Introduction Both male and female same-sex sexual activities are legal in Tajikistan since 1998. The age of consent is 17. But police are are reticent to address hate crimes, including the murder of a gay man in Dushanbe in 2011. Police have also been known to blackmail closeted individuals by threatening to expose them. Enclose
Afghanistan
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Brunei
Burma
Cambodia
China
East Timor
Georgia
Guam
Gay Life in Kyrgyzstan
Introduction Kyrgyzstan presents a difficult challenge for homosexual people. It is politically unstable with a recent history of violence among major ethnic groups; it is mostly rural with a population that is 80% Muslim and education levels are low. Corruption is common which results in widespread poverty. In such an environment any chance for tolerance
Gay Life in Brunei
“Gay life in Brunei” is not a cause for celebration but rather for secrets and hidden desire. Same-sex love is forbidden in the sultanate and punishable with imprisonment (up to 10 years imprisonment or a fine of 30,000 Brunei dollars). It is a cruel fate to be born gay here under the shroud of Islam.
Gay Life in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan gay life is an emerging scene. Surrounded by rugged wilderness of high mountains and immense seas the fledgling “gay life in Azerbaijan” is also surrounded by Islamic homophobia and traditional ‘family values’. The balance between secular liberal tolerance and conservative religious rejection of sexual varieties is tipped toward the latter. But influences from the West–especially by potential EU membership with its human rights standards–have given courage and hope to many LGBT citizens for a brighter future. Homosexuality has been removed as a crime and a brave LGBT organization has appeared.
Gay Bangladesh Life–an Invisible Minority
by Rainer Ebert 30 January 2012 Babu and Arif have been friends from childhood. They went to school together, played on the same cricket team and had no secrets – except one, but only until recently. While they were out having phuchkas at a street stand somewhere in Dhaka, Arif suddenly slipped into an awkward
Gay Life in Pakistan — Reflections
As a gay man confessing to being slightly homophobic, Karim nonetheless seems very comfortable with his identity. He says he was conscious of his queerness from an early age, and thus has had time to acknowledge his identity and process it. Despite his ease, however, social acceptance seems far from imminent. By Hira Nabi January
Gay India–Part 1 (Intro): Bombay/Mumbai
A Four-part Journey Through South India in Search of LGBT Life Also see: Islam and Homosexuality Gay India Stories Gay India News & Reports 2000 to present Gay India Photo Galleries Introduction Read this historic story first The sheer size of India makes ‘a’ Gay India story an impossible task, and it’s not just size
Gay India–Part 2: Hyderabad
A Four-part Journey Through South India in Search of LGBT Life Also see: Islam and Homosexuality Gay India Stories Gay India News & Reports 2000 to present Gay India Photo Galleries Read this historic story first Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital city of the state of Andhar Pradesh in central India. Over the past decade
Gay India–Part 3: Chennai /Madras
A Four-part Journey Through South India in Search of LGBT life Also see: Islam and Homosexuality Gay India Stories Gay India News & Reports 2000 to present Gay India Photo Galleries Read this historic story first Chennai (Madras) Sahodaran and SAATHII It’s no easier to find a publicly visible gay community in Chennai than Hyderabad
Gay Life in Bangladesh
Arriving in Dhaka, the capitol of Bangladesh, is an instant immersion into a dense capitalistic present time that’s linked to an equally intense tradition of family and Islam. Anywhere a visitor looks there are hoards of people–dark faces, beautiful and weathered, young and old. But nowhere will one easily see anything that resembles a gay community. Homosexual life is a stealth subculture that thrives in secrecy yet enjoys the benefits of permissive friendship intimacy. However, for a first time gay visitor finding “Gay Life in Bangladesh” among the millions in Dhaka is not difficult thanks to the internet and extensive friendship networks.
Sri Lanka – Colombo, Galle and Kandy
Photos of Colombo, Galle and Kandy cities. Sri Lanka is a multi-religious and multi-ethnic nation, with more than a quarter of the population following faiths other than Buddhism, notably Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. The Sinhalese community forms the majority of the population, with Tamils, who are concentrated in the north and east of the island,
Gay India–Part 4: Bangalore
A Four-part Journey Through South India in Search of LGBT life Also see: Islam and Homosexuality Gay India Stories Gay India News & Reports 2000 to present Gay India Photo Galleries Read this historic story first Bangalore Bangalore is another of India’s forward-leaning mega-cities. In the center of the country and at an altitude of
Afghanistan’s ‘bacha bazi’ boy dancers
The practice of taking young boys to perform as dancers at private parties is known as bacha bazi (literally, “boy for play”) and is an Afghan tradition with very deep roots. Under Taliban rule, it was banned, but it has crept back and is now widespread, flourishing also in the cities, including the capital, Kabul,
Thailand: Tears, Sex and Floods
By Richard Ammon GlobalGayz.com Updated November 2017 The beloved King Bhumibol Adulyadej (photo right) died at the age of 88, on 13 October 2016, after a long illness. A year-long period of mourning was subsequently announced. A royal cremation ceremony took place over five days at the end of October 2017. The actual cremation, which
Filipino Supergay: Philanthropist and Hair Stylist, Ricky Reyes
By Jenni Chang & Lisa Lisa Dazols September 16, 2011 Last year Forbes Magazine named Ricky Reyes as one of the Heroes of Philanthropy in the Asia-Pacific Region. Ricky himself grew up in poverty and worked as a hair sweeper to support his family. He opened his first hair studio in 1970 and grew his
Interview With a Young Lesbian Activist in Indonesia
By Jenni Chang & Lisa Lisa Dazols August 2011 It’s always hard to find lesbians, but it’s especially challenging in Java, Indonesia where ninety percent of the population is Muslim and women fight against second class status. Amongst the jilbab dressing, we spot a fohawk and meet Ema. A university student who often gets mistaken
Afghanistan Atrocity
Gays Are Not the Only Targets of Persecution in Afghanistan. “It was the beginning of an Afghan love story that flouted dominant traditions of arranged marriages and close family scrutiny, a romance between two teenagers of different ethnicities that tested a village’s tolerance for more modern whims of the heart. The results were delivered with
Gay Pakistan Couple — Interview
Muhajid Ali Tipu and Abdul Wahab Butt have been in love since they were in high school. However, they were never publicly allowed to show their affection for each other because of the conservative social norms of Pakistani society. Here is an interview with two Gay Youths from Pakistan. http://lgbtasiamideast.wordpress.com/category/gay-pakistan/ July 1, 2011 LGBT-Pak
Homosexuality in Kazakhstan
Intro: There is very little reliable information about gay life in Kazakhstan on the internet, but here is one first-hand report from a former Peace Corps volunteer, Everett Peachey, that offers a small window into this huge former Soviet country. From: Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual US Peace Corps Alumni http://www.lgbrpcv.org/articles/02_04_russia.htm By Everett Peachey August 2009
Random Images of Bangkok, Nov 2010
Bangkok is a city with many faces, many lives and very diverse styles of living. Here are random images of day and night life in this city of royalty, prosperity and poverty.
Mekong River Cruise from Laos to Thailand
The Mekong is one of the world’s great rivers. It is the world’s 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is 4,909 km (3,050 mi) and it drains an area of 795,000 km2 (307,000 sq mi). From the Tibetan Plateau this river runs through China’s Yunnan province, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and
Gay Cambodia 2010 – A Place for Survival
A daunting look into the dark life of displaced homosexuals in Phnom Penh, a world the tourists never see. It’s a world of poverty, rejection and hardship that usually leads to prostitution and petty crime. For an unknowing westerner, the ‘pretty boy’ on the corner in the evening has a sad tale to tell about
Mekong River Cruise from Laos to Thailand
The Mekong is one of the world’s great rivers. It is the world’s 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is 4,909 km (3,050 mi) and it drains an area of 795,000 km2 (307,000 sq mi). From the Tibetan Plateau this river runs through China’s Yunnan province, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and
Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang is a city located in north central Laos, where the Nam Khan river meets the Mekong River about 425 kilometers (264 mi) north of Vientiane. It is the capital of Luang Prabang Province. The current population of the city is about 103,000. The city was formerly the capital of a kingdom of the same name.
Vientiane 1
Vientiane is the capital city of Laos, situated in the Mekong River valley. After a period of more than 50 years as a French protectorate, Laos gained independence in 1949. A long civil war ended officially when the communist Pathet Lao movement came to power in 1975 but the protesting between factions continued for several