Fridae

Record Increase In Number Of HIV Cases in Hong Kong; Largest Increase Among MSM
Hong Kong has reported the largest increase in the number of HIV cases in the third quarter of this year, with a large increase in the number of cases among men who have sex with men, according to official data released last Wednesday, Agence France-Presse reports.

Hong Kong's Health Department recorded 91 local cases of HIV during the three-month period - a 29 per cent increase over the second quarter. The Health Department also warned that the infection rates and may spiral out of control if efforts are not made to contain the spread of the virus.

Thirty-six of the new cases were attributed to homosexual or bisexual sexual activity, compared with 22 in the last quarter.

Wong Ka-hing, a consultant for the Center for Health Protection, was quoted in The Standard as saying, "The transmission [of HIV] between men who have sex with men has increased sharply," Wong said Wednesday. "This is a situation that causes real concern."

Twenty-eight new HIV cases were attributed to heterosexual sexual contact, which is the same number as last quarter. Although HIV case reporting is voluntary, Wong said that he believes the numbers reflect the current trends.

"The chance of transmitting the virus within this particular community is much higher than for other communities," Wong said.

However, local organisation AIDS Concern warned that blaming any one group could be dangerous.

"Blaming a group will drive the epidemic underground," said Loretta Wong, the charity's acting chief executive. "We don't want to send out a scary message to the community. We want to encourage support."

AIDS Concern has also seen an increase in the number of homosexuals testing positive for HIV, but Wong said she is unsure whether the increase is a result of more infections or improved public awareness about HIV testing.

Since 1984, Hong Kong has recorded 2,738 cases of HIV, with 78 per cent of cases attributable to sexual contact and 4 per cent associated with injection drug use. The health department also recorded 17 new cases of AIDS in the third quarter, bringing the total number of AIDS cases in Hong Kong to 760, reported China's Xinhua News.

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Asia's largest lesbian & gay film festival in Hong Kong
Running for a month till November 27 and featuring 60 screenings from 18 countries, the Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film & Video Film Festival (HKLGFF) is the largest and longest-running festival of its kind in Asia.

The festival opened with Saving Face, an award-winning film by Chinese-American filmmaker Alice Wu, starring veteran actress Joan Chen and Michelle Krusiec, who was recently nominated for Best Actress at the 42nd Golden Horse Awards.

Started by Fortissimo Films co-chairman Wouter Barendrecht in 1989, the festival this year focuses on Latin queer cinema, a retrospective of notorious Canadian filmmaker Bruce LaBruce's works and a compilation of Asian lesbian shorts.

Other highlights include Hong Kong director David Chow's documentary "Space of Desire", which gives rare insights into Hong Kong's queer movement and closing film The Masseur by Filipino director Brilliante Mendoza - winner of the Golden Leopard at the recent Locarno Film Festival's Video Competition.

Gary Mak, co-organiser and Associate Director of the Broadway Cinematheque, says that "the festival has opened up the mind of the general public, giving more representation to those who is always under-represented in this society."

Click here to go to official website.

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Manila Gay man says school fired him for 'symbolic wedding'
A 29-year-old gay college librarian has sued the popular Catholic school for firing him after he participated in a "symbolic wedding" with his partner of five years.

According to INQ7.net, Marlon Lacsamana, who said he never hid the fact he is gay, has filed a criminal complaint against the top executives of Miriam College before the Quezon City Prosecutor's Office claiming he was a victim of "homophobic prejudice, bigotry, and intolerance."

Lacsamana believes the suit to be the first of its kind in the Philippines and is the first attempt to enforce its provisions.

He has also filed a seven-page complaint before the National Labor Relations Commission for illegal dismissal.

Lacsamana said that three days after the ceremony the school notified him of his termination through a letter without giving any explanation. He later learned from the Catholic school's academic affairs that he was fired because he entered into a same-sex marriage, which Miriam College considers immoral.

The University of the Philippines graduate said he had worked with the college for close to a year and was eligible for regularisation under labour laws. He added that no complaint or unsatisfactory performance evaluation was brought to his attention during his employment.

In a statement, the office of external affairs denied the allegations that he was illegally dismissed as his one year fixed term contract had expired.

In 1998, Lacsamana helped found the Progressive Organization of Gays in the Philippines (PRO GAY), a gay rights advocacy group.

Homosexuals in Quezon City are protected against discrimination by City Ordinance SP-1309, which prohibits "all discriminatory acts against homosexuals in the matter of hiring, treatment, promotion or dismissal in any office in Quezon City, whether in the government or private sector." The ordinance, enacted on September 2, 2003, punishes the offence with up to six months imprisonment and/or a fine of P5,000 (US$92).

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Vatican to ban gays as priests
A leaked version of an eagerly awaited Vatican document on gay priests has spelt out that those who practice gay sex, possess "deeply rooted homosexual tendencies" or support "gay culture" are unsuitable for priesthood.

In reiterating its stand against sexually active homosexuals in the priesthood, the document however also made a distinction between "deep-seated homosexual tendencies" and what it called "the expression of a transitory problem."

Men who had "transitory" homosexual tendencies may however be admitted to a seminary, the school that trains priests, if they have "overcome" their urges for at least three years. The document reportedly did not define what is meant by "overcome."

The Vatican is scheduled to formally release the instructions on Nov. 29.

The Catholic Church has had a long-standing policy against homosexual priests, with a 1961 document saying homosexuals should be barred from priesthood. In 2003, homosexuality was described as a "troubling moral and social phenomenon" in a document by the powerful Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, then headed by German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who became Pope Benedict this year.

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