Guyana: Mobilizing COVID-19 relief for transgender sex workers in Guyana and Suriname

Twinkle Paule, a transgender activist, migrated from Guyana to the United States of America two years ago. As the COVID-19 crisis deepened, she thought of her “sisters” back home and in neighbouring Suriname. For many of them, sex work is the only option for survival. She knew that the curfew would starve them of an income. And she was worried that some might wind up in trouble with the law if they felt forced to work at night.

International Sex Workers Day 2020: Plight of sex workers during coronavirus pandemic

Sex workers are adults who receive money or goods in exchange for consensual sexual services or erotic performances, either regularly or occasionally. Over a decade, the lives of sex workers have not been easy. To remember the struggle due to discrimination of sex workers and their inhumane living and working conditions, June 2 has been marked as International Sex Workers Day.

US: Same-sex weddings have boosted economies by $3.8 billion since gay marriage was legalized five years ago this month, a new study says

The same-sex wedding industry also supported at least 45,000 jobs and generated more than $244.1 million in state and local sales tax since June 2015, according to the report from the UCLA School of Law's Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law and Public Policy.

Thailand: “We cannot provide only HIV services while sex workers are hungry”: Thai community organization steps in

When the Thai government ordered the closure of entertainment venues in the country in March, it didn’t just signal an end to pulsating music and rounds of drinks shared with friends. It also signalled the start of difficult times for an estimated 145 000 sex workers living in Thailand.

ILGA-Europe and ERA joint statement on the Decision of the Constitutional Court of North Macedonia to repeal the Law on Prevention of and Protection against Discrimination

It is with great disappointment that ILGA-Europe and ERA received the news of the decision of the Constitutional Court of North Macedonia to repeal the Law on Prevention of and Protection against Discrimination on 14th May 2020.

Malaysian Launches Test Case Against Gay Sex Law

A Malaysian man has launched the country's first legal challenge against Islamic laws banning gay sex, a test case supporters said Wednesday could help combat growing persecution of the LGBT community.

He was charged last year for allegedly attempting to have "intercourse against the order of nature", and several others in the same case have already pleaded guilty and were caned as a punishment.

Critics say the climate is worsening for the gay community in Muslim-majority Malaysia, with several states enacting their own Islamic laws banning gay sex.

But campaigners believe victory in the challenge at Malaysia's top court could help halt the trend of local sharia authorities introducing harsh legislation targeting gay people. 

"The case could discourage state overreach in terms of law making," Thilaga Sulathireh, from campaign group LGBTIQ+ Network, told the media.

The immediate impact of a victory would likely be to halt ongoing cases under Islamic law only in Selangor state, where the plaintiff was charged, but campaigners may then bring cases against other states. 

The man, who has not been named, is challenging accusations levelled against him in an Islamic court at Malaysia's Federal Court on the grounds they breach the constitution, his lawyer Surendra Ananth told reporters. Read more via Asean Post

China's same-sex couples heartened by property protection rights in new civil code

But with parliament’s Thursday passage of China’s first civil code, which seeks to better protect the rights of individuals, same-sex couples have been offered hope in property claims. Tucked away among the code’s 1,260 articles is a chapter on “the right to reside”.

Caribbean community organizations call for decisive action to end homophobic abuse and cyberbullying

“Alongside legislative reform and key population programmes, we must continue the social dialogue and law enforcement to create more peaceful and inclusive Caribbean societies for all,” said James Guwani, UNAIDS Director for the Caribbean.  

UNAIDS: Impact on Mental Health and Quality of Life in Time of Covid-19 for YKP and YPLHIV

Using the findings from the rapid response survey, this current blog focuses on the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and quality of life of young key populations and young people living with HIV in Asia and the Pacific.

China: Civil code defines, bans sexual harassment

Having spent more than 10 years providing legal services to people dealing with sexual harassment, lawyer Lyu Xiaoquan received some good news at the end of April-he learned that such harassment would be officially banned and a definition would be included in China's first civil code.