks ago. He has subsequently confessed to 10 other murders.

Should identity of HIV patient be revealed?

Source: Today
2 June 2008

Should identity of HIV patient be revealed?
Zul Othman

SINCE 1992, the identities of persons living with HIV have been protected under the Infectious Diseases Act, although they can be named if they are charged in court.

Over the years, there have been a few reports. But, what about putting their photos in the media?

It is a big grey area, going by what professionals in the legal, medical and media industry told Today.

Straits Times carries story on Sydney Mardi Gras

1 March 2008
Straits Times

Huge crowds expected as Australia’s gay Mardi Gras turn 30

SYDNEY – UP to 300,000 people were expected to line Sydney’s streets to watch the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Saturday as the largest gay pride march in the Asia Pacific region marks its 30th anniversary.

Serving military personnel will for the first time be among the 10,000 costumed participants sashaying through the city’s Oxford Street gay district in a sign of how much attitudes have changed since the first event in 1978.