Fridae

Bangladesh rejects United Nations recommendation to decriminalise its anti-gay sex law at the UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva last Friday.

Gary Lim and Kenneth Chee, plaintiffs in the recent S 377A constitutional challenge, will appeal the recent High Court judgment. Friends and supporters have launched a fundraising appeal to raise S$50,000 to help meet court costs.

In dismissing one of two legal challenges in which plaintiffs sought to have the country's anti-gay sex law declared unconstitutional, the judge concludes that while anal and oral sex in private between a consenting man and woman is considered "acceptable," the same conduct was "repugnant and offensive" when carried out between two men, "therefore no reason to strike down... s 377A... as arbitrary or discriminatory."

Three years has passed since Delhi High Court’s 2009 ruling that legalised sexual relations between men, that decision is currently being challenged in the Supreme Court. A roundtable discussion was organised by UNDP India to discuss the issues surrounding the judgment. Fridae’s Asha Vakolawali has more.

The Home Ministry on Thursday distanced itself from its court representative’s statement that homosexuality is “immoral” and clarified that it has decided not to challenge the Delhi High Court's 2009 decision to decriminalise homosexuality.

Commonwealth countries will be urged to repeal anti-gay laws, which are still on the books in 41 of 54 Commonwealth member countries, at a leaders' summit to be held in Perth, Australia this week.

Singapore is still waiting for the Court of Appeal to rule on a constitutional challenge to our gay sex law. Fridae looks at the personalities behind the case.

Prominent Singapore gay activist and social commentator Alex Au draws on two recent news stories and cautions against over-focusing on the health benefits and/or the power of the pink dollar in arguing for the repeal of gay sex laws.

"I think it is important for it to be said here in Singapore that there are gay people everywhere and if suddenly all them stood up and said: 'This is me. It's like left-handedness, it's no big deal. Get over it. Have an aspirin. Have a lie down. You'll feel better tomorrow.' And things will be different." – The Hon. Michael Kirby

A group of 19 parents of LGBTs led by Mrs Minna Saran, mother of a young gay filmmaker who died in a road accident, is among the six parties who have filed petitions in support of the 2009 Delhi High Court ruling that decriminalised gay sex.