LGBT+ candidates score series of historic wins in U.S. elections

LGBT+ candidates scored a series of historic wins in the U.S. elections, including Sarah McBride becoming the first openly transgender person to win a State Senate seat.

At least 117 of a record 574 LGBT+ candidates on the ballot had won at the time of publication, nine of them trans, according to the LGBTQ Victory Fund, which backs LGBT+ candidates.

"It's a huge milestone for members of the LGBTQ community," said Stephanie Byers, who became the country's first trans Native American state legislator in the Kansas House of Representatives.

"Gender is no longer the only thing that someone sees when we run for office ... they also realise that we run more broadly, not just on LGBT issues," the 57-year-old retired music teacher told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

While data on other LGBT+ candidates is still emerging, other victors included Ritchie Torres and Mondaire Jones, respectively the first out gay Afro-Latino and Black men elected to Congress.

"Tonight's wins for LGBTQ people of colour and transgender Americans across the country are historic and long overdue," said Sarah Kate Ellis, president of the LGBT+ rights organisation GLAAD, in a statement.

"Their victories represent a leap forward for LGBTQ acceptance and a demand for more of the progress and equality that their very presence demonstrates."

OUTSTANDING VICTORY

McBride, who became the first trans person to address a major party convention when she spoke at the Democrat National Convention in 2016, is the country's highest ranking openly trans official after winning the Delaware State Senate race.

The 30-year-old tweeted that she hoped her victory "shows an LGBTQ kid that our democracy is big enough for them, too".

Veteran human rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell, who last year travelled with McBride to Australia and New Zealand, said her election marked "an outstanding victory for trans people".

Other landmark victories included Mauree Turner, who identifies as non-binary, or as neither male or female, and became Oklahoma's first Muslim state representative, according to the LGBTQ Victory Fund.

"Conversion therapy and trans students not getting the opportunity to play the sport that they would like to play ... that's the type of things that we're combatting when we show up," said 27-year-old Turner in an interview on Wednesday.

Michele Rayner became the first Black openly LGBT+ woman to be elected to Florida's state legislature, while Shevrin Jones became the state's first Black LGBT+ state senator. Georgia got its first openly LGBT+ state legislator, Kim Jackson.

"Having visible LGBTQ people in positions of political power is crucial to ensuring that LGBTQ people across America are championed," said Eloise Stonborough, associate director of policy and research at Stonewall, Europe's largest LGBT+ organisation.

QUEER SIBLINGS

A National Election Pool exit poll conducted by Edison Research indicated that LGBT+ voters represent 7% of the 2020 electorate, higher than the estimated 4.5% of the adult population.

LGBT+ voters made up 6% of the electorate in the 2018 midterm elections, and 5% in the 2016 presidential elections.

"The more of us that run, the better," said Jabari Brisport, a newly elected New York state senator and the state's first openly LGBT+ Black lawmaker.

"We have to keep pushing and open the door wider and wider for more of our queer siblings to enter politics as well and fight for an agenda that uplifts us as equal citizens like everyone else."

As the 2020 presidential election result teetered on a knife edge, with millions of votes still uncounted, LGBT+ rights groups said the early wins showed the growing political importance of the community.

"Over the last three elections, the share of LGBTQ voters has continued to increase, solidifying our community as a key rising constituency that politicians must court," Human Rights Campaign (HRC) president Alphonso David said in a statement.

"Our issues matter, our votes matter and politicians around the country have taken notice."

Alan Wardle, director of the Global Equality Caucus, a network of LGBT-supporting parliamentarians around the world, said the elected representatives sent out "a strong signal that LGBT+ people belong in public life".

-reuters-

Markki Stroem stars in new BL series 'Unlocked'

MANILA – Actor Markki Stroem is starring in a new boys' love (BL) series titled “Unlocked,” he 
announced via Instagram on Tuesday.

“Cats out of the bag! Something a little more risqué than your typical ‘BL.’ Thank you direk (Adolfo Alix Jr.) for the opportunity! Watch out for it on the Asian LGBTQ streaming site GagaOOLala,” he wrote.

According to Stroem, “Unlocked” is a 6-episode anthology series about gay relationships under the lockdown.

Stroem is part of the first episode opposite Mike Liwanag which will premiere on July 9. New episodes will be unveiled every week.

According to his post, “GagaOOLala will also partner up with #ExtendtheLove, a fundraising project to help film workers in the Philippines during the quarantine.”

news.abs-cbn.com

For lesbians, TikTok is ‘the next Tinder’

On Feb. 3, Lauren Vlach received $8 on Venmo, spread across four $2 payments, from a girl she had never met. Each payment included a block of text; read together, they formed what Cas Stephens, who sent the payments, titled her “girlfriend application” to Vlach.

Name: Cas Stephens

Location: Minnesota

One of the pros of dating her: “Can do a back flip on a snowboard.”

One of the cons: “Have not seen any Disney movies.”

Though she pursued her on Venmo, Stephens, 20, found Vlach, 22, on TikTok, where her videos were racking up thousands of views. Stephens, on the other hand, didn’t have a profile picture yet. She figured it would be easier to get Vlach’s attention elsewhere and seized on the Venmo handle listed in her bio.

Her application was accepted, and they went on their first date that night, to watch the sun rise at the Minnesota state Capitol in St. Paul. They have been documenting their relationship on TikTok ever since.

“Proves TikTok is the best lesbian dating app,” Vlach wrote in the caption of their first video together.

This is a common sentiment on Lesbian TikTok, a corner of the app dominated by funky earrings and references to indie musician Girl in Red. Like other niches, Lesbian TikTok has its own influencers, cliques, memes and drama. But it is also a hub of community, where those discovering, questioning and embracing their attraction to other women can find friends, solidarity and even love.

Like other social media, TikTok connects LGBTQ people around the world. And the impulse to convene online has only gotten stronger during quarantine. According to data from market research firm Sensor Tower, approximately 338 million first-time users downloaded TikTok from the App Store and Google Play from March 1 to May 31.

“A lot of my straight friends will be like, ‘Why don’t you just meet people in real life?’ But it’s hard to know if someone’s gay sometimes, and it can be kind of anxiety-inducing to bring that up with people,” said Rachael Thompson, 20, who lives in Arlington, Texas, and recently met up with a TikTok friend from New Orleans.

According to documents obtained by Ad Age in October 2019, 69 percent of TikTok users are between ages 16 and 24, meaning many users are too young to sign up for certain dating apps (where prospects are location-dependent), much less go to bars (few of which, increasingly, are designated for lesbians). Plus, many teenagers are still in the closet or figuring out their sexuality. TikTok is a place where they can do so safely.

Such a companionable environment can engender impressive thirstiness. On practically any video of a pretty girl, there will be multiple comments asking, “Do you listen to Girl in Red?” — Gen Z’s female-specific version of “Are you a friend of Dorothy?”

That boldness has its downsides, though.

“Nobody should be forced to come out, ever,” said Olivia Boardman, 20, who met her girlfriend on TikTok during quarantine. She said publicly asking if someone is gay “puts people in an uncomfortable position.”

Boardman, who was outed when she was 14, said many teenage girls have sought her guidance after seeing her on TikTok. (Her bio: “CEO of giving advice to gays.”)

Unlike on Twitter or Instagram, TikTok users scroll through a main feed, or “For You” page, of algorithm-generated videos from users they may not follow. This makes for a contained user experience: Someone can join TikTok, and if they search for, interact with or create lesbian videos, their For You page will mainly contain lesbian videos. Straight influencers like Charli D’Amelio may have droves of followers, but a member of Lesbian TikTok (or other niche communities, like Alt TikTok, WitchTok or Frog TikTok) could feasibly never see them.

Avery Blanchard, 20, who is known online as Avery Cyrus, said she thought Lesbian TikTok was “the only TikTok” when she first joined the app.

“I just didn’t even know that there was a regular side of TikTok,” she said.

If Lesbian TikTok were its own world, it could be broken down into many countries with their own national anthems — songs played over and over in users’ videos. There are the cottagecore girls (anthem: Mitski’s “Strawberry Blonde” or anything by Hozier), the couples (anthem: Girl in Red’s “We Fell in Love in October”) and the aesthetes (anthem: Vivaldi’s “Summer,” from “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”), among others.

“It reminds me a lot of if AOL chat rooms could come to life,” said Shelli Nicole, a writer who has covered Lesbian TikTok for queer women’s website Autostraddle.

Influencers like Blanchard would occupy the largest territory in Lesbian TikTok World. She joined the app in October on a dare; now she has 1.6 million followers.

Blanchard met another TikTok influencer, Soph Mosca, 21, at popular creator convention Playlist Live in February. They hit it off and are now involved. Blanchard said she didn’t expect TikTok to become a matchmaking site when she first joined. “I didn’t know it had the potential to, like, be the next Tinder,” she said.

“I never thought I would date someone from TikTok,” echoed Rachael Espie, 18, who met her girlfriend, Sarah Pye, 20, when she happened upon one of Pye’s videos in her feed. Their relationship is intercontinental: Espie lives in Glasgow, Scotland, and Pye lives in California.

Lesbian TikTok has had a huge impact on Espie’s life beyond finding her a girlfriend. She said the app inspired her to come out as a lesbian in December 2019.

Vlach had a similar story: Having only dated men, she said she joined TikTok because she heard there was “this whole lesbian community” on the app.

“I can’t wait til I experience a love like this,” an 18-year-old user commented on one of Vlach’s videos with Stephens.

“I hope you find it one day,” Vlach replied.

-Lena Wilson, The New York Times-

Larry Kramer, gay rights and AIDS activist, dies at 84

Larry Kramer, a prominent gay rights activist whose vociferous writings and actions took on a lagging government response to the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, has died. He was 84 years old.

"Rest in power to our fighter Larry Kramer. Your rage helped inspire a movement. We will keep honoring your name and spirit with action," tweeted Act Up -- the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power -- one of several groups he founded as the HIV virus ravaged the gay community in the late 20th century.

Citing Kramer's husband, The New York Times attributed his death to pneumonia. The octogenarian had suffered a number of afflictions in his storied life, including HIV and liver disease, for which he underwent a transplant in 2001.

In 1981 Kramer founded the Gay Men's Health Crisis, the first organization supporting HIV-positive people, leaving a year later following disputes with his fellow organizers.

He went on to found Act Up in 1987, leading protest marches and disruptions of government offices, Wall Street and Catholic leadership to shock US leaders into combatting AIDS.

Born on June 25, 1935 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Kramer graduated from Yale in 1957 before doing a stint in the Army.

He then made a foray into film, working in London on "Dr. Strangelove" and "Lawrence of Arabia."

He was known as a provocative screenwriter, nabbing a 1971 Academy Award nomination for his adaptation of D.H. Lawrence's "Women in Love."

He later turned to themes of homesexuality, publishing in 1978 a lightning rod of a first novel -- "Faggots" -- which through its piercing satire explored promiscuity, drug use and sadomasochism in the gay community.

In the early 1980s Kramer was among the first activists to recognize AIDS as a fatal infection likely to spread and kill globally across lines of gender.

"Our continued existence depends on just how angry you can get.... Unless we fight for our lives we shall die," he wrote in a 1983 essay published in a gay-focused outlet, the New York Native.

Though his harsh rhetoric and often combative style alienated some, he channeled his furor over the government's perceived apathy on AIDS into urgent work that ultimately transformed American health care.

"In American medicine, there are two eras -- before Larry and after Larry," Anthony Fauci, an infectious disease expert now leading the US fight against the coronavirus pandemic, told The New Yorker in 2002.

Fauci, who became one of the nation's most prominent voices on federal AIDS research, developed a friendship with Kramer after the activist grabbed his attention after dubbing the doctor an "incompetent idiot" and killer in 1988.

Kramer's singular voice played a key role in pushing the federal government to improve testing and approval of drug regimes for HIV patients.

"Once you got past the rhetoric," Fauci told the NYT upon learning of the activist's death, "you found that Larry Kramer made a lot of sense, and that he had a heart of gold."

"Larry Kramer's death hits our community hard," tweeted GLAAD, a nonprofit centered on LGBTQ acceptance.

"He was a fighter who never stood down from what he believed was right, and he contributed so much to the fight against HIV/AIDS."

Agence France-Presse

Canada moves to ban 'conversion therapy'

OTTAWA - The Canadian government on Monday announced a bill to ban so-called "conversion therapy," which tries to change the sexual orientation of young LGBT people.

The bill would create five new offenses in the Canadian criminal code, including prohibiting subjecting a minor to the practice, either in Canada or abroad.

An adult would also not be able to undergo conversion therapy against his or her will, and no one would be allowed to profit from or advertise it.

If the bill passes, Canada's laws on conversion therapy would become some of the "most progressive and comprehensive in the world," David Lametti, the minister of justice, told reporters while presenting the bill to parliament.

Two adults who had been forced to undergo conversion therapy in childhood testified on about their experiences.

"I'm a survivor of conversion therapy," said Erika, a trans woman.

"My body is a prison because of what my conversion therapist did to me, and I live with that every day," she said in a vehement denunciation of the practice.

The bill's adoption by parliament appears all but assured, even though Justin Trudeau's Liberal government is the minority in the House of Commons. The left-wing New Democratic Party has already announced it intends to back the bill.

The bill states that conversion therapy causes harm not only to the victims but also to society, particularly because the practice is founded on and helps spread myths and stereotypes about sexual orientation and gender identity, including the myth that sexual orientation and gender identity can and should be changed.

The law would define conversion therapy as "any service, practice or treatment designed to change a person's sexual orientation to heterosexual, gender identity to one that matches the sex assigned at birth, or to repress or reduce non-heterosexual attraction or sexual behaviors."

According to a recent official survey, 47,000 Canadian men who identify as part of a minority sexuality group had been subjected to conversion therapy.

jl/et/cjc/to/caw/

Agence France-Presse

'Mayor Pete' Buttigieg ends improbable US presidential bid

DETROIT -- Pete Buttigieg, who entered the Democratic presidential race as a relative unknown and positioned himself as the future of the party during an improbable rise to the top tier of a crowded field, ended his White House bid on Sunday.

Buttigieg, 38, a former two-term mayor of South Bend, Indiana, an Afghanistan war veteran and the first openly gay candidate to make a competitive run for the US presidency, narrowly won the Iowa caucuses that kicked off the nominating race in February and finished a close second in New Hampshire.

But his early momentum from those rural, mostly white states did not translate into electoral success in the more diverse states of Nevada and South Carolina.

After finishing a distant third in the Nevada caucuses, Buttigieg came in fourth on Saturday in South Carolina, where he won support from just 3 percent of African-American voters.

The centrist Democrat's withdrawal from the race could help former Vice President Joe Biden, a fellow moderate who got a much-needed victory on Saturday and now is looking to wrest momentum from liberal front-runner Bernie Sanders in this week's 14-state Super Tuesday nominating contests.

Speaking in South Bend, Buttigieg said his campaign began its "unlikely journey" with a staff of four, no big email lists and no personal fortune.

"We got into this race in order to defeat the current president and in order to usher in a new kind of politics," Buttigieg told a crowd of supporters. Now, he said, it was time to "step aside and help bring our party and our country together."


In a tweet, Biden said Buttigieg had run a “trail-blazing campaign based on courage, compassion, and honesty,” adding: “This is just the beginning of his time on the national stage.”

Buttigieg had sought to unite Democrats, independents and moderate Republican voters, arguing his status as a Washington outsider could rebuild a majority to defeat Republican President Donald Trump in November's election.

But he faced persistent questions about his ability to win over black voters, a core Democratic voting bloc.

Buttigieg's tenure as South Bend mayor, which ended on Jan. 1, drew scrutiny for a lack of diversity on the local police force and a fatal shooting of a black resident by a police officer. He also lacked Biden's national profile or long-standing relationships with the black community.

HISTORIC CAMPAIGN

Buttigieg would have been the first openly gay major-party presidential nominee in US history. He did not make his sexuality a centerpiece of his candidacy, although his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, a teacher he married in 2018, regularly accompanied him on the campaign trail.

Buttigieg, often referred to simply as "Mayor Pete," promised a departure from the politics of the past. As a "proud son" of Indiana, he argued he could speak directly to voters struggling economically in crucial swing states such as Michigan and Wisconsin that handed Trump the presidency in 2016.

A US Navy veteran who often spoke of his military service and Christian faith, Buttigieg was critical of Sanders' uncompromising liberal proposals, which Buttigieg warned could alienate moderate Democratic voters ahead of "the fight of our lives" to unseat Trump.

At the televised debate ahead of the South Carolina primary, Buttigieg said Sanders' shifting estimates to fund proposals such as a government-run healthcare system for all would doom the Democratic Party in November.

"I can tell you exactly how it all adds up. It adds up to four more years of Donald Trump," Buttigieg said.

Buttigieg had considerable early success in fundraising, proving popular with the Hollywood and big-tech money scenes. He came under fire from Democratic competitors, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, who questioned whether he was beholden to his big-money donors and criticized his ritzy, closed-door fundraiser in a wine cave in California.

His campaign, however, faced tighter purse strings after heavy investments in the first two voting states and raised only $6 million in January. Sanders, by comparison, raised $25 million the same month.

Before Biden's South Carolina win, Buttigieg had argued he was the only candidate who had proven he could beat Sanders in state contests. His campaign had laid out a strategy to get through Super Tuesday contests and focus on later primaries where it believed it had an edge.

That changed as the race remained outsized and questions mounted about possibly non-viable contenders splitting moderate votes to give Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, an easy path to the nomination. A campaign aide told Reuters that Buttigieg was not going to be a "spoiler" who helped Sanders win.

Still, his decision to drop out before Super Tuesday caught some supporters by surprise. Buttigieg spent the day in Selma, Alabama, commemorating a landmark civil rights march in 1965. A big crowd had gathered later on Sunday for the candidate's scheduled event in Dallas when they learned he was no longer coming.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

'Pink yuan' economy grows to $500 billion as China warms up to LGBT+

KUALA LUMPUR -- The growing popularity of online gay-friendly adverts in China shows business is waking up to the 'pink yuan' and more liberal attitudes among young people but the government remains unmoved.

China's gay economy is worth $300 billion to $500 billion annually, reaching some 70 million people, according to Daxue Consulting, a market research firm - making it the biggest gay and transgender market in the world in terms of population.

"Young Chinese people do appear to be opening up and accepting LGBT+ culture," Allison Malmsten, China analyst at the Shanghai-based company, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"The LGBT+ market in China has a lot of untapped potential."

Homosexuality has been legal in China since 1997 and the country's largest organization for psychiatrists stopped classifying it as a mental disorder in 2001.

But same-sex marriage is not recognized and most LGBT+ people fear coming out to their families because of stigma.

An online advert showing a man bringing his partner home to celebrate the Lunar New Year with his family went viral across China last month, sparking positive responses among the LGBT+ community for helping break taboos in the conservative country.

The video by China's Alibaba Group, which specializes in e-commerce sites, is part of a growing trend, largely led by technology firms targeting millennials aged 23 to 38 and gay and trans consumers, said industry and LGBT+ analysts.

"Many of these companies have young consumers and showing inclusivity simply makes an ad memorable," said Malmsten.

"Look at the buzz created from the Alibaba advert - netizens and media spreading the advertisement all over, and at no extra cost for the company."

Chinese internet search giant Baidu, e-commerce company Dangdang, and ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing have also promoted LGBT+ friendly adverts in recent years.

BANNED

The government often censors news, television shows and films that touch on LGBT+ issues in the name of "family values" while media companies self-censor, gay rights activists say.

China scrubbed at least 10 scenes with gay references from 2018's Oscar-winning biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" about British musician Freddie Mercury.

"If we want to achieve a friendly and inclusive social environment, we need much more LGBTQ images on TV and in newspapers for (help) changing the law and social norms," said Yang Yi of the China Rainbow Media Awards.

"LGBTQ+ issues are becoming more and more invisible," said Yi, whose organisation works to improve gay and trans coverage.

But companies looking to carve out a slice of the country's pink economy must tread carefully. Subtlety is key.

"These ads, for the most part, do not outright voice support for same-sex couples, rather include them as an element in advertisements being accepted by others," said Daxue Consulting's Malmsten.

A Cathay Pacific Airways advert that showed a same-sex couple holding hands on a beach was banned in a government-run airport and metro stations last year in Chinese-controlled Hong Kong, which has been rocked by months of pro-democracy protests.

The ban was later reversed after an online backlash by LGBT+ activists, according to local media reports.

Social media is harder to police, leading to a trickle of gay-friendly online adverts that target a specific audience.

China banned online content showing "abnormal" behaviors - including homosexuality - in 2017 in a bid to promote "socialist values" and to assert Communist Party control over online discussions in the traditionally Confucian society.

But when China's Twitter-equivalent Weibo banned gay content in 2018, it was forced to reverse its decision within days after an outcry among pro-LGBT+ Chinese, using hashtags, open letters and even calling on people to dump shares in the company.

'PRIDE BANDWAGON'

In a sign of changing attitudes, China's top legislative body, the National People's Congress, last year said that introducing same-sex marriage was one of the most popular requests made by people.

While no new legislation was outlined, the statement raised hopes of reform among LGBT+ Chinese in a year when Taiwan became the first place in Asia to allow same-sex marriage.

Popo Fan, a Chinese filmmaker and LGBT+ activist based in Berlin, said the impact of pro-gay online content was limited in China as it often only reached young, well-educated, tech-savvy people on high incomes.

"Those advertisements are only targeting people who can buy or use the internet and smartphones," he said.

"A lot of people don't have this access and they have no opportunity to get any (LGBT+) information."

While pro-gay adverts can help to challenge taboos, China is far from accepting or legalizing same-sex relationships, said Suki Chung, an LGBT+ rights campaigner at Amnesty International.

And many companies were simply riding the "pride bandwagon" of LGBT+ marketing, without having genuinely inclusive policies towards sexual and gender minorities, she said from Hong Kong.

"LGBTI marketing ads will become a growing trend in the greater China region, given the lucrative pink dollars and the look-good image of being a 'social change maker' or pioneer," she said.

"Real change is still far away given that the Chinese government still imposes tight controls ... but the power of online netizens and LGBTI communities in fighting back against the government propaganda is strong."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Switzerland divided over new law against homophobia

GENEVA - For gay rights campaigner Jean-Pierre Sigrist, the new law being voted on in a referendum in Switzerland on Sunday might have stopped him getting beaten up 4 decades ago.

"And maybe I would not have been laughed at when I went to the police," said the 71-year-old, who believes the law will be "an added safeguard against homophobia."

The new law would widen existing legislation against discrimination or incitement to hatred on ethnic or religious grounds to include sexual orientation.

The change was passed by the Swiss parliament in 2018.

But the populist right wing Swiss People's Party (SVP) and the Federal Democratic Union of Switzerland (EDU), a small party based on Christian values, are opposed.

Critics of the law, who have forced a public referendum on the issue, believe it will end up censoring free speech.

Eric Bertinat, a UDC local lawmaker in Geneva, told AFP that he believed the law was "part of an LGBT plan to slowly move towards same-sex marriage and medically assisted reproduction" for gay couples.

UDF chief Marc Frueh has called it a "censorship law."

But Sigrist, founder of Switzerland's association of gay teachers, said it would counter growing intolerance.

The retired teacher said he supports freedom of expression, "but not the freedom to say anything at all."

All of Switzerland's major parties except the UDC, the biggest political force in parliament, support the law.

NO TO 'SPECIAL TREATMENT'

Under the new law, homophobic comments made in a family setting or among friends would not be criminalized.

But publicly denigrating or discriminating against someone for being gay or inciting hatred against that person in text, speech, images or gestures, would be banned.

The government has said it will still be possible to have opinionated debates on issues such as same-sex marriage, and the new law does not ban jokes -- however off-color.

"Incitement to hatred needs to reach a certain level of intensity in order to be considered criminal in Switzerland," Alexandre Curchod, a media lawyer, told AFP.

But he admitted that there could be exceptions "if it can be shown that, under the cover of artistic production or joking, someone is in fact engaging in incitement."

Gay rights campaigners are divided over the legislation.

A group called "No to Special Rights!" is opposed, arguing that the gay community does not need special protection.

"I fight for the acceptance and normalization of my sexuality. But for me that also means not asking for special treatment," said Michael Frauchiger, co-head of the group.

Opinion polls show that the Swiss as a whole are broadly in favor of the law, but that the margin between supporters and opponents has narrowed in recent months.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Utah bans LGBTQ conversion therapy for children

Utah is now the 19th U.S. state to ban conversion therapy aimed at changing sexual orientation or gender identity in lesbian, gay, transsexual, bisexual and queer children.

The ban in the Republican-dominated state, which took effect on Wednesday, exempts members of the clergy, lay pastors, and spiritual counselors not licensed by the state from the ban.

Despite those limits, "this is still a big victory in a very conservative state," said Mathew Shurka, 31, of Long Island, New York.

He describes himself as a "survivor" of such therapy and is co-founder of Born Perfect, a nonprofit group pushing for conversion therapy bans across the United States.

Conversion therapy involves a variety of psychological and spiritual practices aimed at changing sexual orientation and gender identity in the belief that homosexuality and transgender identity are mental illnesses.

The American Psychological Association has called the treatment harmful to young people. The American Medical Association has said that conversion therapy does not work and can trigger depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide attempts.

Virginia's state senate approved a ban on Tuesday, and the bill is now being sent to the Democratic-controlled House of Delegates, where it is expected to pass, said Shannon Minter, a San Francisco gay activist working with Born Perfect.

In Utah, the ban takes the form of a regulation. Craig Hall, a Republican state representative, championed legislation that would have banned the therapy, but it failed to pass last year.

He credited support from the influential Mormon Church, to which 62 percent of Utah's 3.1 million residents belong, for the governor's decision to enact the new regulation. The church, opposes same-sex marriage and its doctrine teaches that same-sex relationships are sinful.

Leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormon Church's formal name, had previously opposed the legislation because it did not explicitly exempt clergy.

"We worked very closely with them on the (new) language," Hall said.

"The administrative rule has the same effect as law, and it governs all licensed therapists and doctors," he said.

A church representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Hall noted that the state does not license pastors and ministers.

Utah Governor Gary Herbert, a Republican, had no comment on the issue on Wednesday, said spokeswoman Brook Scheffler.

In a press release in November, Herbert said the rule change was needed "to end the harmful practice of conversion therapy on minors."

“The stories of youth who have endured these so-called therapies are heart rending, and I’m grateful that we have found a way forward that will ban conversion therapy forever in our state,” he said.

Troy Williams, executive director of the activist group Equality Utah, said that while the rule does not affect unlicensed counselors, he hopes it sends a message.

"There are a lot of therapists and life coaches still out there who run these camps, and they're dangerous," Williams said. "But hopefully with Utah taking a strong stand, this will get the word out." (Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Queer K-pop: chorus grows for gay rights in Asia

SEOUL - Wearing bright bow ties and dark dress, a group of South Korean women belt out song after song about the joy and stigma of being gay - part of a growing clamor for LGBT+ rights in Asia.

"Unnie Choir" sang about their struggles at a sold-out concert in the socially conservative nation, where homosexuality remains taboo despite rapid economic advances in recent decades.

It is part of an expanding network of LGBT+ choirs across Asia, which use song to fight discrimination in a region where progress on gay and transgender rights is slow.

"Through singing, we're saying homosexuality exists. We just want to be ourselves," said Chung Ui-jung, the music director and conductor of the 15-strong choir.

"Singing has the power to change," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation backstage after the concert, attended by some 70 people in a cozy venue in the capital Seoul.

Homosexuality is not illegal in South Korea, which in 2003 ended its classification as "harmful and obscene". There is growing public acceptance of LGBT+ relations and annual gay pride rallies attract thousands.

Yet discrimination remains widespread and gay people suffer hate crimes, according to campaigners. Conservative lawmakers are also pushing to end protections for sexual minority groups.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, a Catholic widely seen as a liberal, has come under fire for refusing to legalize gay marriage although he also said discrimination against LGBT+ people is not acceptable.

Unnie Choir, founded in 2012, hopes its unconventional method of campaigning can help turn the tide.

SISTERS

Unnie - named after the Korean word for "sister" – meets weekly to sing songs, their own compositions among them.

It holds an annual concert, performs at human rights events, and has been described as the "K-pop for queer" – derived from the term used to describe wildly popular Korean pop music.

Their repertoire ranges from ballads to acapella, hymns to pop songs, sometimes mocking prejudices against gay people.

But they also take on other social issues: cyber bullying and feminism, or why South Korean women prefer to stay single.

"It's my first time to see their performance but they are fun and engaging," said Seo Hee-jeong, a 31-year-old straight woman who said she was drawn to the social-justice messages.

The choirs are seen as taking a gentler stance than many activists on LGBT+ rights, an issue that can ignite hostility in Asia among conservative political or religious groups.

Hence their growing appeal.

There are more than 30 such groups in Asia - in places as diverse as China, India, Japan and Taiwan - according to Proud Voices Asia, an umbrella group for LGBT+ choirs.

LGBT+ rights are mixed across Asia.

India decriminalized gay sex in 2018 and Taiwan last year became the first place in the region to allow same-sex marriage.

But similar drives for gay marriage in China and Japan faced stiff opposition, with social conservatism holding sway.

In South Korea, gay sex between soldiers is a crime under military rules that can result in a two-year prison term - although homosexual acts are not criminalized for civilians.

G-Voice, South Korea's first gay choir, said the groups help LGBT+ people forge a sense of unity, especially in places where open social interactions are difficult.

G-Voice began in 2003 so gay men could share their coming-out stories and support each other through song.

"Coming out is a big decision for many gay men, we collect their stories and turn them into songs. It becomes easier when we're together," said its music director Jun Jae-woo.

BLOOD IS THICKER

Like elsewhere in Asia, the pressure to marry the opposite sex and continue the family blood line is strong in the east Asian nation, prompting many to hide their sexual orientation.

South Korea also has one of the world's top suicide rates and Jun said he has lost gay friends to suicide, calling for legal reforms to protect LGBT+ people from discrimination. The 49-year-old expects anti-LGBT+ sentiment to surge in the run-up to what promises to be a tight legislative election in April, and predicted no major progress on LGBT+ rights.

"We have the conservative forces who are influential, homophobic voices will continue to be loud," said Jun, a doctor who came out in his teens.

Chung from Unnie Choir struck a more optimistic note.

She believed growth in LGBT+ choirs showed wider acceptance, and was confident her group could one day become as popular as other world-famous K-pop icons.

But in a sign of slow progress, Chung - a magazine editor who knew she was attracted to women from a young age – is still not prepared to come out to her parents.

"It is something that is hurtful to them. Maybe one day I will come out to my parents, but I haven't found the courage yet," said the 30-year-old.

Agence France-Presse

From parades to punishments: 10 headline LGBT+ stories in 2019

LONDON - Millions of people joined Pride marches around the world in 2019 and gay, bisexual and transgender rights were increasingly in the spotlight, with some countries legalizing gay marriage while others mulled the death penalty for same-sex relations.

The year also marked the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots against police brutality in New York City, which triggered the modern movement for LGBT+ rights in Western countries.

Here are 10 stories from a year of change for many LGBT+ people around the world:

1. Brunei and Uganda death penalty for gay sex

In March it was revealed that the small East Asian country of Brunei was planning to implement changes to its Islamic penal code that would impose death by stoning for same-sex intimacy.

After a global backlash, with businesses and celebrities such as George Clooney and Elton John boycotting companies owned by Brunei, the sultanate announced in May that a moratorium on the death penalty would be extended.

In October, a Ugandan minister said the east African nation was planning to reintroduce a bill colloquially known as "Kill the Gays." The government denied that the death penalty would be imposed for gay sex following an international outcry.

2. Gabon criminalizes gay and lesbian sex

In July, the central African nation of Gabon banned "sexual relations between people of the same sex", introducing a penalty of up to 6 months in prison and a fine of 5 million CFA francs ($8,482 or P429,867).

The change was not widely reported until later in the year, but an activist who monitors LGBT+ rights in West Africa said he had spoken to 2 Gabonese men arrested under the new law who had to bribe police to be released.

3. Kenya upholds gay sex ban

Kenya's High Court upheld a British colonial-era law criminalizing gay sex by up to 14 years in jail in May, throwing out a petition by LGBT+ campaigners on the grounds that same-sex relations clashed with traditional moral values.

Advocates said the law promoted homophobia in the socially conservative and religious East African nation and violated constitutional rights to privacy, equality and dignity. They are appealing the ruling.

4. Botswana legalizes gay sex

In June, Botswana legalized same-sex relations when the High Court overturned a colonial-era law that had punished consensual gay sex by up to 7 years in prison.

"Discrimination has no place in this world," Justice Michael Leburu said in his ruling, which followed previous judgments in the southern African country that had recognized the right of LGBT+ people to equal protection before the law.

5. Same-sex marriage spreads

Taiwan became the first place in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage in May, despite two-thirds of people voting in a referendum in November 2018 to retain the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman.

The self-ruled island was followed by Ecuador in June, with the South American nation becoming the 27th country in the world to allow gay and lesbian couples to wed.

The following month, the British parliament voted to extend same-sex marriage to Northern Ireland.

6. Trump's transgender military ban goes into effect

The United States implemented a law in April that banned openly trans people from enlisting in the military, with President Donald Trump stating that trans service members would cause "tremendous medical costs and disruption".

It reversed a policy of Trump's predecessor, President Barack Obama.

7. Brazil's top court rules homophobia is a crime

In May, Brazil's Supreme Court ruled that homophobia and transphobia were crimes under existing anti-discrimination laws in the South American country. This outlawed violence against LGBT+ people and made it illegal to deny them access to education, jobs, shops and public buildings.

The ruling came after President Jair Bolsonaro, a self-proclaimed "proud homophobe", removed LGBT+ responsibilities from the human rights ministry after taking office in January.

8. LGBT-free zones spread in Poland

Poland's ruling Law and Justice Party in campaigns for the European Union elections in May and national elections in October depicted "LGBT ideology" as foreign ideas that undermined traditional values.

While Warsaw's mayor signed a pro-LGBT+ declaration in February, dozens of towns - mostly in conservative, rural Poland - declared themselves "LGBT free" and Pride marches in some cities were attacked by protesters.

9. Georgia Pride marchers defy far-right threats

While millions marched in global Pride celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising this summer, in Tbilisi, Georgia, LGBT+ people and their allies had to scale down their parade amid far-right threats.

In November, the premiere of a film about gay love in the country was attacked by violent ultra-nationalist demonstrators, more than 25 of whom were arrested.

10. "Conversion therapy" bans spread

Germany's cabinet in December backed a law that would ban so-called conversion therapy for minors, as a global movement to end discredited practices that aim to change someone's gender identity or sexual orientation gathered pace.

Conversion therapy, which has been widely condemned by medical associations around the world as ineffective and detrimental to mental health, is illegal in Malta, Ecuador, Brazil and Taiwan.

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Same-sex kiss cut from ‘Skywalker’ Singapore release, say reports

A brief kiss between two women in the new "Star Wars" movie was cut from the version released in Singapore, local media said.

"The Rise of Skywalker", the conclusion to the nine "Star Wars" films that stars Daisy Ridley, was released in the Asian city-state on Thursday.

The film contains a brief scene where two minor female characters share a kiss -- but the moment is omitted in the version screened in Singapore, according to Yahoo Lifestyle SEA.

The news site reported on Friday that the women were seen embracing but not kissing.

A spokesperson from Singapore's media regulatory agency told Yahoo and other local online media that a short scene had been cut from the release, but did not specify which one.

"Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker has been rated PG13 for theatrical release in Singapore," the spokesperson said.

"The applicant has omitted a brief scene which under the Film Classification Guidelines would require a higher rating."

The agency did not immediately respond to an inquiry from AFP.

Under the guidelines, films containing LGBT themes or content as a subplot may be restricted to viewers aged 18 and above, while films focusing on homosexuality may be hit with a 21-and-over age rating.

Although open support for gay rights has grown in recent years, official attitudes towards homosexuality are often highly conservative in Singapore.

Sex between men is remains technically illegal under a colonial-era law, albeit one that is not actively enforced.

The scene in "Rise of Skywalker", the first same-sex kiss in the franchise's history, was hailed as historic by some, but the fleeting moment between two peripheral characters was criticised as tokenism by fans hoping for greater LGBT representation.

Disney did not immediately respond to an inquiry from AFP.

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Nonbinary pronoun 'they' named Merriam-Webster word of year

WASHINGTON — The pronoun "they," used by non-binary people who identify as neither male nor female, was named word of the year by US dictionary Merriam-Webster on Tuesday.

In the English language, more and more people are exercising their right to choose the pronoun by which they are identified, regardless of their sex at birth -- such as "they" instead of "she" or "he."

Two months ago, the dictionary added the word "they" as a non-binary pronoun that can refer to just 1 person.

"There's no doubt that its use is established in the English language, which is why it was added to the Merriam-Webster.com dictionary this past September," the website said, adding that searches for "they" jumped 313 percent in a year.

Nonbinary people are enjoying increased representation on television and in pop culture. Among them is British artist Sam Smith, who recently revealed a preference for "they/them" pronouns "after a lifetime of being at war with my gender."

Tech giant Apple has added "neutral" emojis that don't distinguish between gender to the latest version of its operating system.

Agence France-Presse 

Tolerance towards LGBT+ people seen rising globally

LONDON - LGBT+ people have seen a rise in tolerance in almost every region of the world over the last decade, according to an index released on Monday.

Iceland was named as the most tolerant country towards LGBT+ people in a survey of 167 countries by British think-tank the Legatum Institute, while central Asian country Tajikistan was in last place.

"It is encouraging to see that our 2019 Prosperity Index shows a rise in tolerance towards the LGBT community globally over the past decade," Shaun Flanagan of the institute's Center for Metrics told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"However, the LGBT community, as well as other often marginalized groups, such as immigrants, ethnic minorities and religious groups, still face considerable persecution across certain parts of the world today."

The data is part of the 2019 Legatum Prosperity Index, which measures a host of factors affecting countries' ability to create wealth and wellbeing, ranging from investment environment to health and personal freedom.

Social tolerance towards minority groups increased in 111 of 167 countries over the last decade, and across every region except for Eastern Europe & Sub-Saharan Africa, it found.

The rise in acceptance of LGBT+ people was particularly marked, rising from about one in four people expressing acceptance a decade ago to almost a third in the latest report.

Tolerance towards LGBT+ people was measured according to responses to a Gallup poll that asked more than 130,000 people around the world whether their city or area was a good place for gay and lesbian people to live.

Top-ranking Iceland was followed by The Netherlands and Norway in the 2019 index, while Canada and Denmark took fourth and fifth place respectively.

Several of the least tolerant countries criminalize homosexuality, with penalties including a potential death sentence for men in Mauritania and Somalia, both in the bottom five.

However, legality did not always equal acceptance - lowest-ranked Tajikistan decriminalized gay sex in 1998 but LGBT+ people still face widespread discrimination.

It was followed by Somalia, Azerbaijan, Senegal and Mauritania in second to fourth last place respectively. 

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Taiwan revels in first pride parade since legalizing gay marriage

TAIPEI - Some two hundred thousand revelers marched through Taipei in a riot of rainbow colors and celebration on Saturday as Taiwan held its first pride parade since making history in Asia by legalizing gay marriage.

The island has long hosted the region's largest pride marches but this year Taiwan's LGBT community and their supporters had an extra reason to celebrate.

In May, lawmakers took the unprecedented decision to legalize same-sex marriages, becoming the first place in Asia to do so.

Over 2,000 couples have since wed, many of them taking part in Saturday's festival.

"I am very excited because it's the first pride parade after same-sex marriages are recognized and I got married," said Shane Lin, who became one of the first to wed his partner in the days after the new law came in.

"I am very moved that people around the world are joining us," the 31-year-old said.

Behind him passed a stready stream of color, from dancers with gym-honed bodies to unicorn floats and rainbow balloon arches.

"I support marriage equality because it is a basic human right," Henry Wu, a heterosexual teacher who brought his five-year-old son to the march, told AFP.

"Taiwan made huge progress in legalizing same-sex marriages ... I feel very proud we are the first in Asia to do so," he added.

In the last decade, Taiwan has become increasingly progressive on gay rights with Taipei home to a thriving LGBT community and increasingly large pride marches.

Organizers estimated more than 200,000 people attended Saturday's festivities.

But the issue of same-sex equality has deeply polarized society.


[BOLD] Landmark ruling, conservative backlash

Taiwan's Constitutional Court made a landmark ruling in 2017 to legalize gay marriage and ruled its decision must be implemented within two years.

Conservative and religious groups mobilized to oppose amending the Civil Code and comfortably won a series of referendums last November in which voters rejected defining marriage as anything other than a union between a man and a woman.

In May, conservative lawmakers put forward rival bills that offered something closer to limited same-sex unions but those measures ultimately failed in parliament.

Opponents have vowed to punish incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen and the lawmakers who supported the gay marriage law at January 11 elections when voters will elect both a new president and a new parliament.

But it remains to be seen whether the issue will harm her on the campaign trail, especially in more rural and conservative places, during an election that will more likely be dominated by the relationship with China and local economic issues.

Taiwan's gay marriage law still contains restrictions not faced by heterosexual couples.

Same-sex couples can currently only adopt their partners' biological children and can only wed foreigners from countries where gay marriage is also recognized.

"Marriage equality is the beginning, it's not the end," said Leong Chin-fai, a 31-year-old Macanese national who is currently unable to wed his Taiwanese partner.

"We hope to keep pushing for issues including recognition of international marriages, parental and adoption rights," he added.

Taiwan is at the vanguard of the burgeoning gay rights movement in Asia. It is also praised as a "beacon" of democracy in the region for its democratic reforms and civil liberties since it emerged from one of the world's longest periods of martial law.

But International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) noted Taiwan still faces key challenges and passed a motion condemning its use of death penalty Friday as it wrapped up a week-long congress in Taipei, its first held in Asia.

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16 Ugandan LGBT activists given forced anal exams: rights group

KAMPALA, Uganda - Sixteen Ugandan LGBT activists were subjected to forced anal examinations after being arrested, the country's leading gay rights organization said Thursday.

The 16 men were taken into police custody late Monday to protect them from a homophobic mob which had surrounded the house where they were staying, but were then arrested and charged under a colonial-era anti-gay law.

"Last night (Wednesday) the police subjected them to forced anal exams," the Executive Director of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) Frank Mugisha, told AFP.

Mugisha described the practice as "degrading and inhumane."

Police spokesman Patrick Onyango told AFP by WhatsApp that "following new developments based on the medical examination report it was established that the suspects were involved in sexual acts punishable under the penal code." 

The men -- members of an LGBT activist group called Let's Walk Together -- have been held beyond the constitutionally mandated 48 hours without a court hearing.

There have been no prosecutions for consensual same-sex acts in Uganda in recent years, where acts deemed "against the order of nature" can lead to life imprisonment.

According to Human Rights Watch forced anal examinations are a long-discredited technique which aim to determine whether someone has engaged in anal intercourse in order to seek evidence for prosecution.

According to SMUG, attacks against LGBT people have soared in recent weeks since reported comments by Ugandan Ethics Minister Simon Lokodo that he wanted to see the return of legislation thrown out by the courts on procedural grounds in 2014 that would tighten already strict anti-gay legislation.

The government has since clarified it has no intention to introduce new laws.

"I strongly believe that the government of Uganda is not behind any anti-gay law coming up and I also think that they don't want the pressure to continue," Mugisha said. 

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Amid controversy, ex-MYX VJ Alex Diaz comes out as bisexual

MANILA – Actor and former MYX VJ Alex Diaz made a revelation about his sexuality on Tuesday, days after he was accused of making an indecent proposal to a fitness coach.

While he did not directly confirm the rumors, Diaz took to Instagram to apologize, admitting he “was wrong in my actions and failed to uphold the values I so strongly try to convey online.”

Saying his actions reflect “the effect of the unhealthy and toxic suppression of all of who I am as a human being,” the actor-singer promised to “seek help, heal, and champion change, acceptance, and representation for the bisexual community and/or anyone who is met with prejudice in our society.”

“It was not my intention to hurt anyone or elude the truth of who I am for all these years, but rather a showbiz decision based on the state of our nation in regards to acceptance and representation of who I am,” Diaz said. 

“But I sincerely thank everyone for not failing to remind me that I am human and that I, too, am loved. Never again will I be shackled by the fear of what might be said about who I am for fear of losing my career,” he added.

According to Diaz, he will release a full statement “when the time is right,” promising his Instagram followers that he will “come back stronger and better than ever.”

“I love you all, I have learned and I am growing. Thank you,” he ended. 

Read Diaz’s full Instagram post

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Court to hear Russian's claim that Apple 'turned him gay'

MOSCOW - A Moscow court on Thursday holds a preliminary hearing in the case of a Russian man who is suing US tech giant Apple for allegedly turning him gay.

He is seeking 1 million rubles ($15,560) in damages from Apple for sending him a cryptocurrency known as GayCoin instead of the Bitcoin he had ordered.

The bizarre civil suit has been filed in a country where casual homophobia is prevalent and a law banning "propaganda" of gay relationships to minors has stifled public activism.

Representatives of the two sides are set to meet a judge at Moscow's Presnensky district court for a preliminary hearing behind closed doors starting at 9:40 am (0640 GMT).

The plaintiff, named in court papers only by his surname Razumilov, was not planning to attend in order to protect his privacy, his lawyer said.

In his complaint, seen by AFP, he says the GayCoin cryptocurrency arrived with a note saying, "Don't judge until you try."

The complaint says Razumilov downloaded a cryptocurrency app from Apple Store but received a transfer of 69 of the GayCoin instead of the Bitcoins he ordered.

"I thought, in truth, how can I judge something without trying? I decided to try same-sex relationships," the complainant wrote.

"I decided to try single-sex relations. Two months later, I can say that I have got stuck in intimate relations with a representative of my sex and I can't manage to get back."

'Harm and suffering'

The man is suing for damages for "moral harm and mental suffering".

"For him, this is a big blow to his reputation, because he doesn't know how to tell his parents and he knows that he won't be understood," his lawyer Sapizhat Gusnieva told AFP.

"We live in Russia after all, so these things are complicated."

She said that her client had ended up breaking up a stable heterosexual relationship with his girlfriend.

Groups campaigning for gay rights in Russia point to ongoing repercussions from the homophobic law banning "propaganda" of gay relationships to minors, which allows for discrimination against gay people.

Russia only decriminalized homosexuality in 1993 after the end of the Soviet Union and it was considered a mental illness until 1999.

In July the European Court of Human Rights ruled against Russia over its refusal to register three associations defending LGBT rights.

Lawyer Gusnieva argued that suing Apple is justified in this case, despite the alleged exchange taking place on a third-party app.

"Apple allowed this company to work with them. They let people download the app. So they will have to answer for it," she said.

She said that on Thursday she would ask Apple for contacts of the company that put the GayCoin currency online.

Apple's representatives in Russia did not respond to AFP's requests for comment.

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