Gender workplace equality 257 years away: WEF

GENEVA — Women may have to wait more than 2 centuries for equality at work, according to a report on Tuesday showing gender inequality growing in workplaces worldwide despite increasing demands for equal treatment. 

While women appear to be gradually closing the gender gap in areas such as politics, health and education, workplace inequality is not expected to be erased until the year 2276, according to a report published by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

The organization, which gathers the global elite in the plush Swiss ski resort of Davos each year, said that the worldwide gender gap in the workplace had widened further since last year, when parity appeared to be only 202 years off. 

The Geneva-based organisation's annual report tracks disparities between the sexes in 153 countries across four areas: education, health, economic opportunity and political empowerment. 

The overall gender gap across these categories has shrunk, Tuesday's report showed, with WEF now forecasting it will take 99.5 years for women to achieve parity on average, down from the 108 years forecast in last year's report.

But while some sectors have shown improvements, others lag far behind. 

General parity "will take more than a lifetime to achieve," WEF acknowledged in a statement.

40 PERCENT WAGE GAP 

WEF said the gender gap was more than 96 percent closed in the area of education and could be eliminated altogether within just 12 years.

The gap was equally small in the health and survival category, but the WEF report said it remained unclear how long it would take to achieve full parity in this domain due to lingering issues in populous countries like China and India.

Politics meanwhile is the domain where the least progress has been made to date, but it showed the biggest improvement in the past year.

Women in 2019 held 25.2 percent of parliamentary lower-house seats and 22.1 percent of ministerial positions, compared to 24.1 percent and 19 percent in 2018.

But when it comes to the workplace, the picture is less rosy. 

The report, which looked at a variety of factors including opportunity and pay, said it would take 257 years before there was equality in the workplace. 

It highlighted positive developments, like a general increase in the share of women among skilled workers and senior officials.

But it stressed that this trend was counterbalanced by "stagnating or reversing gaps in labor market participation and monetary rewards".

On average, only 55 percent of adult women are in the labor market today, compared to 78 percent for men, while women globally on average still make 40 percent less than men for similar work in similar positions.

The wage gap has been steadily shrinking in OECD countries over the past decade, but it has at the same time expanded in emerging and developing economies, the WEF report showed.

GLOBAL DISPARITIES 

Progress across the categories varies greatly in different countries and regions.

The report pointed out that while Western European countries could close their overall gender gap in 54.4 years, countries in the Middle East and North Africa will take nearly 140 years to do so.

Overall, the Nordic countries once again dominated the top of the table: men and women were most equal in Iceland, followed by Norway, Finland and Sweden.

Syria, Pakistan, Iraq and finally Yemen showed the biggest overall gender gaps of the countries surveyed.

Among the world's 20 leading economies, Germany fared the best, taking 10th place, followed by France at 15th, South Africa at 17th, Canada at 19th and Britain at 21st.

The United States continued its decline, slipping two places to 53rd, with the report pointing out that "American women still struggle to enter the very top business positions", and are also "under-represented in political leadership roles".

Agence France-Presse 

Hong Kong court favors gay couple in landmark victory for LGBT+ rights

BANGKOK - Hong Kong's top court on Thursday ruled in favor of a gay civil servant fighting for spousal and tax benefits for his husband in the latest legal victory over equal rights for same-sex couples in a city where gay marriage is banned.

Leung Chun Kwong, an immigration officer who married his husband Scott Adams in New Zealand, went to court in 2017 against the Civil Service Bureau that refused to grant benefits to his husband, and for the right to file taxes jointly.

After a lower court partially ruled in Leung's favor, the government filed an appeal and a higher court last year overturned the judgment. Leung appealed to the Court of Final Appeal which ruled unanimously in his favor on Thursday.

The court said while the protection of the institution of marriage as defined by Hong Kong's laws is a "legitimate aim", the government "failed to justify the differential treatment" which amounted to discrimination.

The city defines marriage as between a man and a woman, but the court said the prevailing views on marriage were not a "relevant consideration" and could not be a reason to reject a minority's claim to fundamental rights.

The ruling is a "huge step forward for equality in Hong Kong", said Man-kei Tam, director of human rights group Amnesty International in Hong Kong.

"This victory brings Hong Kong more in line with its international obligation to respect, protect and fulfill the rights of people with different sexual orientations," he said.

Homosexuality has been decriminalized since 1991 in Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997. The city has an annual pride parade and lively gay scene.

It does not, however, recognize same-sex marriage and LGBT+ activists voice concerns about widespread discrimination.

Taiwan last month became the first place in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage after a long struggle but the push for LGBT+ rights is slow elsewhere in Asia.

A global outcry forced Brunei to recently back down on plans to impose the death penalty for gay sex and adultery.

A survey last year by the University of Hong Kong showed more than half respondents in the city backed same-sex marriage.

But rights are only won through court battles, said Tommy Chen, a spokesman for LGBT+ activist group Rainbow Action.

Earlier this year, two gay men launched separate legal bids to overturn Hong Kong's ban on same-sex marriage.

Last September, the Hong Kong government said it would recognize overseas same-sex partnerships when granting dependent visas after a British lesbian won a court battle triggered by being denied a spousal visa.

"Until the government ends discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, (court action) is the only option," Chen said. 

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Gay ‘joke’ triggers calls for sports to help LGBT+ players come out

KUALA LUMPUR—Sports should promote openly gay competitors to help others come out, LGBT+ rights activists said on Wednesday, after the second Australian sportsman in a month caused an online storm over an LGBT+ post.

James Faulkner's Instagram photo of "dinner with the boyfriend", with the hashtag #togetherfor5years, led to global media reports that he had become the first Australian cricketer to come out and a wave of supportive comments.

But the 29-year-old later clarified that the "boyfriend" was a house mate and Cricket Australia said Faulkner had made a "joke" that was "take out of context".

"You should spend some time volunteering at one of the suicide prevention charities out there," wrote Twitter user @wild0scar. "I suspect you've done serious harm turning 'coming out' into joke."

The online backlash highlighted how difficult and rare it is for professional sportsmen and women to come out as gay, LGBT+ campaigners said, as sport is commonly seen as one area where homophobia and gender stereotypes persist.

Australian rugby fullback and devout Christian Israel Folau was set to lose a multi-million dollar contract in April after a social media post that said gay people would go to "hell" if they did not "repent".

"It is still difficult for athletes to come out as homosexual due to the fear of discrimination, marginalisation and possibly accusation by their national sports body for tarnishing image," said Suki Chung, an LGBT+ rights campaigner.

Athletes often keep their sexuality secret for fear that teammates, fans and coaches would look at them differently and that judges might give them poor scores because of their sexuality, said Chung of Amnesty International in Hong Kong.

A growing number of high-profile athletes have come out in recent years, such as British diver Tom Daley, as public acceptance of LGBT+ people grows in much of the world.

But it still takes courage.

"One big challenge is the lack of visibility of role models," said Ryan Silverio of ASEAN SOGIE Caucus, an LGBT+ rights group based in Manila, although he said swimming, basketball and volleyball do have openly LGBT+ athletes.

"The LGBT+ community that play sports need more people to look up to, to be inspired into coming out and achieving their sporting goals."

While the growing number of participants in the global Gay Games, which began in 1982, was proof of change and is helping to foster understanding and support, sports bodies should boost policies to end discrimination, LBGT+ advocates said.

(Reporting by Michael Taylor @MickSTaylor; Editing by Katy Migiro. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, property rights, and climate change. Visit https://news.trust.org)

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Brunei defends gay sex death penalty as more for ‘prevention than to punish’

LONDON—Brunei said new laws imposing the death penalty for gay sex and adultery were designed more for "prevention than to punish" in response to the United Nations' condemnation of the measures.

The United Nations said the Muslim-majority former British protectorate violated human rights on April 3 by implementing Islamic laws which punish sodomy, adultery and rape with the death penalty, including by stoning, and theft with amputation.

But Erywan Yusof, Brunei's second minister of foreign affairs, defended the new laws in a letter to the United Nations, saying the move was focused more on "prevention than punishment".

"Its aim is to educate, deter, rehabilitate and nurture rather than to punish," Yusof wrote to the United Nations.

In the letter Yusof said the offenses would not apply to non-Muslims in Brunei, which has has been at the center of a media storm since it announced the rollout of more Sharia laws in March.

Brunei, a small Southeast Asian country of about 400,000 people, has consistently defended its right to implement the laws, elements of which were first adopted in 2014 and which have been rolled out in phases since then.

Its U.N. letter said the "criminalization of adultery and sodomy is to safeguard the sanctity of family lineage and marriage of individual Muslims particularly women".

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on April 3, through a spokesman, said "human rights are to be upheld in relation to every person everywhere without any kind of discrimination".

"The legislation approved is in clear violation with the principles expressed," his spokesman said.

The U.N. has noted that the right to be free from discrimination was enshrined in article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt said he had met with Yusof who assured him that prosecutions for gay sex were "unlikely" but this was not satisfactory. "(Yusof's) suggestion that Sharia prosecutions are in practice unlikely is not acceptable: everyone should be free to be who they are and love who they want," Hunt said on Twitter.

Celebrities, from actor George Clooney and singer Elton John, have galvanized support against the new laws, with protesters boycotting the Dorchester Collection range of hotels, owned by the Brunei Investment Agency, across the world.

Over the past week, travel agents, London's transport network and finance houses were among a rising number of companies to cut ties with businesses owned by Brunei. (Reporting by Hugo Greenhalgh @hugo_greenhalgh; Editing by Belinda Goldsmith Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters that covers humanitarian news, women's and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, property rights, and climate change. Visit https://news.trust.org)

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Taiwan unveils long-awaited gay marriage bill

TAIPEI - Taiwan's ruling party unveiled its latest attempt to create Asia's first gay marriage law on Thursday, a bill offering same sex-couples "permanent unions" as well as limited adoption rights, despite stiff opposition from conservatives.

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has had a stuttering and troubled journey towards delivering on their 2016 election promise to grant same-sex couples equal marriage rights.

In November, conservatives won a referendum against revising the island's Civil Code to allow gay marriage, in a blow to President Tsai Ing-wen's party and a stark illustration of the social divide caused by the issue.

The referendum came after Taiwan's Constitutional Court voted to legalize gay marriage in 2017 -- the first place in Asia to do so -- arguing that denying same-sex couples marriage rights was unconstitutional.

The court ordered the government to amend the law by May 24, 2019 but did not specify how it wanted gay marriage to be brought in.

The bill published Thursday by the cabinet is the Tsai administration's attempt to square that circle -- a new law that meets the court's demands while trying to respect the referendum result by not altering the Civil Code which currently defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

The draft law released by the justice ministry proposes allowing "two persons of the same sex to create a permanent union of intimate and exclusive nature for the committed purpose of managing a life together to realize the equal protection of the freedom of marriage."

Gay couples will be allowed to adopt the biological children of their partner while both parties are financially responsible for each other and are entitled to inheritance rights.

The law is set to take effect on May 24 but needs to pass parliament, where the DPP holds a majority.

Taiwan is seen as one of the most progressive societies in Asia when it comes to gay rights, and it stages the biggest gay pride parade in Asia annually. 

Gay marriage rights receive high approval ratings among young people in particular.

But it also remains a staunchly conservative place with powerful religious lobbies especially outside urban areas, and analysts say DPP underestimated how controversial their gay marriage proposals would be. 

President Tsai openly supported the legalization of gay marriage before she was elected but has since said there needs to be more consensus in society.

If the bill is passed, it would be Asia's first gay marriage law. In December, Thailand's junta rulers proposed a similar bill but it has yet to make it to parliament in the kingdom that is currently in the midst of an election campaign. 

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Gay couples to 'live more freely' with Thai civil unions

BANGKOK -- Luke Cassady-Dorion believed marriage was for "boring" straight people until he met the man he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. But Thailand, where they live, does not permit same-sex marriage.

So the couple wed in New York.

With Thailand set to pass a landmark law that would make it the first country in Asia to legally recognize same-sex couples as civil partners, they are hopeful the largely conservative Buddhist society is on the path to recognizing their love.

"The LGBT community in Thailand has been campaigning for equal rights for a long time, and this bill is a good and important first step," said Cassady-Dorion, who co-founded a YouTube channel with Tae, or Thapanont Phithakrattanayothin.

"When you normalize same-sex relations, it helps gay people to come out and live more freely, knowing that the government recognizes your rights," said Cassady-Dorion, who is also a yoga instructor.

Thailand has built a reputation as a place with a relaxed attitude towards gender and sexual diversity since homosexuality was decriminalized in 1956, and authorities actively promote the country as an LGBT+-friendly destination.

Yet LGBT+ people face discrimination and stigma in schools, the workplace and health facilities and are often rejected by their families, say activists.

Across Asia, conservative values and deep-rooted biases have hamstrung progress on gay rights. Taiwan voters last year rejected legalizing same-sex marriage in a referendum.

While India's top court scrapped a colonial-era ban on gay sex in 2018, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei outlaw sexual relations between men, and Indonesia has seen an increase in raids targeting LGBT+ people.

Thailand's civil partnership bill, which was approved by the Cabinet on Dec. 25, is therefore an outlier in the region, giving same-sex couples the right to register their unions, make joint medical decisions and own and inherit property.

"LGBT people in Thailand have been waiting for this for a very long time," said Vitaya Saeng-Aroon, a director at the Bangkok Rainbow Organisation.

"There are couples who have been together for 15 years, 20 years, with no recognition or legal protection; they can finally breathe more easily," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

FAMILY

But many gay people say it does not go far enough. It does not recognize marriage between same-sex partners, or give them the right to adopt or have children as a couple.

"We want to be a family with all the rights and privileges that any family has, but this bill does not give us that," said Areeya, a transgender woman who declined to give her full name for fear of criticism.

Areeya, who is Thai, and her partner Lee, who is American, have been together for 16 years, and they have each adopted a child as single persons.

"Marriage equality is what would be really meaningful but we don't know when - or even if - that will happen. We don't feel particularly compelled to register our union without any real benefits," she said as her younger son climbed on to her lap.

Campaigners also fear they will lose public support to push for full rights once the civil partnership bill is passed.

"People may say: 'You've got this, what more do you want?'" said Wannapong Yodmuang, an activist for marriage equality.

"We have campaigned for so long for equal rights, but this bill will mean we are still treated differently and given fewer rights. We are worried that people will stop fighting, and that we will lose momentum," she said.

The bill is "unlikely" to be passed before elections scheduled for March 24, and will await the new government, said Nareeluc Pairchaiyapoom, a senior official at the justice department.

Government officials have said granting marriage equality will take longer, as it requires changing people's attitudes and amending the country's Civil Code, which deals with the rights of private persons, including family law and inheritance law.

But two-thirds of Thais have no objection to same-sex unions, a survey by the United Nations Development Program found.

Thailand's marriage law can also be changed, said independent researcher Chawinroj Terapachalaphon.

"The marriage law now says "man and woman"; they just need to change it to "person". Everything else can stay the same - it is easily done, and it would ensure equal rights for everyone," he said.

"Everyone understands what marriage is, but few people understand a civil partnership, and none of the existing laws support it. What we need is a full marriage law that is clear and easy to implement, rather than something so complex."

PARTY

Others are ready to celebrate civil partnership.

"We will probably have a nice party when we register our union after the bill is passed, and some sort of a traditional ceremony as well. It's important that we celebrate it," said Ann Baker, who lives in Bangkok with her partner Suthida.

Baker, who is half English, had considered getting married in England, but wanted to have legal status in Thailand, where they both live.

"We are hopeful that we will get full marriage rights here soon, so we can start a family," Baker said.

For everyone looking to party, Cassady-Dorion and Tae - who address LGBT+ issues in Thailand on their YouTube channel Picnicly - have plenty of tips.

Their own wedding in 2014 was a "small ceremony" in Cassady-Dorion's mother's home in Niskayuna, New York, and involved the two of them cooking big batches of pad thai and green curry for the guests.

"Our wedding was the least gay thing I have ever done: it was very normal. But there really was something magical about the moment, and having our family and friends with us as we said our vows," said Cassady-Dorion.

"Marriage should be available to anyone who wants it, and we hope that Thailand will make marriage equality a reality. This bill should only be a step towards that."

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Noisy, angry and joyous: women around the world demand equality

LONDON- In joyous celebrations and angry protests, women around the world came together in gatherings large and small on Thursday to mark International Women's Day with a call for gender equality.

The day had extra resonance this year after widespread sexual abuse accusations in Hollywood sparked the #MeToo movement which feminists hope signals one of the most significant shifts towards equal rights in decades.

In Saudi Arabia, a group of women whooped and cheered as they marked International Women's Day by exercising a recently acquired freedom: the right to go for a jog.

Wearing big smiles and traditional full-length robes adapted for sports, they pounded through sleepy alleys past puzzled shopkeepers in Jeddah's historic district.

Women in the deeply conservative kingdom are hopeful of huge changes. The government introduced physical education for girls last year and began licensing women's sports clubs, but Saudis are still coming around to women running in public.

"This is just the beginning of a revolution for women in Saudi Arabia. In jobs, in our lives, in society, everything is going to change for Saudi women," said one of the joggers, university student Sama Kinsara.

The biggest change yet will come in the summer when Saudi women will be allowed to drive.

In Spain, women went on a nationwide strike and held hundreds of rallies, closing many main roads and squares.

Their protests included bike rallies, marches, and midnight pot-banging sessions at which they chanted slogans such as "We continue to fight regardless of the cost!" and "Long live the women's struggle".

The two largest unions said around 6 million women took part. There was no official count.

PAIN AND SORROW

In Turkey's Hatay province, near the Syrian border, women wept as they sat on the ground, their hands bound with scarves, to show solidarity with women imprisoned in Syria. Others waved flags, chanting against President Bashar al-Assad: "Murderer Assad, evacuate the prisons!"

In Manila more than a thousand activists marched, calling President Rodrigo Duterte a "macho-fascist" for his lewd comments and treatment of his female critics.

In Iran, where there has been a spate of protests against mandatory Islamic dress, women and men gathered in front of the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare, chanting slogans, videos on social media showed.

"No to gender inequality, No to discriminatory laws" the women chanted in a video.

The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), a New York-based advocacy group, said at least 12 people were arrested. Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said on Wednesday that one of the girls who removed her veil in Tehran to protest against compulsory hijab has been sentenced to two years in jail. Dolatabadi said the woman, whom he did not name, was found guilty of "promoting corruption by removing her veil in public."

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Thursday accused Iran's enemies of funding anti-hijab protests.

"As the result some girls were deceived and removed their veil here and there," he said. "But that’s a small issue. What I find worrying is that some of the elite are now questioning mandatory hijab."

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LOOK: LeBron takes a shot at Trump during Washington visit

LeBron James used a visit to Washington on Sunday to express his continued displeasure at Donald Trump, without once mentioning the United States president by name.

James took the court wearing one white and one black shoe for the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Washington Wizards in an NBA game in the national capital.

Both shoes had the word "EQUALITY" stitched in capital letters on the back, and they got the attention he apparently was seeking.

"Obviously, we know where we are right now and we know who's at the helm here,” the four-times NBA most valuable player told reporters after the game, played barely a mile from the White House.

"Equality is all about understanding our rights, understanding what we stand for and how powerful we are as men, and as women, black or white or Hispanic."

James, a frequent and outspoken critic of Trump, backed losing Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.

He has continued his attacks on Trump in the 13 months since the election, saying that the president does not understand that many children look to their leader for guidance and encouragement.

James spoke on Sunday after compiling his third straight triple-double -- 20 points, 12 rebounds and 15 assists -- as the Cavaliers beat the Wizards, 106-99.

   
"No matter your race, this is a beautiful country and we're never going to let one person dictate how beautiful and how powerful we are," he said.

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Australian lawmaker proposes to same-sex partner on floor of parliament

MELBOURNE - An Australian conservative politician on Monday proposed to his long-term partner on the floor of parliament, ahead of the expected passage of a measure for same sex couples to marry.

Australians overwhelmingly voted for same-sex marriage in a postal vote in September and a marriage equality bill that passed the senate last week is being debated in the lower house, where it is expected to pass this week.

Liberal member of parliament Tim Wilson proposed to his partner Ryan Bolger in the capital of Canberra, the two having already exchanged rings but having pledged to wait for the country to pass the legislation before they wed.

"This debate has been the soundtrack to our relationship," an emotional Wilson said to his partner, seated in parliament's public viewing area above.

"In our first speech I defined our bond by the ring that sits on both of our left hands, that they are the answer to the question we cannot ask. So there’s only one thing left to do - Ryan Patrick Bolger, will you marry me?" asked Wilson, who was formerly Australia's human rights commissioner.

Bolger nodded yes, to applause.

Both Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's Liberal-National coalition government and the main opposition Labor Party have said they aim to pass the law by Dec. 7, but any proposed amendments could stretch out that timeline.

Passage of the bill will make Australia the 26th nation to legalize same-sex marriage, a watershed for a country in which some states considered homosexual activity illegal until 1997.

"This is an issue of fundamental fairness," Turnbull said to parliament later on Monday. "A society that promotes freedom and equality under the law should accord gay men and women the right to marriage."

About 80 percent of eligible voters participated in the voluntary survey, a turnout larger than for Britain's Brexit vote and Ireland's same-sex marriage referendum.

"The message today, to every gay person in this nation, is clear," Turnbull added. "We love you, we respect you, your relationship is recognised by the Commonwealth as legitimate and honourable as anybody else's."

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Asia's youngest nation offers glimmer of hope for LGBT rights

KUALA LUMPUR - Marching through the streets of East Timor's capital Dili with a rainbow flag in his hand, Natalino Guterres was overwhelmed with emotion, reminding him of how he felt 15 years ago when he saw the Timorese flag raised for the first time.

"It was an emotional moment," he said of the pride parade.

"The sense of euphoria ... I saw happiness written on people's faces and some teared up. It reminds me of Independence Day in 2002."

Guterres was among some 500 people taking part in East Timor's first-ever pride parade. The atmosphere was carnival-like, with participants waving colourful rainbow flags, cheering and beating drums in the capital.

Campaigners say the parade last month was a milestone for the tiny, half-island nation - Asia's youngest democracy - and a beacon of hope for a region where lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights are under increasing attack.

LGBT rights in the nation of 1.2 million people have not been a major focus. International headlines about the country have been dominated by its 24-year resistance to occupation by neighboring Indonesia, which eventually led to East Timor's independence in 2002.

However activists say social stigma and discrimination are common for LGBT people.

Same-sex behavior is not criminalized under East Timor's laws but they also do not offer protection against discrimination.

KICKED OUT OF HOME, BULLIED AT SCHOOL

Guterres, a development consultant who runs a youth group that organized the parade, said many like him grew up feeling "lonely" and do not know where to turn when they suffer discrimination.

"If you talk to the (LGBT) community, people have been kicked out of home or feel uncomfortable about going to school because they are bullied. They live from house to house because they are not accepted at home.

"That is why visibility of the LGBT community is important. We want to empower people who are still struggling," the 27-year-old told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from Dili.

Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araujo gave a boost to LGBT rights supporters when he recorded a video message ahead of the march urging Timorese to create an inclusive nation, and accept people with different sexual orientations and gender identities.

The call was a "welcome glint of leadership amidst officials elsewhere in the region who openly stoke anti-LGBT bigotry", said Kyle Knight, a LGBT rights researcher with New York-based Human Rights Watch.

Although Taiwan's top court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage in May, paving the way for the island to become the first place in Asia to legalize gay unions, progress of LGBT rights elsewhere in the region has been slow.

In neighboring Indonesia, the LGBT community has faced a series of attacks since last year with senior officials saying there is "no room" for gay rights movement, while authorities detained 141 men in a gay club raid in May.

In the same month too, two young Indonesian men were publicly flogged for gay sex in the ultra-conservative Aceh province which has Islamic laws.

In Malaysia, health authorities prompted a public uproar last month over a video contest on how to "prevent" homosexuality, and were forced to amend the competition.

But Knight said East Timor could still offer more to the LGBT community by enacting laws to outlaw discrimination based on sexual identity.

"Timor Leste's current legal environment presents a mix of silence, protection and gaps for LGBT people," Knight said, using another name for the Southeast Asian country.

LONG WAY TO EQUALITY

The parade - which was supported by international groups including UN agencies and diplomats - has nevertheless raised hopes among the LGBT community in East Timor, and provided an impetus for the public to debate the topic.

"LGBT issues have been swept under the carpet all this while, now it is time to talk about them," said Felix Maia, the spokesman of UN Women in East Timor, who was at the parade.

"It creates polarizing opinion but we can only start raising awareness when people start talking about it," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Guterres said there is a long way to go to achieve equality but he was optimistic, as he has seen how his family attitude has changed over the years.

His brother, who stopped talking to him for two years after Guterres came out to him as gay, showed up at the pride parade clad in a T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan "You are not alone" and appeared on stage with him.

"He hugged me on stage and told me he was very proud of me," he said. "We were both in tears."

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Colombia court paves way for same-sex marriage

BOGOTA, Colombia - Colombia took a major step towards legalizing same-sex marriage Thursday when the constitutional court voted on the matter, in a decision hailed by the gay community.

Six of the nine court justices dismissed a petition that wanted to deny equal marriage rights for heterosexual and homosexual couples, paving the way for the mostly Catholic country to join Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil in Latin America in blazing a trail for gay marriage.

"The way is open for marriage between people of the same sex," said a source at the court, the highest in Colombia, after months of discussion.

"It's almost a fact that equal marriage will be approved, but it is not accurate to say that it is valid from today."

That will come when a court judge puts Thursday's decision in writing -- which appears merely a formality.

A previous constitutional court ruling recognized same-sex couples as families and ordered Congress to pass a law that would afford gay couples the same rights as heterosexual married couples.

But when a 2013 deadline for lawmakers passed, gay couples could by default formalize their unions before notaries and judges, although it was a gray area and the court's language was vague.

Activists in the gay community gathered outside the court in Bogota's historic center to celebrate the announcement, waving flags.

In July 2010, Argentina became the first Latin American country to legalize same-sex marriage, followed by Uruguay.

Brazil has de facto authorized same-sex marriage since May 2013.

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You do not own my humanity, Boy Abunda tells Pacquiao

MANILA - An irate Boy Abunda, the most popular gay television host in the country, has lashed out at world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao, who denounced people in a same-sex marriage as "worse than animals."

Abunda, who is in a relationship with his partner for more than three decades, criticized the senatorial aspirant for "crossing the line" with derogatory remarks.

"Kung ang tao ay nanakit, nangyuyurak ng karapatan ng tao, eh gugustuhin ko na po maging hayop," Abunda said in the Tuesday episode of his late night talk show. "Kung ang ibig sabihin po ng hayop ay gumagalang, nagmamahal, then I am an animal."

He then equated the struggle of the LGBT community for equality to that of America's civil rights movement during the 1960s, as well as to the struggle of women for the right to vote.

He also quoted US President Barack Obama, former US senator Hillary Clinton, and Pope Francis with regard to their viewpoints towards the rights of the LGBTs.

"Why am I saying this Manny? Dahil gusto kong malaman mo na hindi sila tumigil sa kalalaban para sa kanilang mga karapatan," Abunda explained.

"At kami sa LGBT community, hindi rin kami titigil hanggang sa dulo ng buhay namin, hanggang kamatayan ipaglalaban namin ang karapatan to equality and to dignity. Dahil ninakaw ito sa amin."

"I am not begging Manny Pacquiao for dignity. I am not begging you for respect. I am not begging you for my humanity because you do not own my humanity. Akin iyon. That's my birthright."

He also said he will not vote for Pacquaio in the upcoming elections, much like gay comedian Vice Ganda, who earlier voiced his disgust over the boxer-politician's controversial remarks.

"Tatakbo ka bilang senador?" Abunda asked. "Ito ang aking katanungan, palagay mo ba iboboto ko ba ang isang tao na ang tingin sa akin ay hindi tao? Iboboto ko ba ang isang tao na ang tingin sa akin ay mas masahol pa sa hayop. Manny, ang kasagutan --salita mo, common sense."

Pacquiao has apologized after facing severe criticism, but maintained that he is against same-sex marriage.

"Hindi po nagbabago ang aking desisyon na against po ako sa same-sex marriage at iyan po ang paniniwala ko. Ang pagkakamali ko lang po ay ikinumpara ko ang tao sa hayop. I am humbling myself before you and before God," he said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Slovenians reject same-sex marriage law in low-turnout referendum

LJUBLJANA - More than 60 percent of Slovenians voted against extending marriage to same-sex couples in a referendum Sunday marked by low turnout, according to near-complete results from the electoral commission.

The outcome marked a setback for activists who had hoped to see the largely Catholic nation become Europe's first ex-communist country to give same-sex couples the right to marry and adopt.

With more than 99 percent of ballots counted by 10 pm (2100 GMT), 63.42 percent of voters said 'no' to approving the legislation, which already passed in parliament earlier this year.

More than 1.7 million people were registered to vote on an issue that has stoked heated debate in the former Yugoslav republic, but turnout was low at just 35.65 percent.

For the outcome to be legally valid, opponents of the law needed to muster the support of at least 20 percent of registered voters -- the equivalent of at least 342,000 votes. They ended up garnering 389,115, the commission said.

In March, parliament approved legislation redefining marriage as a "union of two" instead of a "union of a man and a woman", granting same-sex couples the same rights as their opposite-sex counterparts, including the right to adopt children.

But opponents immediately launched a campaign to reverse the changes, meaning the legislation never came into force and no same-sex couples were able to tie the knot.

A group called "Children Are At Stake" managed to gather the 40,000 signatures necessary to force a referendum.

Even Pope Francis waded in, urging Slovenians to defend traditional family values.

He said last week he encouraged "everyone, especially those with public responsibility, to support the family, a structural reference point for the life of society".

Same-sex marriage has already been legalised in 18 countries, including 13 in Europe. Ireland last May became the first to approve gay marriage through a referendum.

"I voted yes. Love is love, regardless of everything," said a 24-year-old woman called Ida in the southwestern port city of Koper.

- 'Marriage yes, adoption no' -

The issue had proved divisive among Slovenians, especially concerning adoption.

On the wall of a church centre near one polling station, someone had scrawled: "Would you take a homosexual donor's blood to save your child?"

Another pensioner said while gay couples should be given equality as far as marriage was concerned, that should not include the right to adopt children.

"They are people like us, they should be given all rights, but not (the right to adopt) children," said 76-year-old Ema.

"It has to end with a 'no'," she said.

Slovenian voters already rejected gay marriage once before, in a 2012 plebiscite.

Sunday's renewed rejection means the civil code will revert to limiting marriage to strictly between male and female couples, and parliament may not propose any new measures seeking to introduce same-sex marriages for the next 12 months.

Existing legislation which allows registered civil partnerships but not adoption will remain in force.

Slovenia has long been ahead of its peers, joining the EU in 2004 -- nine years before neighbouring Croatia -- and the eurozone in 2007 as its first ex-communist member, but its society retains a strong traditionalist streak.

Both Slovenia's president and prime minister had backed the 'yes' camp in the referendum.

Violeta Tomic, a lawmaker from the leftist United Left party that had first proposed the same-sex law, vowed to keep up the fight despite Sunday's setback.

"We'll go on, we won't give up... Human rights were not a gift, they had to be fought for."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Taiwan crowds march in Asia's biggest gay pride parade

TAIPEI - Tens of thousands marched in Taiwan's capital Saturday in Asia's biggest gay pride parade, with many hoping presidential elections next year bring to power a pro-gay government that will legalize same-sex marriage.

About 78,000 people took part in the 13th Taiwan LGBT Pride event, with supporters waving rainbow flags and handmade placards calling for marriage equality as they circled downtown Taipei.

Some donned costumes including a group of men dressed up as characters from Japanese manga Sailor Moon while a choir group called G-Major sang as they walked with the crowds.

While Taiwan is one of the most progressive Asian societies when it comes to homosexuality, a bill to make same-sex marriage legal has been stalled in parliament since it was first proposed in 2013.

"There's been huge changes in the society in recent years with a lot of grassroot efforts pushing for equality," said Jennifer Lu, an openly gay candidate for the Social Democratic Party in next year's elections.

"But the government hasn't kept pace. That's why I want to run," she told AFP.

Widely expected to become Taiwan's next president -- and the island's first female leader -- Tsai Ing-wen of main opposition Democratic Progressive Party expressed support for same-sex marriage.

"Everyone is equal before love," she said in a video posted on her Facebook page Saturday.

But Tsai has yet to commit to pushing the bill through, saying in a separate statement that it's "an issue the whole society must face together as there are many who support marriage equality but there are also many who are reluctant."

This year's march coincides with several events held in Taipei, including a queer film festival and a regional LGBT conference.

"Taiwan certainly is one of the more progressive in Asia," said Ashley Wu, co-chair of this year's conference which attracted about 400 activists from countries including China, Thailand, Cambodia, and Nepal.

"But there is still strong opposing voices such as Christian groups. Their numbers aren't big but their political influence is significant," Wu said.

While marriage is not yet an option, some are encouraged by recent developments in gay rights.

Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan earlier this year became the first city to allow same-sex partners to be listed in household registration records.

"Progress is inevitable," said 25-year-old JJ Chang, taking part in the parade for the fourth time.

This year Chang chose to celebrate his aboriginal identity by wearing a colourful headdress from his tribe in eastern Hualien county.

"Someone said there is no 'tongzhi' in the aboriginal community, so we couldn't stay silent," he said, using the Chinese term for gay and lesbian people.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com