Fridae

Aussie PM: "I'm not anti-homosexual" but no civil unions please
Aussie Prime Minister John Howard has reiterated his opposition towards same-sex civil unions while rejecting that he is anti-gay, a charge levelled at him by ACT chief minister Jon Stanhope who announced proposed legislation to recognise same-sex relationships.

The PM on Sunday rejected the charge by Stanhope that Howard's opposition to the ACT's plan to recognise gay unions meant there was "no place in Howard's Australia for homosexuals."

"That's wrong. This is not an anti-homosexual gesture," Howard said.

The Australian Federal Government had threatened to introduce legislation to block proposed ACT laws which were announced last week by Stanhope to register civil unions and effectively give them the same rights as married couples.

Howard said there was scope to remove discrimination against gay couples, but not to equate a gay union with a traditional marriage which has to be preserved as a "heterosexual union for life of a man and a woman."

A spokeswoman for Stanhope restated that the proposed legislation was largely designed to remove legal discrimination against gay couples and did not equate their unions with marriage. They were also open to revising the ACT's proposed legislation to address the commonwealth's concerns.

The Howard government's focal problem with the law is that it refers to achieving "functional equality" between civil unions and marriage.

The ACT has indicated it will establish its own register of celebrants to overcome the federal ban on celebrants, which it licenses, from assisting same-sex unions.

In related news, a national inquiry will examine the discrimination gay couples face when trying to gain access to financial benefits enjoyed by heterosexual couples.

Launched on Monday, the inquiry which is to be conducted by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, aims to catalogue the discriminatory laws and ultimately overturn them.

Same-sex couples are currently barred from using the Medicare safety net, getting concessions on prescription drugs, and being given tax breaks, government superannuation, veterans entitle ments, workers compensation and judicial pensions.

Human Rights Commissioner Graeme Innes said basic rights taken for granted by most heterosexual couples were denied to many same-sex couples.

"This is about just treatment for people who live together in a genuine relationship � gay or straight," he said.

"For a war veteran's partner to get a pension when the veteran dies, for a partner of a person killed at work to get worker's compensation," Innes said referring to Edward Young who took his case to the United Nations Human Rights Committee in 1999 after being denied a pension after his partner of 39 years, a World War II veteran died.

The UN committee ruled that the Australian government had breached the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Despite being a signatory to the covenant, the Australian government has not taken any action to amend the law and ensure similar violations did not occur in other legislation, the committee said.

The commission will review public submissions until June 2, consult government bodies and hold public forums around the country; and expects to report to the Government in December.

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Thai military to declassify transgenderism as a "mental disorder"
From this year, Thai transgenders (and transsexuals) who are called up for mandatory military conscription will no longer have to suffer a "mental disorder" label being slapped on them.

The landmark agreement was reached recently by Ministry of Defence, a group of local LGBT organisations and the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand. Advocates expect the ministry to eventually drop transgenderism from a list of diseases used in exempting conscripts.

In the old-aged list, the word transgenderism, when translated into Thai, could mistakenly fall into the same category as hermaphrodism (a person with two sexual organs). Up till now, post-operative transgenders (or transsexuals) are classified as having a mental disorder as their reassigned gender is not reflected on official documents.

The terms described in exemption certificates of transgenders could also be varied, depending on the personal view of the doctors in charge and their choice of terms.

Thailand's celebrity transsexual kick-boxer Parinya Charoenphol, known as Nong Toom, was registered as having "a mental disorder-with the mind of a woman" in 2002, while another, Samart Meecharoen, was registered as having "permanent mental disorder" in 2005. Samart said she have had problems when looking for a job.

The label causes problems for transgenders not only for applying for a job, but also legal complications such as insurance, passport and contracts as they are considered mentally disabled persons.

Many employers are found using the draft exemption certificate issued to them, as an excuse not to hire them, said Naiyana Supapeng from the Human Rights Commission.

In April, men aged 21 have to show up at draft venues for physical examinations. The drafting of new recruits this year begins April 1-10 nationwide.

In Bangkok alone with 50 districts open for the drafting, there is an average of one transgender per one district, said deputy army spokesman Colonel Chalermphol Thammasoonthorn, a spokesman of the ministry.

As legal amendments will take a substantial amount of time and advocates want the new ruling to go into effect as soon as possible to benefit those who have been called up for conscription this year, the military has agreed not to classify transgendered conscripts with breast enlargement or who have undergone sex change surgery as having a "mental disorder." While they will be exempted, military doctors and officials will have to adopt other terms such as "problems with body features" or "body type" as a temporary solution.

However, pre-operative transgenders still have to go through the draft and physical check-up as other conscripts. While regular conscripts undergo physical examinations and assessment as a batch, transgenders who have undergone hormone therapy and have begun sex reassignment surgery will be examined in private rooms and will not be required to go shirtless as other recuits are required to. The military has also held training for officers at the drafting venues nationwide.

Newspapers and the media have previously featured transgenders with bare breasts being ridiculed in the drafting venues.

Naiyana said for those who were given "mental disorder" in their certificates, they are encouraged to file legal complaints to make cases so that the court will open hearing and the process of legal changes will hastened.

Thailand's mental health department has announced in 2002 that homosexuality is not regarded as a mental disease to reflect World Health Organization's 1992 resolution on the same subject.

Reported by Vitaya Saeng-Aroon in Bangkok for Fridae.

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Kaohsiung home party busted by police
Police busted a private home party in Kaohsiung, located 250km south of Taipei, in the early hours of April 2 and found 50 topless men in a room about 50 sq m in size. Police were quoted as saying that many of the men were under the influence of drugs.

According to various local reports, the third storey apartment on Minzu Road was equipped with sound and lighting fixtures and is believed have hosted late parties every weekend since February. Attendees were charged a fee of NT100 (US$3) for entry upon verification using their mobile phones as attendees were invited via SMS.

The police found 54 ecstasy pills, 20 bags of ketamine, marijuana and a variety of illegal drugs as well as condoms and sex toys.

The men aged between 43 and 21 were tested for drug consumption at the police station and had to undergo an HIV test administered by officers from the health department. Among those arrested was an Air Force sergeant and a corporal; an Army lieutenent and a private; and five members of the Navy.

It was also reported that the police wore facemasks and gloves when they handled the arrested men as they are considered to be in high risk of HIV infection.

Five men will be charged for drug possession.

The testing procedures are reportedly routine for all who are detained by police in drug raids regardless of sexual orientation.

In response to the case, chief of the local police station Chen Jiachang was quoted as saying in Mandarin that "late-night parties are problematic" and asked gay men to "stay home." He also stressed that while it was the job of the police to maintain law and order, he appealed to parents to be more "concerned about their children's activities so that they will not suffer lifelong regret for a moment of pleasure."