By Richard Ammon GlobalGayz.com December 7, 2010 Bangkok For the third year in a row there is no BKK Pride festival. Ask different people and get different answers: disinterest from local Thai activists; lack of police cooperation; no money; homophobia; frustration and withdrawal of foreign leadership. “There are just too many obstacles, resistance and petty
Afghanistan
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Brunei
Burma
Cambodia
China
East Timor
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Guam
Gay Life in Laos 2010: Luang Prabang
Intro: In Laos there are no exclusively gay venues, organizations, activists, out periodicals, no push for equality, restaurants or hotels. Ironically, Laos is possibly one of the ‘safest’ places to be gay outside of certain western countries. Although there are no specific laws that criminalize homosexuality, the topic is virtually completely avoided in public, authorities
Gay Life in Laos 2010: Vientiane
Intro: In Laos there are no exclusively gay venues, no gay organizations, no activists, no out periodicals, no push for equality, no gay restaurants or hotels. Ironically, Laos is possibly one of the ‘safest’ places to be gay outside of pro-gay western countries. Although there are no specific laws that criminalize homosexuality, the topic is
Dalai Lama Donates to Center for Healthy Minds. “It’s about changing habits of the heart.”
New York Times By Dirk Johnson September 26, 2010 Madison, Wisconsin, USA They say money can’t buy happiness — but it can finance the research. When Richard Davidson (left in photo) , then a psychology doctoral student in the 1970s, told his advisers at Harvard that he planned to study the power of meditation, the
Being Gay, Muslim and Indonesian
Young Muslim gay Indonesians search for a balance between their natural sexual orientation and the proscriptions against homosexuality found in the Koran. For some it means renouncing Islam and for others it means being celibate. From: Jakarta Post September 23, 2009 Despite living under the same roof for years, Fachri (not his real
Let the Taliban Have Afghanistan
Westhampton, MA – September 5, 2009 Richard Ammon – GlobalGayz.com Let the Taliban have Afghanistan! They want a place to rule with primitive Sharia law so let them have that poor wretched patch so they can suppress people and move back in time—and in the process destroy the poppy crops and stop the warlords from
Homophobic Discrimination Against Straight Athlete
Westhampton, MA – September 4, 2009 Richard Ammon – GlobalGayz.com The Amateur Boxing Association of Thailand (ABAT) has discriminated against a straight boxer for posing suggestively for the cover of a gay magazine. This is a new take on homophobic discrimination: instead of acting prejudicially against a gay person, the ABAT has discriminated against a
Gay Cambodia 2010-12
Cambodia continues to evolve out of a dark and bloody past into a more organized and civilized society. By fits and starts an elected government is making efforts at control and organization but not all is peaceful and trustworthy. The former kind has died and the ruling government wobbles between dictatorship and democracy. Meanwhile the
Georgia Gays Face Battle for Acceptance
From: Georgia Today #467 By Martin Tsekov July 10, 2009 “My worst experience was not long ago, 2004, when a straight man made me give him a blow job and then threw me down the stairs, and beat me terribly. Then he told me that if he ever sees me in this part of the
Gay Life in Armenia: Stigmatized and Mistreated
Armenia has been politically free of harsh Soviet domination for twenty years but human rights and attitudes have been slow in changing especially regarding sexual minorities. Although homosexuality has been legal in since 2003 the situation for local lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender citizens has not changed: gays are not welcome in society or at
Japan – Fukuoka, Mount Usu, Lake Toya, Nagasaki
Japan comprises over 3,000 islands making it an archipelago. Most of the islands are mountainous, many volcanic; Japan’s highest peak, Mount Fuji, is a volcano. On the north island of Hokkaido are volcanoes still active and steaming at Lake Toya. In the south of Fukuoka the scenes and people are unique and diverse, including the
Japan – Kyoto, Nagano, Hiroshima
Japan comprises over 3,000 islands making it an archipelago. Most of the islands are mountainous, many volcanic; for example, Japan’s highest peak, Mount Fuji, is a volcano. The country has one of the most efficient railroad systems in the world and a tourist is wise to buy a rail pass and travel the length of
Japan – Tokyo & Kyoto
Japan comprises over 3,000 islands making it an archipelago. Most of the islands are mountainous, many volcanic; for example, Japan’s highest peak, Mount Fuji, is a volcano. Japan has the world’s tenth largest population, with about 128 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million
Taiwan – Taipei and Island Drive
A guest photographer living in Taiwan offers a random selection of images from his roving mind’s eye. They range from urban life in Taipei and Kaoshiung to rural mountains and sea surfing. The island of Taiwan, also known as Formosa, is located in East Asia off the coast of mainland China. The island is 394
India – Chennai – Madras (2)
Chennai is a major city of over six million, India’s 4th largest metropolis. It has its share of prosperous new-age companies and flashy structures. Tucked into the myriad of crowded streets and dense alleys are occasional leafy cafes such as Amethyst Cafe/Boutique that offer fine food and quality merchandise for middle and upper class customers.
Gay Nepal: A Struggle Against History
At an International Lesbian and Gay Association conference, delegates gathered from more than one hundred countries to report on the condition of LGBT life. Among the leaders was Sunil Pant from Kathmandu, Nepal, head of Blue Diamond Society. I spoke to Sunil and listened to his confident voice describing the difficulties of fostering pro-gay understanding
Gay Singapore 2010
Intro: An updated trip to this prosperous city-state where the LGBT community has learned well the rules for survival and good business. Today’s gay Singapore is surprisingly active, varied and always pushing the envelop of tolerance. Also see: Gay Singapore Stories Gay Singapore News & Reports 2000 to present Gay Singapore Photo Galleries By Richard
Gay Afghanistan, After the Taliban. Homosexuality as Tradition
Introduction: With the fall of the Taliban government and its inhumane restrictions on normal life (including homosexual favoritism), old sexual traditions have re-surfaced as Afghanistan rebuilds its shattered culture.
Gay Cambodia 1997-2012
Two weeks in Cambodia was enough time to see the wondrous ancient ruins at Angkor Wat and to encounter the different faces of gay life here. I listened to a gay British doctor in Phnom Penh who was jailed, visited a gay dentist volunteering his services, watched the handsome but poor money boys and unexpectedly
Guam – Tumon Town and Island Drive
Guam is a scenic Pacific protectorate island of the USA and home to a large military base. Not surprising there is a commercial and residential community that has built up to serve the base including a modest gay community and venues. Read the story about gay Guam
India – Goa-Baga-Calangute
Two of India’s most popular beaches for locals and foreigners are Baga and Calangute beaches that offer miles of white beaches, many hotels and restaurants. On these lovely beaches, Goans and tourists spend summers, bathing in or walking along the sea. Most people enjoy the sun and sand fully clothed. Baga is a small but
Gay Indonesia–Jakarta 2002-08
Intro: In 1998, a magazine declared Indonesia as "descending into madness"–government instability, economic liability, racial attacks, religious violence. But an individual is not a label and a country is not a headline. I added Indonesia to my journey because that country of 14,000 islands swarms with beauty: flowers, mountain rainforests, ancient temples, artwork, architecture, exotic
Nepal – Kathmandu and Area
Historically, Nepal had many small kingdoms and the modern state was formed with the Unification of Nepal by Prithvi Narayan Shah on December 21, 1768. Prior to 2006, Nepal was a kingdom. Nepal is now a federal democratic republic.[2] Its recent history has involved struggles for democratic government with periods of direct monarchic rule. From
Singapore – City: (1)
Singapore is one of three remaining true city-states in the world. It is the smallest nation in Southeast Asia.It is the 6th wealthiest country in the world in terms of GDP per capita. The population of Singapore is approximately 4.6 million. Though Singapore is highly cosmopolitan and diverse, ethnic Chinese form the majority of the
Gay Thailand 2008–Scene and Unseen
Gay life in Thailand is alive and well in half a dozen cities and towns, having survived six years of a homophobic prime minister. Now revitalized with more venues than ever, the scene continues to be as it was, both visible and invisible. Despite the glitter and spice of the nightlife, most LGBT citizens continue