Archives > March 2006
China Launches Sex Education, HIV-Prevention Program Aimed at Truckers
Kaiser network.org - Washington, DC, USA, March 31, 2006
China has launched a sex education program with support from international organizations that provides long-distance truck and bus drivers with decks of cartoon playing cards displaying sexual health information at no cost.
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Court Unites Lesbian Couple
Times of India - Vadodara, India, March 31, 2006
On March 8 - International Women's Day - A H Parikh allowed a lesbian couple to live together after they told the court that they were two consenting adults and that the kidnapping charge against one of them was fabricated.
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Sexuality: Get it Out in the Open
Shanghai Daily - Shanghai, China, March 30, 2006
Some of the chief differentiating considerations that give rise to the infantile disorder of fear of difference include sex or gender. But they also include race and ethnicity, skin color and culture, religion and political philosophy, disability, HIV status, mental impairment and so on.
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New HIV Infections Plunge by a Third in Southern India: Lancet
Channel News Asia – Singapore, March 30, 2006
The number of new HIV infections in southern India fell by a third over four years, according to a study published online by The Lancet on Thursday that, if confirmed, is one of the best pieces of news in the quarter-century history of AIDS.
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Western Sexuality Education to be Used Nationally
EastDay.com - Shanghai, China, March 29, 2006
Sexuality education will be improved nationwide, in line with international models, emphasizing discussion, role-play, games, dramas and parental involvement.
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Eunuchs Hold Annual Congregation in Agra
NewKerala.com - Ernakulam, Kerala, India, March 29, 2006
Over 4,000 eunuchs from across the country gathered for the elaborate function, marked by song and dance performances as the general public watched with delight.
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Miniskirts and Hipsters Threatened in Indonesia
Radio Netherlands - Netherlands, March 28, 2006
In Indonesia, a heated debate has broken out about a controversial anti-pornography law. The wearing of a miniskirt or low cut 'hipster' trousers could result in a prison term of a maximum of 12 years.
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Shu Te University Reveals New `Doctor of Sexuality' Course
Taipei Times - Taiwan, March 28, 2006
The graduate school is the only institute in Taiwan focusing on systematic studies in the fields of sexuality education, sexual counseling and sexual and reproductive health. It is also the only institute in Asia offering academic degrees in sexology.
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China Looks to "Western concept" to Educate Youth About Sex
Xinhua - China, March 28, 2006
China's largest non-government organization (NGO) on reproductive health announced on Tuesday that it will popularize a new method to educate youngsters about sex and reproductive health nationwide, following international practices.
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Gay Volunteers Promote Safe Sex in Capital
China Daily - China, March 28, 2006
Homosexuality is not illegal in China, and it was deleted from the official list of mental disorders in 2001. However, the group is still plagued by discrimination and stigma that are born of ignorance.
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Amazing Laws: By Indians, for Indians
CNN-IBN - New Delhi, India, March 27, 2006
As far as sexuality is concerned, India's laws are notoriously out of date for example marital rape. Section 375 of the IPC states: "sexual intercourse by a man with his own wife, the wife not being under 15 years of age, is not rape".
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China Launches HIV Prevention Group for Gay Men
The Advocate - Los Angeles, USA, March 27, 2006
Xiao Dong, an HIV activist in Beijing, has launched a new group that works to promote HIV prevention and safer sex among gay and bisexual men in China’s capital, The China Daily reports.
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Paris Protests Against Nepal's Crown Prince Over 'Sexual Cleansing Drive' Against Transsexuals
365Gay.com - USA, March 27, 2006
Human rights protestors demonstrated against the visit to Paris by Nepal's Crown Prince demanding an end to what they called a "sexual cleansing drive" aimed at transsexuals.
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Legal Parent Status Still Eludes Gays
Shanghai Daily - Shanghai, China, March 27, 2006
Same sex marriage has become a highly politicized, deeply polarizing issue in the US.
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HIV Rates Rising Among Gay Men in Asia
The Advocate - Los Angeles, CA,USA, March 27, 2006
Although most of the HIV cases in Asia to date have been linked with injection-drug use or commercial sex work, a new report shows that HIV rates are beginning to rise among gay and bisexual men in the Asia-Pacific region.
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Moral Policing
Asian Tribune - Bangkok, Thailand, March 27, 2006
Tamil Nadu is in the grip of a great moral fever for a while. The presence of moral brigades anywhere in the country leads to the frightful thought that intolerance is growing in the country.
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Sister Act
Delhi Newsline - Delhi, India, March 25, 2006
Mapping the women’s movement across the country, a poster exhibition at Lalit Kala Akademi presents India’s engaging account of women’s history and 35 years of feminism that goes beyond bra-burning and naarebaazi.
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Straight Answers
Times of India - India, March 24, 2006
Filmmaker Amol Palekar, on his making a bilingual film with sexuality as its theme.
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Nigeria Must Withdraw Anti-Gay Bill
Times of India - India, March 24, 2006
An international rights group called on Thursday for Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to withdraw a bill that would criminalize homosexual relationships, saying the legislation is "draconian" and could hurt anti-AIDS efforts.
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Wuxi Teachers Critical of New Regulation
Shanghai Daily - Shanghai, China, March 23, 2006
Teaching staff in Wuxi, a city in Jiangsu Province, are critical of a recently implemented regulation that prohibits them from talking personally to students of the opposite sex, Yangtse Evening Post reported.
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Till the Courts Do Us Part
Daily News & Analysis - Mumbai, India, March 22, 2006
Human rights and women’s groups have long sought a change in the Hindu Marriage Act (HMA) under which, at present, it is difficult for a woman to prove that she has valid grounds for divorce.
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Specific Law Needed to Deal with Paedophiles
NDTV.com - New Delhi, India, March 22, 2006
Over 50 per cent of India's children are abused in various places like on the streets, at homes, in schools and even in shelters meant to protect them. But convictions remain rare due to loopholes in the law, say activists.
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Sex Education Program Wraps up in Shanghai
Xinhua - China, March 21, 2006
Shanghai, the largest metropolis of China, finished a five-year international sex education program on Monday. The paper said on Tuesday that it was the first time the city worked with international agencies to provide sex education to students and single workers.
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Forum to Promote Gay Men's Eelfare Inaugurated
Hindu - Chennai, India, march 21, 2006
The 300-strong society is an initiative to bring together homosexual men to enable them help themselves while seeking medical treatment.
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Renewed Push for LGBT Rights at UN
Gay NZ - New Zealand, March 21, 2006
After a series of defeats, the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) are regrouping for a new push to put LGBT human rights on the agenda.
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Wink, Wink... Nudge, Nudge
Times of India - India, March 20, 2006
Bombarded by images of sex and with no mature influence to channelise their natural curiosity, youngsters do a kiss and tell.
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Transgender Plans to Contest Polls
Newindpress - Chennai, India, March 20, 2006
Priya, a transgender, said that two days ago, she had received a message that some parties were willing to give seats for 'Aravanis'.
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China's Truckers Given Playing Cards to Learn About Safe Sex
Zee News - Noida, India, March 29, 2006
China has launched a project with the help of international agencies to provide long-distance truckers and bus drivers with free decks of playing cards to help them learn about safe sex with the help of cartoon figures.
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British Paedophiles Jailed for Child Sex Abuse
Live Punjab - Chandigarh, India, March 19, 2006
In a landmark order, Additional Sessions Judge P.S. Paranjape on Saturday sentenced two British ex-Royal Navy men, Duncan Grant and Alan Waters, to six years in an Indian prison for offences related to unnatural sex and abuse of boys in Mumbai children's shelters.
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Sex Education in Schools Lags Behind Puberty
Xinhua - China, March 18, 2006
In China, sex education commonly starts in junior middle school and is taught in biology class. "Young children need sex education," said Min, now 62. "There is no way to avoid it. Children have the right to know their bodies."
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Nepal: 'Sexual Cleansing' Drive Continues
Reuters AlertNet - London, UK, March 18, 2006
New arrests of metis (an indigenous term for transgender people) and HIV/AIDS outreach workers in Kathmandu show that a persistent pattern of police violence and abuse has not abated, Human Rights Watch said.
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China/India: Demand For Male Children Creates Gender Imbalance
TruthNews.com - USA, March 17, 2006
It is a paradox that the two most populated countries in the world -- China and India -- which together have some 2.3 billion people, are running low on young women. That's because both China and India traditionally value boys more than girls.
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Tamil Nadu's First Homosexual Society
Rediff - India, March 16, 2006
The Men Community Development Society is a milestone in Chennai, a city definitely not known for its liberalism. The Society is for homosexuals.
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Nepal: Sexual Minorities Face Police Brutality
Reuters AlertNet - London, UK, March 15, 2006
According to the Blue Diamond Society (BDS), Nepal's only organisation for sexual minorities, more than 200 cases have been reported since the NGO first began recording such human rights abuses in 2003.
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In Southeast Asia, Child Sex Trade Goes on Unabated
INQ7.net - Philippines, March 12, 2006
In Southeast Asia, Child Sex Trade Goes on Unabated INQ7.net - Philippines, March 12, 2006 Southeast Asia is one of the world's top destinations for people seeking sex with children, and signs of the trade are often evident.
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Indonesia: Pornography Bill Set to Undergo Overhaul
Asia Pacific Media Network - Los Angeles, USA, March 12, 2006
Contentious clauses in the pornography bill, which has been assailed for encroaching on personal rights, will be dismantled as deliberations enter a critical stage, a House leader said Sunday.
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Society & Double Standards: Why are Sex Workers Outcast?
Central Chronicle - Bhopal, India, March 11, 2006
It is a pity that sex workers are considered criminals in our country. Sex workers are treated like the outsiders who don't belong in the civilized society.
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Two Jammu Women Arrested for Homosexuality
Times of India - India, March 10, 2006
Two women, who allegedly married each other recently and were living together in the city, were arrested by the police and later let off with a directive to stay separately, official sources said on Friday.
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Women Outraged by Jakarta's Anti-Pornography Bill
Asia Pacific Media Network - Los Angeles, USA, March 9, 2006
Women in Jakarta marked International Women's Day yesterday with a march to pressure Parliament to drop an anti-pornography Bill. The demonstrators fear the Bill could lead to penalties of up to 12 years in prison and fines of up to 2 billion rupiah (S$350,500) for such simple acts as kissing in public and baring of legs or shoulders.
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Cyber Sex, no Longer a Fantasy of the Mind
MedIndia – India, March 8, 2006
With increased use of the Internet, there has been a parallel increase in the incidence of the so-called cyber crimes.
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4000 Sex Workers Stage Protest March in Delhi
Zee News - Noida, India, March 8, 2006
Demanding right to dignified life, about 4000 sex workers, transgender and sexual minorities staged a protest march in the capital today on the occasion of International Women's Day.
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Sex Workers Take to Streets in Delhi Demanding Labour Status
NewKerala.com - Ernakulam, Kerala, India, March 8, 2006
Thousands of sex workers took to streets in New Delhi on Wednesday demanding legislation to ensure labour status for their profession.
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Ecumenical Conversation Marks a Significant Step in Dialogue on Human Sexuality
Black UK Online - Suffolk, UK, March 7, 2006
A series of ecumenical conversations has been organized at the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches at Porto Alegre, Brazil. One topic under discussion is human sexuality.
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US Gag Rule Hits India's AIDS Fight
CNN-IBN - New Delhi, India, March 7, 2006
In 2003, the US passed the Global AIDS Act, but it came with a rider, that stopped funds from going to any NGO that did not sign an anti-prostitution pledge, which states specifically that they will not work for the empowerment sex workers.
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INDONESIA: Cleric, Legislator Say Porn Bill Needs More Consultation
Asia Pacific Media Network - Los Angeles, USA, March 7, 2006
The House of Representatives should exercise extra caution before passing the pornography bill into law because many of its contentious articles have not been resolved, a respected Muslim cleric says. The controversial articles in the law involve regulations on public dress and restrictions on nudity in the media and art.
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Yao Ming to Headline New HIV/AIDS Awareness Campaign In China
China CSR - Shanghai, China, March 6, 2006
EPIN Media and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are cooperating to display HIV/AIDS education and awareness audio-visual materials on board trains in China.
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Love and Let Love
Calcutta Telegraph - Calcutta, India, March 5, 2006
The gay community in Bangalore has emerged out of the closet, reports Varuna Verma. Manohar’s been through the grind of discovering his different sexual leanings, the confusion and shame, meeting men in dark corners of parks and public toilets, the process of coming out of the closet and of acceptance by his family and friends.
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First Club for Homosexuals Opens
VietNamNet Bridge - Hanoi, Vietnam, March 5, 2006
Hai Dang Club for homosexuals has been established by Pham Thi Nga, Director of the Sexually-transmitted Diseases and HIV/AIDS Control Centre in Hanoi, saying that homosexuals need sympathy and support from the community.
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‘She' Can't Change Name, Gender - CA
Philippine Star - Manila, Philippines, March 5, 2006
The Court of Appeals (CA) decided to junk the bid of a man who underwent sex reassignment surgery in Bangkok, Thailand in 2001 who sought to change his legal gender from male to female.
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First Club for Homosexuals Opens
VietNamNet Bridge - Hanoi, Vietnam, March 5, 2006
Hai Dang Club for homosexuals has been established by Pham Thi Nga, Director of the Sexually-transmitted Diseases and HIV/AIDS Control Centre in Hanoi, saying that homosexuals need sympathy and support from the community.
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Student Prostitution Arouses Concern
CRI - Beijing, China, March 3, 2006
The newspaper Democracy & Law reports that in a recent police operation the Hangzhou police arrested 10 prostitutes, of which, astonishingly, half turned out to be college students.
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Guest Lecturer Discusses Kinsey's Work
Corvallis Gazette Times - Corvallis, OR,USA, March 3, 2006
When Alfred Kinsey’s thick, statistics-heavy reports on male and female sexuality were released in the late 1940s, the books became explosive best sellers, mainly because of the works’ revelation that sexual “normality” and its real-life practices were two very different things.
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Did Brokeback Mountain Break the Last Metaphor for Manhood?
Seattle Post Intelligencer - USA, March 3, 2006
Real-life gay cowboys generally see the movie as an enlightening window into their world, many of their heterosexual counterparts see "Brokeback Mountain" as an attack on the last bastion of manhood.
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Indonesia : Regulation Reins in TV Content
Asia Pacific Media Network - Los Angeles, CA, USA, March 2, 2006
The Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI), berated by viewers for not doing enough to clean up the airwaves, may finally have the teeth to clamp down on irresponsible broadcasters.
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PRI's 'The World' Examines HIV/AIDS' Impact on Marriage Customs in India
Kaiser network.org - Washington, DC,USA, March 2, 2006
‘The World’, a production of BBC World Service, Public Radio International (PRI) and WGBH Boston on Wednesday reported on how HIV/AIDS is affecting marriage customs in India.
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New Move to Curb TV Violence in Indonesia
Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, March 2, 2006
Indonesian television stations that air programmes considered unacceptable can be reported to the police under a new government regulation.
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Straight Answers
Times of India - India, March 1, 2006
Filmmaker Onir, on being selected as a jury member in the Milan
International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival expressed that homosexuality in India is still considered taboo by a majority of people and it would take time for them to accept the theme in films.
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Sex Workers Oppose Changes in Act
Deccan Herald - Bangalore, India, March 1, 2006
Around 1,000 commercial sex workers in a rally in Bangalore on Tuesday demanded that the Central government should immediately withdraw the proposed amendments to the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act (ITPA), which penalises clients who visit or are found in a brothel.
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International Sex Worker Rights Day
Scoop.co.nz - New Zealand, March 1, 2006
The 3rd of March is International Sex Worker Rights Day. The day originated in 2001 when over 25 000 sex workers gathered in India for a sex worker festival.
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