Some ‘Favorites’ we have found online … and our 2010 World Pride Parade Calendar w/ YouTube Clips!

Best Rainbow Breakfast:

Huge Pride Parades:

• San Francisco Pride
• Pride Toronto
• New York City Pride
• Amsterdam Gay Pride
• Capital Pride
• Pride London

Favorite T-shirt Design:

(From Shirtoid.com)

Top Blogs:

• TowleRoad
• Oasis Journals
• PageOneQ
• 365Gay Blog
• Perez Hilton

Favorite Pride Parade Poster:

Excellent Photo/Art Websites:

• Queer Arts
• Homotography
• YVY Magazine
• “Walk with Pride” project

Favorite Music Video:

Top Magazines:

• Gay Times
• Out Magazine
• The Advocate
• QX Magazine
• DNA
• Attitude

Favorite Gay Pride Event Calendar:

Check out YouTube videos of pride parades
around the world!

Gay Activists Alliance International

You can now find the WWP project on the
Gay Activists Alliance International website.

A main focus of GAAI websites is to put on links to other Equality and Human Rights groups and support groups that may direct people to another essential service in their region as well as articles for the website.

The GAAI campaigns revolve around anything that we believe affects the rights oof Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersexual and other Gender Variant people–equally the GAAI highlight and campaign for Womens Rights (regardless of sexualality) and the World AIDS Campaign (WAC) — Dennis H., GAAI co-founder.

To see the other resources available on their website, the link is:

http://gayactivistsalliance-asiapacific.org

Getting Ready for Sydney, Part 2

The Sydney pride parade is now just over a month away, and we are busy making preparations for the trip.  Chad will be arriving in Sydney a week before the parade in hopes of photographing some side stories to go along with the march.  The Mardi Gras website is great for finding additional activities that are part of the pride festival.  There’s a huge range of events including ‘Queer Thinking’ discussion sessions, musical/theater/and cabaret performances, Fair Day with 70,000 people hanging out for a day at the park, and the huge Mardi Gras Gay and Lesbian parade, followed by Harbour Day – a large outdoor party.  This year, the artist Spencer Tunick will also be in Sydney working on a large scale art piece called “The Base” – Tunick is famous for large scale photographs where he asks thousands of nude individuals to participate.

Visit the main Mardi Gras – Events page for a complete list:  http://www.mardigras.org.au/mardi-gras-2010/events-calendar/index.cfm

These are just some of the events taking place at the 2010 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival, Feb 19 - Mar 7, 2010

Country Details: Gay Rights and Culture in Taiwan

Taiwan LGBT Rights:

Homosexual Acts Legal? Yes

Same-sex Relationships Recognized? No

Same-sex Marriages Allowed? No
◊ In 2003 legislation was proposed by the government to grant civil unions or same-sex marriage under the Human Rights Basic law, however it was  opposed by cabinet members and did not succeed – yet, Taiwan did become the first country in Asia to suggest such a law.

Same-sex Adoption Allowed? No
◊  The same proposed 2003 Human Rights Basic law would have also allowed for adoption.

Can Gays Serve Openly in the Military? Yes
◊   There is no policy screening out homosexuals.

Anti-discrimination Laws?  Some
◊ Gender Equity Education Act ( 2003) = Establishes education resources to help eliminate gender discrimination, and promotes gender equality. ◊ Employment Services Act (2007) = Bans discrimination based on sexual orientation at work.

Laws Concerning Gender Identity? Some
◊  As of 2007, female-to-male transgenders cannot get an ID card that identifies them as male unless they have undergone all three parts of gender reassignment surgery.  This law was protested against by the transgender group Taiwan TG Butterfly Garden (chinese only site)

Cultural Points of Interest:

• While many Asian countries have conservative attitudes toward homosexuality, a 2006 survey by the National Union of Taiwan Women’s Association /Constitutional Reform Alliance showed that 75% of the Taiwanese public supported same-sex relationships.
• One of Taiwan’s first gay-themed novels became a public TV mini-series (link).  The novel, Crystal Boys, told the story of gay runaway youths living in Taipei during the early 1970s.  The 2009 Pride parade marched by the 228 Memorial Park, featured in both the novel and mini-series as a main meeting place for Taipei’s gay community.
• The second film by award winning director Ang Lee, a native of Taiwan, was “Xi Yan” aka “The Wedding Banquet” (1993).  The film tells the story of a gay Taiwanese man living in New York who decides to marry an illegal immigrant from China in order to satisfy his parents.  Problems arise when his parents show up in the US to arrange an extravagant wedding celebration.  The film won several awards, and received nominations for the Golden Globe and Oscar awards.

Websites:

GlobalGayz is a gay-owned travel, news and culture website focused on les-bi-gay-trans life in countries around the world.  It provides gay travel, life, cultural information, and news, on various countries, including Taiwan. http://www.globalgayz.com/country/Taiwan/TWN

Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association = This group was the first registered national LGBT organization in Taiwan. With ideas of peer counseling, support network and community center, Hotline works to eliminate discrimination and unjust treatment towards the LGBT community. http://www.hotline.org.tw/

Out in Taiwan = This is a comprehensive and uncensored gay resource for English speakers in Taiwan. http://www.outintaiwan.com/

Taiwan LGBT Pride = While primarily in Chinese, this is the website for the Taiwan LGBT Pride Community, which helps organize the yearly parade. http://www.twpride.info/