Tag: S377a

Alibaba Helps Seven Gay And Lesbian Couples From PRC Get Married In West Hollywood

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (Reuters) – Seven gay and lesbian couples from China were married in the Southern California gay capital of West Hollywood on Tuesday after winning a contest sponsored by a pair of Chinese Internet companies.

The seven couples were selected from among more than 2,000 based on videos they submitted detailing their love stories, after Internet users voted for their top 10 favorites on Taobao, Alibaba’s popular e-commerce site.

West Hollywood Mayor Lindsey Horvath officiated the wedding ceremonies at a city library for six gay and one lesbian couple who managed to get U.S. visas. The contest was also sponsored by Blued, a social media app popular with gays in China.

“We’re so honored and happy to have them in West Hollywood,” Horvath said. “We’ve long been a community committed to equal rights for all people, and advancing and protecting the rights especially of our LGBT community.”

While these couples’ marriages are recognized in California, which legalized gay marriage in 2013, their unions will not be legal in China. China decriminalized homosexuality in 1997, but does still not allow gay marriage.

“We’ve been together for almost eight years, so we want to give each other a promise or a commitment for life,” said Hu Zhidong, 32, who met his partner, Liu Xin, also 32, at a party, where they found out they shared the same birthday.

REUTERS/Lucy NicholsonA gay couple prepares to get married at a group wedding for seven same-sex couples from China, in West Hollywood, California, United States, June 9, 2015.

To Xu Na, 29, and Xue Meng Yao, 21, the only lesbian couple participating in the ceremony, the opportunity to use this event to come out was also important.

“We want to find a proper time to tell our parents,” Xu said. “This could be a good chance for them to see a lot of positive exposure.”

During the ceremony the couples recited their vows in both English and Chinese, often while shedding tears.

Geng Le, Blued’s founder and chief executive, said that while many online media outlets in China were interested in covering this event, Chinese television stations might hesitate, because homosexuality was still a sensitive topic there.

(Editing by Dan Whitcomb and Eric Walsh)

Read the original article on Reuters. Copyright 2015. Follow Reuters on Twitter.

Source: www.businessinsider.com

June 12, 2015
Singapore Will Benefit When All Citizens Are Treated Equally

I refer to the report, “Conservative S’pore ‘not ready for same-sex marriage’” (June 6).

Law-making premised simply on the majoritarian position is dangerous. Democracy is not simply about majority rule; it is also about protecting minority rights. This is why we have the Presidential Council for Minority Rights.

This principle, however, should apply to all minorities, including sexual minorities. In fact, to be truly impartial, the State should just protect individual rights. Minority rights are individual rights, as the individual is the smallest minority.

Legalising same-sex marriage means respecting individual liberties. It does not mean promoting same-sex marriage. Singapore society may frown upon adultery, gambling or prostitution, but these are all legal.

Scientific studies have shown that being inclusive improves public health. The New England Journal of Medicine even published a recent editorial supporting same-sex marriage. Is our Health Ministry not ready to improve public health?

Also, research by economics professor M. V. Lee Badgett shows that anti-gay laws have an economic cost. Is our Trade and Industry Ministry not ready to grow our economy more?

Singapore society may indeed be conservative and not ready for same-sex marriage. But is that justification for the state itself to dash any citizen’s dream?

Many Singaporeans readily paid tribute to founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew after his death. As we celebrate our Golden Jubilee, let us honour his legacy of being a pragmatist and empiricist.

The evidence is clear: Singapore stands to benefit when all its citizens are treated equally.

This article, written by Bryan Kwa Jie Wen, first appeared on Voices, Today, on 10 Jun 2015.

Source:www.todayonline.com

June 12, 2015
Kembali Ke Fitrah: Mengapa Alfian Sa’at Ambil Hati Nasihat Dari Zulfikar Shariff?

Salam admin,

Semalam Cik Zulfikar Shariff ada post di Fb nya satu nasihat yang datang dari Pergas sendiri. Dalam post itu juga Cik Zulfikar menasihati bahawa barang sesiapa yang menghadiri majlis bermaksiat harus berfikir akan akibatnya bila berdepan dengan Allah swt kelak. Dia menyeru mereka yang berniat untuk menghadiri majlis sedemikian untuk berdoa agar ajal mereka tidak tiba ketika melakukan sesuatu yang dimungkari Alla swt.

Pada pendapat saya, nasihat Cik Zulfikar tepat pada waktunya. Ianya satu peringatan bagi semua masyarakat Muslim supaya menjauhkan diri daripada kegiatan-kegiatan maksiat. Para ulama, guru-guru dan juga ibu-bapa, pada pendapat saya, juga memberi nasihat sedemekian.

Tetapi Alfian Sa’at tidak dapat terima nasihat dari Cik Zulfikar. Kita semua tahu mengapa sebenarnya Alfian tidak setuju. Tetapi apa salahnya seorang Muslim yang lebih pakar menasihati masyrakat umum yang mungkin, telah lupa akan dasar sebagai seorang Muslim.

Alfian juga menuduh Cik Zulfikar sengaja menakut-nakutkan masyarakat.

Memang betul kata Cik Zulfikar. Kalau kita fahami yang dunia ini sementara, kita akan melakukan yang sebaiknya untuk megejar pahala untuk akhirat nanti.

Mengapa Alfian tidak dapat makan nasihat? Mengapa harus ditindas nasihat kata-kata Cik Zulfikar itu? Sebagai seorang yang dikenali ramai lapisan masyarakat, Alfian mempunyai tanggungjawab menjadi contoh sebagai kepada anak-anak kita. Memang diakui, Alfian seorang yang tersohor dalam bidang teater. Namun, itu bukan bermaksud yang dia itu manusia serba sempurna, tiada dosa, dan mengetahui segalanya.

Alfian juga berpendapat agar Cik Zulfikar lebih konsisten dalam menggunakan peringatan tentang kematian dan akhirat bila memberi nasihat tentang segala yang dimungkar Allah swt. Permintaan itu melampau. Apa tujuannya? Atau mungkin Alfian sendiri akur akan ketepatan nasihat Cik Zulfikar?

Mungkin, hati Alfian belum terbuka. Kita sama-sama mendoakan agar suatu hari nanti, Alfian diberi petunjuk dan kembali ke fitrah.

Buat masa ini, saya harap anak-anak muda kita berfikir dengan lebih kritikal tentang isu LGBT ini, berlandaskan ajaran Islam. Jangan terikut-ikut sangat, biarpun kita kagumi bakat dan karya seseorang itu.

Nasihat untuk membina, bukan untuk menghancurkan.

Rashid

[Reader Contribution]

June 10, 2015
Syed Danial: Challenge The Pink Dot Ideology, Engage In Civil Way And Help Those Struggling With Same-Sex Attraction

Dear friends (and various assortment of ‘spies’ from the other side),

We should offer thanks to God Almighty for all the Favours and Mercies He has bestowed upon us.

Although we are pleased with PM Lee’s remarks, we should not pat ourselves on the back. His statement is actually doubled-edged. And it is instructive of govt thinking on the matter. The operative phrase here is that SG is ‘still a conservative society’. And his remarks that it’s ‘changing’ offers sobering reminder not to rest on our laurels.

I think right now it’s important to act strategically. Our opponents are adept at media manipulation. The biggest mistake we can do right now is to appear too aggressive. They would play the victims card. We should therefore continue our activism in a civil way. Even polite. And we challenge the ideology. Not individual persons. We extend a helping hand of mercy to those struggling with same sex attraction.

There’s talk of wanting to ‘gatecrash’ Pinkdot to distribute pamphlets or carry placards etc.

My view is that would be a mistake. It would just make them look like victims.

Methinks we continue to engage in a civil way both online and off.

And let’s not rest on our laurels. We should do as much as poss to ensure that society does not change. And remain conservative.

We do what we can. God will do what we cannot.

Have a wonderful day in the Remembrance of God.

Syed Danial

Source: We are against Pinkdot in Singapore

June 7, 2015
Pink Dot SG: An Invitation To Lee Hsien Loong To Attend Pink Dot 2015

To Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong: an Invitation to Pink Dot 2015

It is very disappointing to hear Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s response to the query on same-sex marriage at a recent interview with regional journalists.

Firstly, we respectfully differ with PM’s views that ‘we do not harass them (LGBT Singaporeans) or discriminate against them’. LGBT people in Singapore continue to be discriminated against through the existence of Section 377a of the Penal Code.

While it is claimed that Section 377a is not enforced, its presence alone encourages discrimination and reinforces prejudice, leading to censorship in the media and the aggravation of negative stereotypes, impacting the health and wellbeing of a significant segment of society. Young LGBT people grow up in fear of being bullied by schoolmates, and cast out by family members. Working adults hide their true selves because they fear being ‘outed’ would affect their chances at promotion, or even cost them their jobs and their means to survive. Transgender individuals are often called names on the streets, labelled as deviants, denied many mainstream jobs, and are sometimes assaulted.

In a recent study – Singapore’s first and currently only – of 450 LGBT respondents¹, a staggering 60% had said that they had faced discrimination or abuse in their lifetime. A significant majority of these individuals also reported an increase incidence of suicidal thoughts and behavioural issues.

Compounding this issue, is the dearth of information and resources available for community and social groups to provide proper assistance to those in real need of help – an added effect resulting from Section 377a and censorship regulations.

We hope Mr Lee can empathise with the LGBT community, who – despite the challenges they face: ridicule, verbal and at times even physical abuse from their own kin – continue to contribute faithfully to the Singapore dream, to the only home that they know.

We acknowledge the concerns raised by PM – given Singapore’s unique position as a multi-cultural, multi-racial and multi-religious society, there will be a plurality of viewpoints, some deeply entrenched. However, we disagree that this is something that should not be discussed – it is not a topic that can be swept under the carpet and allowed to fester.

We firmly believe that dialogue is our best way forward. As such, we would like to invite Prime Minister Lee to join us in celebrating the Freedom to Love, this Saturday, June 13, at Hong Lim Park, and meet with the individuals, families, and loving couples who form a vibrant part of Singapore’s social fabric.

In Singapore, racial and religious minorities are protected under the constitution. It is our hope that sexual minorities will one day be afforded the same protections, in order for us to live our lives without fear of being seen as less-than-equal in the eyes of the law.

Whether Singapore will eventually abolish Section 377a and create a society truly based on justice and equality, that values all contributing citizens regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity; a lot will depend on fostering goodwill and encouraging respect among groups and individuals.

It is also our hope that Singaporeans will one day all come together to celebrate inclusivity and diversity – for it is through this, and love for one another, that we show our true strength as a nation. – Pink Dot SG

¹Homophobia and Transphobia Survey by Oogachaga Counselling and Support

Source: Pink Dot SG

June 7, 2015