Whoa... An Asian gay guide?

I originally posted this on April 28th, 2006.


Guardian reporter John Aglionby writes:

Milestone for gay rights as Indonesia gets first pink guidebook
For decades, gay venues in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore were forced to operate secretly because of official disapprobation and cultural-religious sensitivities.
But now the acceptance of a homosexual lifestyle in the region has passed a major milestone with the publication of the first gay guidebook to the three countries.
The Utopia Guide to Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia seeks to "shine a light on an aspect of society that exists in every country around the globe, but has been mostly in the shadows here in Asia", according to its publisher, John Goss.
The book features everything from gay bars in Indonesia to bathhouses in Malaysia and an array of clubs, massage parlours and cultural attractions.
Gay activists are confident there will be little backlash. "In recent years we've been more and more open," Dede Oetomo, an Indonesian gay activist, told the Guardian.
"Conservative religious groups know where to find us and they leave us alone. I think, if anything, the bigger problem will be cultural because many families still don't accept a gay lifestyle."

Also, very positive in its own regard is GLAS (Gay & Lesbian Arab Society). Their homepage states the following:
We are the Gay and Lesbian Arabic Society (GLAS), an international organization established in 1988 in the USA with worldwide chapters.  We serve as a networking organization for Gays and Lesbians of Arab descent or those living in Arab countries. We aim to promote positive images of Gays and Lesbians in Arab communities worldwide, in addition to combating negative portrayals of Arabs within the Gay and Lesbian community. We also provide a support network for our members while fighting for our human rights wherever they are oppressed. We are part of the global Gay and Lesbian movement seeking an end to injustice and discrimination based on sexual orientation.