This Week In Gay Asia: Aussie Expats In Hong Kong Help Marriage Equality Vote

This Week In Gay Asia is a weekly update on news and events in Asia’s LGBTQ+ community, powered by Prout, a new social service for LGBTQs to find common-interest friends & groups online, and join LGBTQ-friendly events wherever they are. Prout’s support function also assists LGBTQs in their lives through question boards, helplines and inspirational stories. Pre-register for Prout by visiting proutapp.com.

We’ll keep this update short so you get straight to what matters. Do you want to see more happenings in gay Asia? Let us know in the comments or tweet Popspoken founder Kyle Malinda-White at @kylemalinda.

PHILIPPINES: HIV/AIDS crisis worsens in Duterte reign

Health experts say that PH president Rodrigo Duterte’s reproductive health laws is diverting resources away from the country’s biggest health crisis — the HIV/AIDS pandemic, with activist Jonas Bagas saying that underspending on resources to tackle this epidemic is going to place the lives of many Filipinos — including LGBTQ+ ones — at risk.

Listen to the podcast on ABC’s The World Today, here. Follow Jonas Bagas on Twitter, here.

NEW DELHI: India marches in its 10th Pride Parade

Hundreds gathered in New Delhi with placards and rainbow motifs to mark the tenth anniversary of Pride. Do not be fooled: it is a political affair, with a list of demands including repealing homosexuality law Section 377, laws against Hijra (third gender), and removing marital rape as an exception in rape laws.

Read the report on The Wire, here.

HONG KONG: The Gay Games goes to Asia in 2022

Asia is set to host the sporting Gay Games for the first time, with Hong Kong winning the bid to host it early this month. However, Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam’s support was “lukewarm” at best, with her citing her Catholic faith. So much to be said, when 92% of young people in Hong Kong support anti-discriminations laws towards LGBTQ people.

Read the article on The Guardian, here.

HONG KONG: Aussie expats chip in on Oz marriage equality vote

There is nothing like the LGBTQ+ community and its allies rallying to support another country’s push for equality. This time, that honour goes to Hong Kong, where HK expats and businesses supported Gay Star News editor Shannon Power in assembling a postal station and a turnout to support Australia’s postal survey on marriage equality.

Read the account on Gay Star News, here.

TAIWAN: Queer film festival opens in Kaoshiung

Taiwan continues to lead LGBTQ+ acceptance in this region, and the Taiwan International Queer Film Festival recently opened in Kaoshiung with members of the city’s gender equality committee present to watch opening film Rebels On Pointe, documenting an all-male ballet group subverting the masculine gaze.

Read the article on GagaTai, here.

SINGAPORE: “Ah Boys To Men” actor supports gay marriage

Tosh Zhang, a popular actor in Singapore starring in hit movie franchise Ah Boys To Men, has thrown his support behind gay marriage, saying “every country in the world should do that”. He also commended Taiwan for being progressive in being the first country in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage.

Read the interview on SINdie, here.

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