NEWSWORTHY
Explosive book by French author tells of alleged Vatican gay subculture and hypocrisy
A gay French writer has lifted the lid on what he calls one of the world's largest gay communities — the Vatican — estimating that most of its prelates are homosexually inclined and attributing much of the current crisis in the Catholic Church to ...
Hong Kong top court denies male status to three transgender men
Hong Kong's High Court refused to allow three transgender men to be recognized as males on their official identity cards because they have not undergone full sex-change operations. The ruling Friday was seen as a blow to the fledgling LGBT movement in the semiautonomous Chinese ...
Two Tokyo wards to allow female students to wear pants for school uniform
Starting in April, Tokyo’s Nakano Ward will allow female students at all municipal junior high schools to choose pants as part of their uniform, and Setagaya Ward will also allow the same option.
From pariah to demi-god: Transgender leader becomes a star at India's massive Kumbh Mela festival
In a desert tent guarded by armed police and a well-built bouncer, Laxmi Narayan Tripathi is blessing a constant stream of pilgrims, who garland her with marigolds and kneel to touch her feet. Tripathi, a tattooed transgender leader and a former reality TV star, has ...
Social media users flip #10yearchallenge to spotlight changes caused by war and climate change
The #10YearChallenge — posting a new photo of yourself next to an old one — is being repurposed by social media users to highlight more serious issues than aging faces, from climate change to the devastation of war. The trend started on Facebook, Instagram and ...
More in Japan identify as LGBT as social awareness grows, study finds
At least 1 in 11 people in Japan identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, according to a survey conducted by advertising giant Dentsu Inc., while more than two-thirds of respondents were familiar with the acronym LGBT. Of the 60,000 people aged between 20 and ...
Japanese lawmaker takes fire for saying a nation 'would collapse' if everyone became LGBT
Katsuei Hirasawa, a veteran member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, draws criticism for his recent comment that “a nation would collapse” if everyone becomes LGBT.
10 same-sex couples to sue Japanese government over marriage equality
Ten same-sex couples will jointly file a lawsuit against the government in February for not recognizing marriage equality, their lawyers says.
Taiwan's same-sex couples put future on hold after vote defeat
After more than three decades together, Wang Tien-ming and Ho Hsiang finally decided to tie the knot when Taiwan's top court ruled last year that same-sex marriage must be legalized. But those wedding plans are on hold after conservative groups won a referendum battle over ...
With songs like "I woke up gay" and "Lonely lesbian," LGBT punk band Shh...Diam! is making a rare splash in Malaysia, using music to fight long-running discrimination. The four-member group is a rarity in a country where gay and transgender issues are often seen as ...
In 27-24 vote, Hong Kong lawmakers reject motion to consider same-sex unions
In a region where no country allows gay or lesbian couples to marry, Hong Kong's Legislative Council on Thursday rejected a motion that could have paved the way to legalizing same-sex unions. The measure, which would have urged the government to consider granting "equal rights" ...
Two male penguins who paired up as a "same-sex couple" have incubated a baby chick and are "doting" on their tiny offspring, an Australian aquarium announced Friday. Gentoo penguins Sphen and Magic are happily "taking turns caring for their baby chick," born on October 19 ...
