Ze: a new word in Oxford University

Ze: a  new word in Oxford University

London: What did ze say? Oxford University wants students to use the gender neutral “ze” instead of “he” or “she” when addressing fellow students. One of the world’s leading educational institutions has outlined the new guidelines in a students’ union leaflet as part of a move to prevent transgender students being offended, The Sunday Times […]

In support of diversity

In support of diversity

Sir, The rule of law is supreme and everyone is equal in the eyes of law in India. Yet, the transgender community is in a constant battle. Recognition of transgender as a third gender is not a social or medical issue but a human right. Transgendered  people not only have to fight oppression and also […]

Fidel: sending Gays to labour camps, deep injustice!

Fidel: sending Gays to labour camps, deep injustice!

Fidel Castro is no more. Love him/hate him. Whatever. The world cannot ignore him, especially in death. He was one of India’s greatest supporters during the non-aligned movement. He was also, undoubtedly, one of those are world leaders who later in life, publicly denounced his government’s homophobia and his own ‘neglect’ of LGBT persecution. In […]

Will Taiwan legalize same sex marriage?

Will Taiwan legalize same sex marriage?

Tens of thousands of people sashayed through the streets of Taiwan’s capital, Taipei, to participate in Asia’s biggest gay pride parade. Many of those who attended carried placards calling on the government to legalise same sex marriage. Dressed in colourful costumes and carrying rainbow flags, they paraded in front of Taiwan’s presidential palace. Taiwan is more […]

Right wing US Governor saps LGBT pride

Right wing US Governor saps LGBT pride

A  special report  in ‘The Charlotte Observer’ investigated the extent of anti-LGBT discrimination in North Carolina  (USA) in the wake of the state’s discriminatory House Bill 2 (HB 2), finding that LGBT people have “for years been subjected to bullying, harassment, discrimination and sometimes violence” and that HB 2 “heightens fear in North Carolina.” The […]

Hong Kong bid for Gay Olympics 2022

Hong Kong bid for Gay Olympics 2022

Do you know that Hong Kong hopes to be hosting the 2022 “gay Olympics”?  The international federation behind the global sports event may actually select Hong Kong in a bid to shine a light on its poor same-sex rights record. LGBTI sports organisation Out in HK is leading the bid for Hong Kong 2022. Since […]

Everyday, Japan is more tolerant of Same- sex couples

Everyday, Japan is more tolerant of Same- sex couples

Times are a-changing in Japan, especially for LGBT couples. If businesses are opening up and recognizing the Pink yen, the public sector in Japan isn’t far behind. Change is coming, albeit more slowly, in the public sector. The self-governing Shibuya district of Tokyo created quite a stir when in February 2015, it declared that it […]

Violence grows against Third Gender in Pakistan

Violence grows against Third Gender in Pakistan

Khyber Pakhtunwala (PAKISTAN): In June, three men broke into the home of a transgender woman named Kashi, in Mansehra and attempted to rape her. They ended up shooting her several times. Kashi is only one of many transgender women in Pakistan to have been attacked in recent months. In May, Alehsa, a transgender woman and […]

LGBT pride becomes protest in Israel’s second largest city

LGBT pride becomes protest in Israel’s second largest city

Israel: More than 2,000 persons demonstrated on Thursday evening outside the Be’er Sheva  (Beersheba) City Hall building instead of marching in the city’s now-cancelled first ever Pride parade. Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the “Capital of the Negev”, it is the centre of the […]

Church should seek forgiveness from LGBT for prejudice

Church should seek forgiveness from LGBT for prejudice

Pope Francis has said that Christians and the Roman Catholic Church should seek forgiveness from homosexuals for the way they had treated them. He also said that he had heard that when some Church officials had gone to Pope Benedict (the former Pope who resigned)  to complain that Francis was too liberal,  Pope Benedict “sent […]

Is it Home Ministry vs NGOs who won’t toe the line?

Is it Home Ministry vs NGOs who won’t toe the line?

NEW DELHI – The Government of India has cancelled the foreign funding licence of a non-profit trust run by a high-profile activist known for her vocal criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying it misused overseas funds, is how AFP tells the story. But is the Indian Government actually trying to stifle any form of […]

These Beautiful Boys are the death of Afghan Cops

These Beautiful Boys are the death of Afghan Cops

The Taliban are using beautiful boy slaves as ‘honey traps’ to mount crippling insider attacks on police in southern Afghanistan, exploiting the common practice of “bacha bazi” ­­ or ‘boy play’ ­­ to infiltrate security ranks, multiple officials and survivors of such assaults said. The ancient custom is prevalent across Afghanistan, but nowhere does it […]