Happy National Coming Out Day!

People have been coming out for ages but in 1987, half a million people came out all at once to march in Washington DC for issues like legal recognition of our relationships, the repeal of sodomy laws, a federal ban on discrimination, passage of a gay and lesbian civil rights bill, reproductive freedom, an end to HIV/AIDS discrimination, and an end to racism. The following year October 11 became recognized and celebrated to be National Coming Out Day.  Coming out is not only a statement to the world but ultimately to yourself that you can be in the world as who you are and be okay.  Granted it is not always safe, thats real but hopefully one day as those who can, will and be visible for those of us who are in the process of joining us.  Thank you to ALL those before us that came out, were visible and made it easier for the rest of us to be who we truly are and love proudly who we love.  

In Solidarity and with Love,
LesbeAsian Pho Lyfe!

A LITANY FOR SURVIVAL
For those of us who live at the shoreline
standing upon the constant edges of decision
crucial and alone
for those of us who cannot indulge
the passing dreams of choice
who love in doorways coming and going
in the hours between dawns
looking inward and outward
at once before and after
seeking a now that can breed
futures
like bread in our children's mouths
so their dreams will not reflect
the death of ours:
For those of us
who were imprinted with fear
like a faint line in the center of our foreheads
learning to be afraid with our mother's milk
for by this weapon
this illusion of some safety to be found
the heavy-footed hoped to silence us
For all of us
this instant and this triumph
We were never meant to survive.
And when the sun rises we are afraid
it might not remain
when the sun sets we are afraid
it might not rise in the morning
when our stomachs are full we are afraid
of indigestion
when our stomachs are empty we are afraid
we may never eat again
when we are loved we are afraid
love will vanish
when we are alone we are afraid
love will never return
and when we speak we are afraid
our words will not be heard
nor welcomed
but when we are silent
we are still afraid
So it is better to speak
remembering
we were never meant to survive

- Audre Lorde, The Black Unicorn 

Gay Athletes Prepare For Asia's First LGBT Sports Festival

Jessica Testa
BuzzFeed

More than 200 LGBT athletes from 17 Asian countries are slated to compete in the festival on Oct. 12. Nepal will host the groundbreaking games in October. See photos from the LGBT community's first training session.

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Image by Niranjan Shrestha / AP

Here, members of the Blue Diamond Society, Nepal's only gay rights group, practice at Dasarath stadium in Katmandu on Sunday, Aug. 26.

2.

Sunilbabu Pant, head of the Blue Diamond Society.

Image by Niranjan Shrestha / AP

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Image by NAVESH CHITRAKAR / Reuters

4.

Bhakti Shah, a lesbian who served in the Nepalese Army until she was discharged because of her sexuality.

Image by Niranjan Shrestha / AP

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Image by Niranjan Shrestha / AP

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Image by NAVESH CHITRAKAR / Reuters

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Image by NAVESH CHITRAKAR / Reuters

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Image by Niranjan Shrestha / AP

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Image by NAVESH CHITRAKAR / Reuters

Vietnam lesbian couple talks of hope for marriage, LGBT rights

www.bikyamasr.comTori Khi Ton

Vietnam lesbians steal kisses at a local park in Hanoi.

HANOI: The two women sit comfortably on a sofa, their hands interlocked and their smiles grace the room with ease. These two Vietnamese recent university students are hopeful about the future of the country and their prospects for getting married.

“The times are changing and we really hope that the government and the people are ready and willing to let two people who love each other marry and spend our lives together,” 24-year-old Tina told Bikyamasr.com.

In this upscale nightclub, the owner has made it clear that all people are welcome. Tina’s longtime girlfriend Pho said he made it a point to tell them when he saw them embrace once in the club that “you can kiss and dance as you like here.”

“It was such a great feeling to have someone in his position show his support for us as a couple,” she added.

They don’t talk about being lesbians, instead they prefer to discuss their future as Vietnamese citizens, arguing that the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community has been successful in changing perceptions related to them by talking inclusion.

“At the end of the day we are all Vietnamese and hope that this will be recognized by the government, because people are changing how they deal with us,” added Tina.

Both of the women are out to their parents, which they say was a shock at first, but both their fathers and their mothers have been supportive over the past two years since they revealed their relationship.

“My mom actually joked that ‘at least you won’t have to deal with those crazy men and getting a husband’,” Tina said, laughing at her mom’s candor.

And the Vietnam government appears ready to move forward on granting all Vietnamese, sexual orientation not withstanding, the right to marry whom they want.

A senior minister said recently that the issue will see public consultation on the idea and could become legal in the country in the near future.

In July, the country’s justice ministry announced it “would be seeking public comment on proposed amendments to the Marriage and Family Law including changes allowing for same-sex marriage,” Gay News Network reported.

The ministry added that it was looking at legal recognition as an increasing number of LGBT citizens in Vietnam are “being open about their relationships,” and many hopeful that the government will allow them to legally wed in the Southeast Asian country.

“To guarantee personal freedom, the marriage between same sex people needs to be recognized,” the ministry said.

In an online debate earlier this week, Justice Minister Ha Hung Cuong said that although he thought it “unacceptable to create social prejudice against the homosexual community,” the government would need to consider the customs and ethics as well as cultural and legal issues before allowing gay marriage.

“Personally, I believe that the recognition or non-recognition of same sex marriage should be based on very basic research, the credible assessment of impact on many social and legal aspects such as personal freedom, compatibility with cultural and social practices of Vietnamese families, sensitivity, social consequences of the law,” Cuong said on July 24.

“The State should also have legal mechanisms to protect the legitimate rights such as legal personality, property ownership or children (if any) of same sex couple living together.”

Le Quang Binh, a sociologist who directs the non-profit Institute for Studies of Society, Economy and Environment in Hanoi, commended Cuong’s comments saying Vietnam could be soon seen as a regional leader on gay rights.

“As far as I know, no Asian country allows same-sex marriages,” Binh told Vietweek.

“This idea has impressed my colleagues from other countries in the region who are very hopeful that Vietnam would be able to deliver on this.”

And for this couple, who steal kisses and dance ever-so-closely on the dance floor, they are hopeful that their love will be given as much weight as their straight friends.

“It is a hope we have now that things are changing. We will line up to get married first as soon as the government gives us the go ahead,” added Pho.

Cheryl Chow, Seattle's API leader comes out!

Cheryl Chow being 66 years now is still making waves in the community.  What great news to wake up to. After thinking about my own coming out process and realizing at the Brandi Carlile (another local Seattle lesbian) concert a few nights ago that it has been 10 years since my coming out to myself. Now with political leader Cheryl Chow, who has been a well regarded and spokesperson for the API community, has come out  - its a big deal.

Out Lesbian Recommended for Federal Judgeship in New York

SOURCE: ADVOCATE
BY JULIE BOLCER

U.S. senator Charles Schumer of New York announced Wednesday that he has recommended Pamela Ki Mai Chen, a federal prosecutor specializing in civil rights, to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

If confirmed, Chen would become only the second female Chinese-American in U.S. history and one of a handful of out lesbians and gay men to receive one of the nearly 900 lifetime appointments to the federal district and appellate courts. Last year Schumer recommended Alison Nathan, who was nominated by President Obama and confirmed for a judgeship on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Vietnam's First Gay Pride in Hanoi

SOURCE: Viet Pride


"The untold miseries must be told. The invisible faces must be made visible. The silenced voice must be heard. Equal rights must be given. All these goals cannot be accomplished overnight but require an undivided commitment, concerted effort, and collective action to make human rights and dignity for LGBT people a reality. For this reason, Pride has been celebrated annually since 1969 in all continents of the world to remind each and every one of us that we are born free and equal and it is not a crime or a sin to love the person we love.


This year, Viet Pride will be celebrated on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th August 2012 for the first time in Vietnam. The event will host a cultural diversity of film screenings, research presentation, and music live performance at Goethe Institute. The event serves to encourage people to come forward, to come out and to live openly with pride; to strengthen the sense of community that transcend group boundaries and differences; and to create an official and interactive forum where pro-gay organizations and beneficiary community come together, interact, and foster trust and collaborations.

In celebrating the first ever Pride in Vietnam, let us dedicate the first weekend of August to recognize and celebrate the pride in ourselves, the pride in our fellows who are fighting and striving for the truth they want to live, and ultimately, the pride in being on the right side of history."

Changing Perspectives on Same-Sex Marriage in SE Asia

From WIRE REPORTS

A gay couple in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang recently exchanged wedding vows at a ceremony attended by their parents and hundreds of guests; a lesbian couple in Ca Mau Province only halted their wedding in February after authorities objected; a lesbian couple in Ha Noi and a gay couple in Sai Gon too grabbed headlines after photos of their weddings and celebrations went viral online.

Lesbian couple to take vows in Taiwan’s first public Buddhist same-sex union

Source: Taipei Times

Two devout Buddhist women are to hold the nation’s first gay Buddhist wedding next month as part of an effort to push for the legalization of same-sex marriages in Taiwan.

“We are not only doing it for ourselves, but also for other gays and lesbians,” Fish Huang said in a telephone interview.

The 30-year-old social worker at a non-governmental organization said that marriage never crossed her mind until she saw a movie last year.

China lifts ban on lesbians giving blood

By Molly Gray, for CNN

Hong Kong (CNN) -- The Chinese Ministry of Health has lifted a 14-year-old ban on lesbians donating blood in effect as of July 1.

The ban still applies to men who are sexually active with other men, but celibate homosexuals are permitted to give blood, according to the Ministry of Health's website.

The original ban, enacted in 1998, barred homosexuals of both genders from donating blood out of a fear of spreading HIV and AIDS.

More news on Singaporean Lesbians

Singapore lesbians look for change despite being "criminals"

Source: Bikyamasr

By Alisha Hassan 

SINGAPORE: Marina and Jun walk hand in hand, stealing a kiss here and there. On Saturday the couple joined some 15,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activists in demanding the Singapore government end the criminalization of the gay community.

Did you know? There's hella API Lesbians in CA.

According to the Williams Institute, "more than 66,000 Asians and Pacific Islanders in California who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual and more than 14,500 APIs who are part of a same-sex couple; over 34% of APIs in same-sex couples in California are of Filipino descent; nearly a third (31%) of API women and 21% of API men within same-sex couples are raising children; API same-sex parents have fewer financial resources to support their children than those in married couples, with an average household income of $96,290 compared to $109,091 for APIs in different-sex married couples."  

Wow, there's a lot of API LGB folks in California!  Add two more cuz Faith and Tawny are now registered Californians :) Listen to our PODCAST for an update! 

Pink Dot in Singapore Highlights Gay-Rights Debate

By Shibani Mahtani

SINGAPORE–A record turnout for the weekend’s Pink Dot gathering promoting gay and lesbian rights in Singapore offers the latest evidence that social attitudes toward gay residents are easing in the city state, even though the government still criminalizes homosexuality.

In addition to attracting a record crowd of 15,000 people to Hong Lim Park – the only venue in the city-state where demonstrations are allowed – the fourth annual Pink Dot gathering also drew heavier local media coverage than in past years and more high-profile corporate sponsors, including Barclays bank, which was a sponsor for the first time this year.

Article on Artist Lenore Chinn

Check out art exhibit by Lenore Chinn! 

June 8 – 30, 2012

1007 Market St.

San Fran, CA 94103

Cultural Confluence

By Rachel Howard

Source: SF Chronicle

In the center of Mid-Market's noisy, funky Luggage Store Gallery, a wiry Asian American woman wearing a silk vest, tie, ball cap and glasses sits on a bench calling out, "Bye, Carl, bye, sweetheart, good to meet your friend. Oh, bye, honey. Oh, another artist. We're all artists here. We're all friends, I swear." At 63, with a waist-long ponytail and big-toothed smile that make her appear closer to 20, Lenore Chinn is amiably comfortable at this reception and in her own skin. Perhaps the only thing she's not comfortable with is simplistic categories.

"So many people try to pigeonhole you," she says. "But you can't say I'm going to be gay this day and Asian American another. You don't split it up."

Article on Lesbian couples likelier to influence healthier habits than hetero counterparts... DUH.

Although there was only one Asian respondent in the survey, the article was interesting.  Tawny is definitely the more health conscious one compared to Faith. 

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In a heterosexual marriage, women bear the brunt of being a health police but in homosexual relationships, the couples are more likely to mutually influence each other’s health habits for better or for worse, a new study has revealed.

Darwin Australia to host next Asia Pacific Outgames

Darwin will host the 3^rd Asia Pacific Outgames in May 2014.
Source: GayNZ.com


A delegation from the Gay and Lesbian International Sports Association - Asia Pacific (GLISA-AP) visited Darwin in April to view sporting and conference facilities and met with politicians, government officials, tourist operators and members of the local GLBT community.


“We were impressed with the range of first-class facilities on offer in Darwin and the enthusiastic support from across the Darwin community for the hosting of the Games in Darwin,” says President Kevin Haunui. “We are confident that Darwin will produce a successful Outgames and warmly welcome LGBT people to their city.”


With the close proximity to Asia, the GLISA-AP Board is hoping for greater representation of glbt people from Asian countries in Darwin.


“In many countries within our region, glbt people still do not enjoy equal human rights nor acceptance, with many having to live secret lives due to the fear of discrimination, family or societal rejection and the possibility of violence.” said GLISA-AP Host City Liaison, Barry Taylor. “The Outgames provides the opportunity for a celebration of GLBT lives as well as to bring international attention on the human rights issues facing GLBT people within our region.”


Previous Asia Pacific Outgames have been held in Melbourne and Wellington.

Great Article about Khmer Lesbians in Cambodia

Coming out in Cambodia: Women in same-sex relationships stand up for human rights

Source: The Guardian

In a Cambodian case that has attracted UN attention, Phlong Srey Rann is currently serving a five- year prison sentence for having sex with her girlfriend. She has been charged with human trafficking and illegal detention despite insisting that their relationship was consensual.

Progress in Nepal...Article from Huffington Post

Members of Nepal's LGBTI community in
Kathmandu on Sept. 27, 2011

Nepal Allows Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender And Intersex Community To Register As 'Others'

In what will no doubt be hailed as a historic decision, Nepal has become the third Asian country to grant separate recognition to its community of sexual minorities based on their gender identities.

The Nepalese Home Ministry is now providing citizenship under the "others" category to members of the nation's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community, Republica is reporting.

Deportation Threat Lifted for Lesbian Couple

SOURCE: DAVE GRAM, ASSOCIATED PRESS

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — A married lesbian couple living in Vermont who were threatened with being separated by federal immigration authorities have been granted a reprieve.

Japanese immigrant Takako Ueda and her American spouse, Frances Herbert, got word Tuesday that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services decided to defer action on deportation proceedings against Ueda, whose visa had expired.

The decision ended months of uncertainty that was heightened in December when Ueda received a letter ordering her to leave the country by Dec. 31. She did not comply. Herbert said in a phone interview from the couple’s home in Dummerston that they had been told Ueda’s case would be reviewed in two years.

Myanmar's First Gay Pride Event Breaks Taboos, Raises Sexual Health Awareness

Source: International Business Times
By JACEY FORTIN

The Asian country of Myanmar saw its first-ever gay pride celebrations Thursday to mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.

In Yangon (formerly Rangoon), reports Agence France-Presse, hundreds of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and their supporters crowded into a ballroom for a festival of music, performances and speeches. Similar celebrations were slated to take place in the cities of Mandalay, Kyaukpadaung and Monywa.

Irshad Manji book tour extremist opposition in Jakarta, Indonesia

Police crackdowns and attacks by religious extremists have attempted to derail the book tour of famed Muslim Canadian author Irshad Manji through Indonesia. 

Photo: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images files

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On Wednesday, after five tumultuous days of security threats and cancelled events, a book discussion with Ms. Manji was violently attacked by religious extremists believed to be with the Indonesian Mujahidin Council. “As they shouted, ‘Where is Manji?’ citizens shielded my body with theirs,” said Ms. Manji in a statement she posted to Twitter on Thursday.

Raised in Vancouver, Ms. Manji rose to prominence as an advocate for progressive Islam with her 2003 book The Trouble With Islam Today. Most controversially to many of her religious critics, she is openly lesbian.

Read the full article from the National Post: HERE.