Justice for Sisters is a grassroots campaign organized by concerned members of the public to raise public awareness about issues surrounding violence and persecution against the Mak Nyah community in Malaysia. The campaign also aims to raise funds amounting to RM60,000 to finance court cases that have been brought up against transgenders who have been charged in Syariah court.

All proceeds will be channeled to the Justice for Sisters Fund.
Below are the details:

JUSTICE FOR SISTERS Fundraising Concert

Date: Saturday February 12, 2011

Time: 2pm – 10pm

Venue: Black Box, MAP KL

Admission:

Show 1 (2pm – 4pm) RM 10 by donation

Show 2 (5pm – 7pm) RM 15 by donation

Show 3 (8pm – 10 pm) RM 15 by donation

Featuring:

chi too, Buka Kolektif, DUNG, Dara Othman, Davina Goh, Elaine Foster, Ferns , Furniture, Furious George feat Operasi Sabu (George Wielgus, Faisal and Kuning), Illya Sumanto, Kathleen Choo, KG, Krisis Halusinasi, Mei Chern, Nabila Nasir, PT’S Angels feat Sajad and Sharon, Priya K, Reza Salleh, Sheena, Tanjong, Think!Tadpole!Think!, Tshiung Han See

Press Release:STOP THE VIOLENCE AND PERSECUTION TOWARDS US
Press Statement by the Mak Nyah Community of Malaysia

Contact: Thilaga
Date: 30 November 2010

We are the Mak Nyah community and we are being persecuted by Section 66 on “Lelaki berlagak seperti perempuan” of the Syariah Criminal Enactment (Negeri Sembilan) 1992 (please refer to this section and similar sections in other states in Malaysia in Appendix 1). We have suffered mental distress, physical violence and even sexual molestation at the hands of the religious officers who enforce these laws. We are stripped of a life of dignity and deprived of our personal liberty, and we fear for our lives. We are unable to step out of our homes without the fear of getting harassed, abused or arrested. We are no longer able to go out or to eat and drink in public without the fear of harassment and abuse from the religious officers who enforce these laws. We demand that the religious authorities of the State of Negeri Sembilan and all its officers stop harassing, victimising and persecuting us for who we are.

In Negeri Sembilan where we live, we are forced to walk around without our brassieres as it is used as evidence against us upon arrest. We are “advised” by the religious officers to just wear t-shirts, track bottoms or men’s shorts. Despite following these instructions, we are still arrested on the basis that we physically look like women. We are sexually molested or our breasts are groped when the religious officers who enforce these laws insist on checking if we are wearing brassieres. We are sometimes made to change our clothes in full view of the religious officers.

We are instructed to plead “Guilty” by the religious officers and even by the state’s Legal Aid Bureau. Without proper legal advice, we plead “guilty” and as a result we are sentenced with heavy fines and sometimes we even face imprisonment. Under such laws, it is impossible for us to live and earn a living. Sometimes, we are also compelled to attend mandatory religious counseling sessions. We are Mak Nyahs. No amount of “counseling” or coercion can ever change that. All we ask is to be left alone and for respect of our personal and private lives. Such mandatory counseling we consider to be an infringement of our personal liberty.

We also suffer hardships in obtaining employment as we are discriminated against by employers on the basis of who we are. We suffer rejection in schools and in some institutions of higher learning. At the latter, we are sometimes required to attend boot camps in order to make us more “manly”.

As Mak Nyahs, we have the right to live with dignity like all citizens in Malaysia. We have the right to our identity, the right to self-expression in our dress and mannerisms, the right to respect for our personal and private life and the right to livelihood as other citizens in Malaysia. These are our fundamental liberties as enshrined in Articles 5, 8 and 10 of the Federal Constitution, the supreme law of the land. Any law that violates our rights arbitrarily is no longer good law.

These are also violations of our human rights under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Jogjakarta Principles on human rights relating to sexual orientation and gender identity.

We ask the Legislative assemblypersons of Negeri Sembilan, the Negeri Sembilan Religious Department Directors and all other Malaysian elected representatives and leaders to stop the violence and persecution that has been targeted against our Mak Nyah community.

We appeal to all who believe in freedom under the Federal Constitution, human rights, non-discrimination and equality, to stand with us and join us in our call for the stop of the targeted persecution and violence towards our Mak Nyah community in Malaysia.

UPDATED: Audio interview with director Kelvin Wong.

I have worked with KLPAC’s publicist on their first Hokkien production for my other podcast PenangHokkien.com. Recently, Valerie informed me about this fascinating production at KLPAC that I thought would be nice to share with TiltedWord.org’s readers. Even though the characters of Octopus are mainly gay, the subjects are definitely beyond GLBT, and you can surely bring along your straight friends with you. I hope you’ll get to share your opinions of the production back here, after you see it.

Listen to the audio interview with Kelvin Wong, the director of Octopus.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Kuala Lumpur, December 2010 – The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac) proudly brings to you Octopus by American playwright Steve Yockey, tackling increasingly common relationship quandaries with an edge, yielding thought-provoking results. Octopus premiered in 2008 with the Actor’s Express Theatre Company in Atlanta, Georgia, and will play in Malaysia for the first time.

After young couple Kevin and Blake engage in an adventerous and hastily planned night of “fun” with the older, more “experienced” Max and Andy, they are left trying to salvage their relationship from a pummeling mix of jealousy, betrayal, telegrams from a soaking wet delivery boy and a ravenous sea monster from the ocean floor. Rendered through post-modern lens, Octopus slips from domestic comedy into a dark fable examining the role and depth of commitment in relationships and what it really means to say the words “I love you”.

Lauded as experimental and queer-friendly, Octopus challenges audience members to reinterpret their outlook on emotional and physical struggles through the realism of relationships: love, commitment, lust and fear. These universal themes strive to speak to all, regardless of sexual preference nor orientation.

This production of Octopus is directed by klpac’s Director-in-Residence, Kelvin Wong and will feature an eclectic cast of household names like Malik Taufiq and William Quah, alongside up-and-coming writer Nandang Abdul Rahman and newcomers Jack Lua and Edmund Wong. Octopus will also feature original music from singer-songwriter Elvira Arul. Strictly for mature audiences only.

Dates/Time: 16^th December (Thursday) to 22^nd December (Wednesday) @ 8.30 pm

Venue: Pentas 2, The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac)

Tickets: RM38 (Adults); RM25 (Students and the Disabled)

Promotions: Buy 1 ticket for Octopus and 1 ticket for Birdy (Pentas 2 @ 2^nd – 12^th December) for RM60!

Box office: Call or Walk in: klpac @ Sentul Park (03 4047 9000)

Call or Walk in: The Actors Studio @ Lot 10 (03 2142 2009 / 2143 2009)

Online purchase/Location Map:  www.klpac.org

Others: Octopus will run for approximately 70 minutes without an intermission. Doors will open at 8.20 pm (10 minutes before the show). Strictly for mature audiences only (language, semi-nudity, nature of content).

The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC) will be presenting an adaptation of Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” from 1 to 5 September.

Hailed as the most significant English language play of the 20th Century, “Waiting for Godot” is a masterpiece by the Irish avant-garde writer, dramatist and poet. It was described as Theatre of the Absurd and it was this kind of writing that won him the Noble Prize in 1969.

The fact is this play and its characters continue to shock, amuse, entertain, engage and move theatre goers all over the world just as it did when it was first staged more than 50 years ago. Back then, people were shocked more than anything because nothing quite like it had been attempted before and it truly redefined what was possible in theatre.

Vivian Mercier in Irish Times wrote that the play ‘has achieved a theoretical impossibility—a play in which nothing happens, that yet keeps audiences glued to their seats.’ A recent Theatre Royal Haymarket (UK) production of “Waiting for Godot” starring Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart broke all box office records with a sold out national tour and an extended run on West End.

In the two-act play, two men wait expectantly for a mysterious man by the name of Godot to arrive. They occupy themselves by silly conversation; they argue, joke, contemplate suicide and even sing and dance. Who is this Godot they are waiting for? Does he arrive?

The upcoming production will be directed by KLPAC’s Resident Director, Kimmy Kiew, who brought us “A Women of Silk River” and “A Loser / Pilgrim” earlier this year. This will be a more ambitious venture no doubt. Going against Beckett’s objection to having female actors performing this play, the script has been adapted so that the two men will now be two transgender women played by Fairuz Tauhid and Yuki Choe with Jerome Kugan as the boy. This is based on an original idea by Kugan and Rohaizad Suaidi. It is particularly exciting as it will mark Kugan’s debut and he will also be designing music for the show.

Through the two characters in “Waiting for Godot”, Beckett painted a very realistic picture of the human race filled with uncertainty, despair and loneliness. One can draw a parallel to the outlook faced by the marginalized transsexual female population in Malaysia. One filled with a lot of waiting, question marks and ambiguity.

Despite the loneliness the characters face, the play also celebrates the consolation of friendship between the couple and it is peppered with humorous moments. Beckett is a master of language and his wittiness and Kimmy’s keen direction will have you on your edge listening to every single word.

SAMUEL BECKETT’S WAITING FOR GODOT

Presenter : The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC)
Director : Kimmy Kiew
Artistic Director : Joe Hasham OAM
Executive Producer : Dato’ Faridah Merican
Featuring : Fairuz Tauhid, Yuki Choe, Jerome Kugan
Duration of Show : 70 mins

Date & Time: 1 Sept @ 8.30pm (preview); 2 – 4 Sept @ 8.30pm, 5 Sept @ 3pm
Venue: Pentas 2, KLPAC (location map available on KLPAC website)
Ticket Prices: RM 35.00 & RM 23.00 (students & the disabled)

Promotions
PREVIEW NIGHT (1 Sept, 8:30pm): RM10 donation at the door
DRAG NIGHT (3 Sept, 8:30pm): Come in drag & get tickets @ RM23
STUDENT MATINEE (4 Sept, 3:00pm): RM15 for students

Box office
Call or Walk In – KLPAC @ Sentul Park (03 – 4047 9000)
Call or Walk In – The Actors Studio @ Lot 10 (03 – 2142 2009 / 2143 2009)
Walk In only – Axcess @ main office (Jln. Semangat) & 1-Utama outlet Online purchase – via www.klpac.org

I don’t know about you, but Youtube is a wonderful source of procrastination for me. Each time I can’t get work done, I head there and preload videos as an incentive to meet (or miss) my deadlines.

Lately, I’ve been on a binge of poetry videos, and I thought I’d mix some up here to share with you.

My suggestion: If you are uncomfortable with performances that contain queer references blasting out of your speakers……use headphones.

That was Dakota Camacho — on Myspace and Youtube.

Marty McConnell questions the revolution on a very popular poetry tv show. If you like what you see/hear, plenty more available here. I like the videos of female figureheads(?) who have passed away, speaking to contemporary pop culture stars. Or, start here, a poem about gay domestic violence.

Followed by Paul Mabon (very into audience participation, this one).

Regie Cabico, who also gets a bit angry about the kind of guys who are attracted to him.

Digression: If “You bring out the [noun] in me” sounds like a familiar sentence in poetry by now, it might be due to Sandra Cisneros’ “You Bring Out the Mexican in Me“.

For other examples, check out Bao Phi’s You bring out the Vietnamese in me; or queer poet Maiana Minahal’s You bring out the Filipina in me.

For poetry somehow a bit closer to home, Sharanya Manivannan’s You bring out the Sri Lankan in me (she performed regularly in KL, before moving to Madras and helping to organise the first Chennai LGBT pride parade).

A court in India recently overturned a law used to criminalise same sex relationships, by the way.

Skim, on the damages of hate. For more of Skim, I found another video here, a Myspace account, a new blog and a Facebook page.

Sarah Dopp, who also engagingly discusses queer identities, andgender, sexuality and mom. Sarah Dopp also runs a wonderful website called Genderfork. I’m personally very attracted to the Profiles section, because I get to check other people out (ie: almost be a creepy internet perve, but it doesn’t count if you don’t google anybody!).

And finally, for those with a Youtube account (and who are older than 18), you can watch Ernesto Sarewale perform in the buff, waxing poetic about Her Penis.

Image used for call for entries

BODY 2 BODY
Writings on Alternative Sexuality in Malaysia

Edited by Jerome Kugan and Pang Khee Teik

Published by Matahari Books

Yes, you read that right. Malaysia has its very own queer anthology.

For a feel of what the book may be like, you can read the submission guidelines that were released earlier.

Contents:
Introduction
1. What Do Gay People Eat? – Brian Gomez
2. Breathing Pure Oxygen – Cheryl Leong
3. Roommates: Not A Love Story – Sharil Dewa
4. The Wedding Present – Sonia Randhawa
5. The Man From Berali Carpets – Maya Tan Abdullah
6. And I Love You – Hwa Yi Xing
7. Hafiz’s Dilemma – Ann Lee
8. Dude, Don’t Tell Me – Kung Khai Jhun
9. The Friendship Dictator – Faizad Nik Abdul Aziz
10. Muslim 2 Muslim – Shanon Shah
11. Cream Of The Crop – Pang Khee Teik
12. Pirate Girl – Marisa Repin
13. Good Job – O Thiam Chin
14. Harry Is Dead – Shih-Li Kow
15. The Old Fig Council – Zed Adam
16. The Wives Story – Tan May Lee
17. Have You Seen My Son? – Abirami Durai
18. Friends Of Everyone – Julya Oui
19. Monsoon Massage – Paul GnanaSelvam
20. Queering The Meme – Ray Langenbach
21. In Search Of – Ho Sui-Jim
  22. Alvin – Jerome Kugan
23. Sunset – Azharr Rudin

Seems quite a few lovely friends of mine are involved in this book (no, I’m not getting paid to pimp this out). For those of you around KL, you can keep an eye out for the booklaunch in Annexe, Central Market during Seksualiti Merdeka, 12th-16th August 2009.

The rest of us can already pre-order Body 2 Body from Amazon.com.

All Matahari Books titles are available in major bookstores, so Body 2 Body should be as well, bar any insanities from the authorities. Otherwise, Amazon.com carries all their titles.

If you love burlesque shows, and those talented beauties who can sing, dance, and act onstage: you need to know about Broadway Bares.

As a part of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the theatre community gives back to society by putting up an extravagant burlesque show. Lots of skin in the name of charity!

A mix of genders may perform, but men are the ones who shine in this show. Watch Daniel Robinson get it on in Broadway Bares 2009 — Tight End:

I would usually warn that the video is NSFW, but with that video preview, it seems relatively self-explanatory.

More videos available from Youtube: BroadwayBares2008.

The showstopper from 2008 was apparently Matthew Morrison’s Humpty performance, which you can watch here:

You may recognise him as Sir Harry in the latest film rendition of Once Upon a Mattress. If you think he’s dreamy, look out for his cameo in musical theatre comedy series on Youtube, The Battery’s Down.

Catch more of Broadway Bares from the official website (hint: Media, Videos section).

Jakarta [3 June 2009]. On 9-13 August 2009, Bali will host the 9th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) – the biggest congress on HIV and AIDS in the region. Approximately 3,000 delegates from 51 Asian and 14 Pacific countries are expected to attend this congress. The theme of the
9th ICAAP is “Empowering People, Strengthening Networks” to support a vibrant community of empowered people, all across Asia and the Pacific, to mobilize a holistic and more effective response to the crossborder challenges of today’s HIV pandemic.
The Local Organizing Committee Chair, Prof. Dr. Zubairi Djoerban,Sp.PD-KHOM, who is also the Chair of the Indonesian AIDS Society (Masyarakat Peduli AIDS Indonesia), said “we recognize that ICAAP is the second largest AIDS forum in the world and are grateful for the confidence in Indonesia to host this
important meeting. We are inspired by the decision and will work hard to assure that the congress activities will advance regional efforts to respond effectively to the challenge of HIV and AIDS today and in the future.”

Mr. JVR Prasada Rao, Director, Regional Support Team, Asia and the Pacific, Joint United Nations
Program on AIDS (UNAIDS), added, “the 9th ICAAP promises to be an even better and bigger conference
than previous ICAAPs. There will be evidence-based discussion on whether Universal Access can be an
achievable goal by 2010 for many countries in Asia and the Pacific. Every facet of the epidemic and the
region’s responses are featured in the wide array of session and activities.”

The congress will take place at the Bali International Convention Centre (BICC) in Nusa Dua, and is
scheduled to be officially opened on 9 August by the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Mr. Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono, in a ceremony at the Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) Cultural Park.

ICAAP is a biennial gathering for the release and discussion of scientific, programmatic and policy
developments in the global response to HIV/AIDS and is convened by AIDS Society of Asia and the Pacific (ASAP).

In his message to the 9th ICAAP, Professor Myung-Hwan Cho, President of ASAP said that
“Indonesia has been given the opportunity to take bold and innovative steps n support of the regional
response to HIV and AIDS. Countries of Asia and other regions will be waiting to see Indonesia take the lead.”

According to the Independent Commission on AIDS in Asia (2008), AIDS remains the most likely cause of
death and loss of work days among people aged 15 to 44. The number of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Asia in 2007 is an estimated 5 million, with a number of new infections (380,000) comparatively speaking equal to the number of people who died from AIDS-related illnesses (380,000). In Oceania an estimated 740,000 people were living with HIV in 2007 of which 13,000 were new infections.

Reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on HIV and AIDS requires all member countries to
halt and reverse the spread of the epidemic by 2015; this includes the Universal Access target of 2010 whereby all those who need treatment should also receive it, and the urgency to strengthen each country’s health system to ensure effective delivery of services and response.

Mr Rao continued, “what is really impressive is that the conference will showcase the immense progress
made by community groups, working together and in partnership with government and other partners, in
spearheading the response in many countries in the Asia Pacific region.”

Similar to previous ICAAPs, sessions will be divided into Plenary Sessions where distinguished
researchers, community leaders and policy specialists share the latest information and experiences; 24 symposia on topics such as addressing legal barriers and criminalization of at-risk populations, and a leadership session for delegates from the Pacific region; 64 oral sessions on topics related to prevention, care support and treatment of HIV and AIDS, understanding socio-cultural, economic and political determinants in the AIDS response, and on leadership.

Besides these, 32 skills-building workshops will also be held to help delegates improve various skills that
can apply to their daily work; Satellite Meetings and Exhibitions showcase the efforts of civil society and the private sector in the response to HIV and AIDS.
Distinguished guest speakers will include Michel Sidibe, UNAIDS Executive Director; Michel Kazatchkine, Director of the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM); Kyung-Wha Kang, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights; Dr Nafiz Sadik, Special Envoy for AIDS in Asia and the Pacific; Myung Hwan Cho, President of AIDS Society of Asia and Pacific (ASAP) and representatives from Seven Sisters, Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV (APN+), Asia Pacific Network of Sex Workers (APNSW), CARAM Asia, Asian Harm Reduction Network (AHRN), APCASO, APN Rainbow.

A Community Forum will also take place before the congress on 7–8 August, where various communities
each have their own conference to identify and share common issues and experiences. Seven
communities will be represented including people living with HIV (PLHIV); Injecting Drug Users (IDU);
Interfaith; Men who have sex with Men (MSM) and Transgender; Sex Workers; Women, including
Lesbians; and Youth.

The Asia-Pacific Village will be a friendly, fun and colorful venue to celebrate the region’s diversity, with arts and music performances, small group discussions, informal education activities, and regional stalls selling handicrafts and snacks made by people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS.

The Asia-Pacific Village will be open to the general public. Prior to the official opening ceremony on 9 August, a high-level meeting of AIDS Ambassadors will be held, co-hosted by the First Lady and National AIDS Ambassador, Mrs. Ani Bambang Yudhoyono, and AIDS Ambassador of Australia, Murray Proctor. The AIDS Ambassador’s Meeting will address the role of AIDS Ambassadors in the region in mobilizing greater action and accountability for the response.

For more information, please contact:
Ika Nazaruddin
Pacto Convex
Ph 62-21 571-9973
Ika_nazar@cbn.net.id
Elis Widen
Congress Coordinator
Ph 62-21 571-9973
elis.widen@icaap9.org
Ristya Paramita
Public Information Officer
Ph. 62-21-39838845/46
ristya.paramita@icaap9.org

From the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/27/us/27marriage.html?_r=1&hp
By JOHN SCHWARTZ
Published: May 26, 2009

The California Supreme Court upheld a ban on same-sex marriage today, ratifying a decision made by voters last year that runs counter to a growing trend of states allowing the practice.

The decision, however, preserves the 18,000 marriages performed between the court’s decision last May that same-sex marriage was lawful and the passage by voters in November of Proposition 8, which banned it. Supporters of the proposition argued that the marriages should no longer be recognized.

Today’s decision, written by Chief Justice Ronald M. George for a 6-to-1 majority, said that same-sex couples still have the right to civil unions, which gives them the ability to “choose one’s life partner and enter with that person into a committed, officially recognized, and protected family relationship that enjoys all of the constitutionally based incidents of marriage.” But the justices said that the voters had clearly expressed their will to limit the formality of marriage to heterosexual couples.

Heated reaction to the decision began immediately, with protestors blocking traffic in front of San Francisco City Hall, their hands locked.

The same court had ruled in May that same-sex couples enjoyed the same fundamental “right to marry” as heterosexual couples. That sweeping 4-3 decision provoked a backlash from opponents that led to Proposition 8, which garnered 52 percent of the vote last November after a bitter electoral fight.

The opinion marks a new round in the long-running battle in California over the issue, and will almost certainly lead to a counter-initiative intended to overturn Proposition 8, which changed the state constitution, as early as next year.

The opinion focused on whether the use of a voter initiative to narrow constitutional rights under Proposition 8 went too far.

Supporters of same-sex marriage, who filed several suits challenging the proposition, argued that the change to the state’s constitution was so fundamental that the initiative was not an amendment to the constitution but a “revision,” a term for measures that rework core constitutional principles.

Revisions, under California law, cannot be decided through a simple signature drive and majority vote, which is what led to Proposition 8; they can only be placed on the ballot with a two-thirds vote by the legislature.

It has historically been rare, however, for the state’s courts to overturn initiatives on the ground that they are actually revisions, and many legal scholars deemed the challenge against Proposition 8 a long shot.

The question of whether Proposition 8 was an amendment or revision was the centerpiece of the oral arguments before the State Supreme Court during its hearing on March 5.

The justices who had issued the ringing support of same-sex marriage in 2008 presented a far less supportive front during the three-hour hearing. A number of justices who had voted in the majority in the 2008 case, particularly Joyce L. Kennard, strongly suggested in their questions from the bench that they were reluctant to overturn the will of the voters or to undercut the initiative process.

The justices had seemed to be seeking a middle ground that would allow the rights they had affirmed the year before to be preserved in the form of civil unions, which would be different from marriage in name only. Justice Kennard suggested that the substantive rights of gays were the same after the proposition, and all that had changed was “the label of marriage.”

That distinction was deeply dissatisfying to an attorney for plaintiffs, Shannon Minter, who argued that without the right to the word “marriage,” same-sex couples would find “our outsider status enshrined in our Constitution.”

In the months since the case was argued, three other states have legalized same-sex marriage. On April 3, Iowa’s supreme court struck down a state statute that limited civil marriage to a union between a man and a woman — and cited California’s 2008 decision repeatedly in support of its ruling. Less than a week later, the Vermont Legislature narrowly overrode a veto by Gov. Jim Douglas of a bill that allowed same-sex couples to marry. Then on May 6, Maine’s legislature, too, passed a bill allowing same-sex marriage, and Gov. John Baldaci signed it.

Initiatives are also moving forward in New York and New Jersey; a similar measure has stalled in the New Hampshire legislature by a slim margin this month, but could come up for a new vote next month.

At the same time, attitudes of Americans toward same-sex marriage favor liberalization of the practice. In an April CBS/New York Times poll, 42 percent of those surveyed favored same-sex marriage, up from 21 percent at election time in 2004, when it was a wedge issue during the presidential campaign. That poll suggests the trend will continue into the future: 57 percent of the respondents favored legal recognition for same-sex marriage, compared with 31 percent of respondents over the age of 40.

The language of Chief Justice George’s decision seemed almost regretful, as he wrote that “our task in the present proceeding is not to determine whether the provision at issue is wise or sound as a matter of policy or whether we, as individuals, believe it should be a part of the California Constitution.” Instead, he wrote, “our role is limited to interpreting and applying the principles and rules embodied in the California Constitution, setting aside our own personal beliefs and values.”

“We are born alone and we die alone, but there is no reason why any of us should live alone in this life… Too many of my gay friends have left this shores because of intolerance. Let’s make a change today.” – Neo Swee Lin (in the video below).

Picture taken from Queerty.com

From the Guardian.

SINGAPORE (AP) — The gay community in tightly controlled Singapore held its first-ever rally Saturday, taking advantage of looser laws on public gatherings to call for equality.

About 2,500 participants wore pink clothing, played music and sang songs at a park known as Speaker’s Corner, said organizer Pink Dot, which represents Singapore’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents.

“This is a great opportunity for us to make our pitch for the equal treatment of the LGBT community in Singapore,” said Roy Tan, a Pink Dot spokesman.

Singapore’s government has become more tolerant toward gays and lesbians in recent years, but sodomy is still illegal, Tan said.

Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng told the state-owned New Paper on Friday that gay people “have a place in our society” but warned they must “not assert themselves stridently as gay groups do in the West.”

The government eased a ban on public demonstrations last year, encouraging Singaporeans to air grievances at Speaker’s Corner as long as they don’t discuss race, language or religion. The government says public discussion of those subjects could enflame passions and create instability in the multiethnic city-state.

Last year, Singaporean investors met at the park after losing money on structured notes issued by Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.

I came out of the cinema and upon realizing what had just happened, I froze in my tracks. “Oh wow, our book was just autographed by a S&M top hustler!” Rewind.

Richard Berkowitz is a controversial man. An activist and author, he and two friends, Michael Callen and Dr. Jo Sonnabend, can be credited for bringing about the discussion surrounding “responsible behavior” when having sex. Featured in the biopic documentary “Sex Positive”, released in March 2008, Richard oscillates between headstrong and anxious during interviews with the filmmaker. “I really feel uncomfortable. This feels like a 50 year-old man telling how he got his dick sucked in his younger days,” he said interspersedly with comments about “Everybody just used the term “safe sex” without acknowledging the work we have done.”

During the raging AIDS epidemic of the early 80s, Richard and his friend, Michael Callen, wrote in the Native that gay men should cut back on their “promiscuous” behavior so as to reduce the probability of getting infected with the disease. Through continued and repeated infection and exposure to casual sex, a person’s rate of AIDS infection becomes higher. “It’s time we take responsibility for our behavior,” Richard said. Many gay people at the time found Richard’s sentiments distasteful. Larry Kramer, whose book was nominated for a Pulitzer, engaged directly in debate with Richard and Callen on national TV.

The debates get a bit more technical. Richard, Callen, and Sonnabend were proponents of the multifactorial theory of AIDS infection whereas Kramer’s camp believed that a single agent, i.e. a virus, is responsible for the disease. Today, there is enough scientific evidence to show that a specific virus, HIV, is responsible for AIDS – although links between CMV and AIDS are still being researched on (cf. The Lancet, 2004). However, it was Richard and Callen who tried to look for a solution to counter the infection.

As the debates raged on, Richard and his camp were accused of being sex negative. This was despite the fact that Richard, as a part-time job, was a paid-for-hire S&M top. He and his team began discussing S&M and how through safe behavior, the probability of passing on the infection is low. This is when they started writing the first manual to safer sex: “How to Have Sex in an Epidemic”. It is a guide on having safer sex using protection or engaging in behavior that does not transfer bodily fluids from one to another. Richard continued advertising his services, emphasizing on “safe”: “Safe S&M Top” was his classified ad header.

The documentary ended with a question posed to several activists, healthcare practitioners, and a porn star: Have you heard of Richard Berkowitz? Many of them answered in the negative.

The documentary, however, has done a great job in introducing to us Richard Berkowitz. In an era of huge debates and personalities surrounding the AIDS epidemic, Daryl Wein, the filmmaker has seamlessly weaved several narratives into a huge emotionally-charged and affecting fabric of the earlier half of the 80s.

At the end of the movie, it turns out Richard was watching the documentary with us. He stood up for a QnA session. “Many young gay and lesbian people today think of AIDS as a developing country problem, but we forget that there are many out there who still live through each day with AIDS,” he said of what young people can do in this age to raise awareness and advocacy for the issue. “Too few gay youth are engaged at all with the issue of AIDS.” But he ended on an optimistic note and one that recognizes and appreciates the tireless efforts of activists and scientists before us: “We always still talk about 1% infection rates, and prevalence and what not. But sometimes I think it’s time we pat a gay or lesbian youth on their back and say, “Good job!”"

To watch the trailer and several snippets from the biopicumentary, visit Richard Berkowitz.com. His book, semi-autobiographical, semi-thoughts and opinion, will also be re-released. Page through Stayin’ Alive: The Invention of Safe Sex.