Domestic violence cases continue to legally and socially mask men's violence as masculinity and strength, while women in danger are still fighting to be heard--and believed. 55% of Asian women report being victims of intimate partner violence, and most don’t reach out because they feel misunderstood and unsupported. Whether it’s cultural barriers or pressures, when Asian women do report their abuse, most cases are categorized as “without injury” and charges are dropped. If powerful white women like Amber Heard aren’t believed, what does that mean for our communities? In the recent Amber Heard and Johnny Depp trial, people on TikTok turned Amber’s heart wrenching sexual assault testimony into quirky trends. As we see repeatedly, women are supported when it’s socially expedient to do so, and otherwise continue being treated as bargaining chips. In coming months, Angelina Jolie, Evan Rachel Wood, and Megan thee Stallion are all facing their abusers in court. Will these survivors also be fighting million dollar misinformation campaigns created by their abusers?

India’s first transgender soccer team, YaAll, is created for trans and queer people, who feel unsafe in sports because of how binary it is. YaAll is disrupting, revolutionizing, and impacting not only soccer but India too. Can India become the world’s most inclusive sporting arena? Globally, categories in sports are still for men and women. Sadam, founder of YaAll, grew up getting bullied and harassed in sports, leading him to hide or skip games. Even still, Sadam wanted to participate in sports and not have more than safety, he wanted belonging. And with YaAll, he hopes it’s the beginning of giving this to more people: the opportunity to play openly in your gender identity. The government of India has already recognized transgender as a third category of gender, and Sadam’s hope is that India will also acknowledge transgender in sports as a different category. But his vision is larger than India, he wants this inclusivity to exist everywhere.

Religious conservatism in Indonesia has led to a new criminal code that will persecute millions, especially the LGBTQIA community. The Muslim-majority country has just banned sex outside of marriage, and remember they don't even recognize same-sex marriage. But, these new laws don’t apply to tourists, because that wouldn’t be good for the economy. Indonesia is imposing jail time to those who protest or insult the government, and criminalizing all sex between unmarried, hetero couples. And to make matters worse, victims of sexual violence may be criminalized instead of protected. These laws will impact millions of Indonesians, and were passed with just over half of parliament voting.

Qatar hosting the WorldCup has been a controversy since the moment it was announced, as it should be. The stadiums and infrastructure built for hosting led to nearly 7,000 deaths, mainly from South Asian workers. But boycotts have rapidly become Islamophobic and racist. According to Qatari government statistics, 15,000 migrant workers have died in Qatar in the past decade. These were deaths from premature heart attacks and other physical injuries and illnesses that may have to do with working in above 100 degree weather. But Qatar doesn’t have horrible human rights violations because it’s a Muslim country. Most countries have horrifying human rights records, like the US, who is hosting the next World Cup. As we see celebrities and known figures boycott Qatar, will we see people boycott the prison industrial complex? The US is one of the few developed countries in the world without universal background checks for firearms, leading to 45 thousand gun related deaths a year. Will every country be held accountable, or only Muslim ones?

South Koreans drink more than any other country. In countries like South Korea, Japan and China, alcohol has been considered a “gift from the gods”. Historically, warriors drank before battles and after victories, and masculinity was tied to ability to drink copious amounts of alcohol. But what does drinking culture expose today? If you’re drinking a bottle of Soju, a can of sake, or a glass of Baijiu, you’re likely partaking in a drinking culture that is steeped in tradition and history. Alcohol can represent hospitality, vulnerability and openness–and it used to come with guidelines to ensure it was a healthy ritual. Today, excessive drinking can uphold workplace patriarchy, undue pressures on employees, and toxic masculinity. South Koreans, the most hardcore drinkers in the world, intake 13.7 shots of alcohol on average weekly. With the negative, life-threatening effects of excessive drinking, it’s time to reexamine our relationship with drinking.

Western news outlets have reduced the story of China’s protests to the youth fighting for democracy. But what’s happening in China has more to do with COVID, and how China’s strict policies over the past few years have impacted people’s lives. In China, frustration has built-up over years of zero COVID policy. While the policy has worked, and China’s COVID death toll is far lower than other countries, it’s come at a cost. From suicide rates spiking to an economy declining, what’s happening is not a cry for democracy but a frustration over how things have been handled when it comes to COVID. As people speak out against insufferable conditions, including years of social isolation, they are now protesting an end to the brutal lockdowns. The apartment fire that killed 10 people in Urumqi was the catalyst to what we are seeing now. Chinese citizens, tired and angry with increasing heavy police presence and now arrests of protestors, are starting to see China loosen COVID restrictions.