The 23d annual Seoul Queer Parade is in jeopardy. The city government has called for a committee to decide whether it can take place at Seoul Plaza, even though it’s been held there every year since 2015. In 2021, the city government also denied an application from Seoul Queer Culture Festival to form an NGO, saying that it would cause “social conflict.” What this means, no one knows exactly. South Korea offers no legal protection for sexual and gender minorities, including same-sex marriage. Former President Moon Jae-In has said that he had no intention of legalizing same-sex unions, because society “has yet to reach a consens,” according to the Washington Post. Now, LGBTQ+ rights groups are calling on the newly-elected President Yoon Seok-Yeol to take action against rampant homophobia in Korea and denounce his aide who has said that homosexuality is a mental illness. Do you think the government will allow the parade?
Asians make up 16% of Australia’s population, but the parliament does not reflect that. In the previous term, only three were occupied by MPs of Asian background: Gladys Liu in Melbourne’s Chisholm, Ian Goodenough in Perth’s Moore and Dave Sharma in Sydney’s Wentworth. Last week, six Asian candidates have claimed victory: independent Dai Le in Sydney’s Fowler; and Labor candidates Sam Lim in Perth’s Tangney, Michelle Ananda-Rajah in Melbourne’s Higgins, Zaneta Mascarenhas in Perth’s Swan, Sally Sitou in Sydney’s Reid and Cassandra Fernando in Melbourne’s Holt. While the parliament doubled their Asian parliament members, 96% of federal lawmakers are still white. Could this be a turning point?
TW: Sexual Violence In April, the Indonesian government banned “Virginity Testing” in the military employment processes. For decades, those identifying as women have been telling employers that “Virginity Testing” is ‘discriminatory, invasive, abusive, and has no bearing on their professional performances.’ It’s also totally unscientific. The test involves someone placing their fingers into a cadet's vagina to supposedly assess whether they have had sex. It’s a form of gender-based sexual violence and the @WHO World Health Organization states that “there is no place for virginity (or ‘two-finger’) testing; it has no scientific validity.” Human Rights Watch exposed the use of these tests by Indonesian forces in 2014. In 2015, the armed forces Information Chief Major Gen Fuad Basya, told the BBC that it's a matter of national security,"If it is not restricted this way, then someone with a bad habit will become military personnel. Soldiers are a nation's defenders. They defend a nation's sovereignty, a country's territory and security." In 2018 the WHO reported that the practice is recorded in many places besides Indonesia, including Afghanistan, Brazil, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, Sri Lanka, and Turkey.
Massive Cannabis Giveaway. Thailand’s new law allows households to grow weed for personal medicinal use. To celebrate, Thailand is giving away one million cannabis plants to its residents. Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to decriminalize weed for medical use in 2019. Now the country hopes to promote cannabis as a cash crop for medicinal and commercial use – since about a third of its labor force works in agriculture.
The Indian Meteorological Department has issued a warning of a fresh heatwave spell. India may see temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius or 104 degrees Fahrenheit. In Pakistan it is even hotter - temperatures hit 50 degrees Celsius or 122 degrees Fahrenheit. In India, 25 people have died since late March in India - the highest toll in the past five years. A historic bridge in Pakistan collapsed due to a flash flood caused by the heat melting a glacial lake. The scorching heatwave in India could devastate this year’s wheat crop. India is the world’s 2nd largest wheat producer - global food shortage may get worse. These uncomfortable conditions could cause hours of power outages and near Delhi, a massive landfill fire went on for days filling the air with toxic fumes. What is happening to South Asia should be a warning sign to other countries. The window to fix and maintain a sustainable life in South Asian countries is closing if we continue to ignore climate change.
On Monday, May 9th, Filipino voters are heading to the polls for an anticipated 2022 Presidential election. Over 67M people are eligible voters, and election results could be announced within a few hours the polls close. The frontrunner is Bongbong Marcos, the son of a former ousted dictator. Former President Marcos Sr. declared martial law that lasted for seven years in his 20-year presidential term. According to Amnesty International, Marcos Sr. used the army and the police to arrest, torture, and murder civilians. Marcos Jr.’s running mate is the daughter of the current president. The distant second frontrunner is Leni Robredo, the current Vice President, and a human rights lawyer. She is the strongest critic of the current president among the running candidates, and her current stance is to end political corruption. Marcos will likely leverage his family’s legacy and influence to consolidate political power in his favor. Meanwhile Vice President Robredo will appeal to liberal-leaning voters focusing on education, healthcare poverty, and gender equality.