This was originally posted on September 5th, 2007.
SUMMARY: Mohamad Sofian, named Mazinah at birth, had mistakenly been allowed to change her name to a male one on her identity card, Islamic lawyers said.
A Malaysian court has annulled the marriage of a Muslim couple after ruling that both were women even though they lived together as husband and wife, a lawyer said Tuesday.
An Islamic Shariah court in southern Malacca state ruled that Mohamad Sofian Mohamad and Zaiton Aziz, both in their early 40s, would have to separate because doctors found that the husband, who sports short-cropped hair and dresses as a man, had female sexual organs, said Mohamad Mokhtar Karim, a lawyer for the state.
"From the examination results, he's entirely a woman," Mohamad Mokhtar told The Associated Press. "Mohamad Sofian was born a woman. He dresses like a man, but if you look at him, personally, I think, he looks like a woman. He has got breasts and everything."
The lawyer said Mohamad Sofian, originally given the female name Mazinah Mohamad after birth, had mistakenly been allowed to change her name to a male one on her identity card.
Same-sex marriages are neither allowed under Shariah law, which governs civil matters for all Muslims, nor recognized by Malaysia's secular laws, which apply to ethnic Indians, Chinese and other non-Muslims, who make up 40 percent of the country's 27 million people.
Mohamad Mokhtar said the question of whether the two women were lesbians was not raised in court and was "speculation."
The couple married in a mosque in Malacca in 2002, but the state's Register of Marriage filed a lawsuit against the couple following complaints by the bride's family that the groom was a woman, Mohamad Mokhtar said.
In 2005, the Malaysian government declared a same-sex marriage between an ethnic Chinese transwoman -- still legally a man -- and her male partner invalid. (AP)
Showing posts with label Asia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Asia. Show all posts
May 13, 2011
Politician sets an example
I originally posted this on June 10th, 2007.
Japan's first openly lesbian politician celebrated her same-sex partnership on Sunday, a month before elections for Japan's upper house.
Kanako Otsuji, 32, is a candidate for the Democratic Party of Japan in next month’s election for the House of Councillors. She tied the knot with her partner of four years, Maki Kimura, 32.
Their wedding took place in Ikeda Park in Nagoya, the country’s third largest city, during an HIV/AIDS prevention festival called Nagoya Lesbian & Gay Revolution. Some 1,000 guests attended the wedding.
The leader of the Democratic Party of Japan, Ichiro Ozawa, the Secretary General of the Party, Yukio Hatoyama, and Fusae Ota, the Governor of Osaka all sent congratulatory telegrams to Miss Otsuji.
Miss Otsuji said in her wedding speech that the wedding would be the most unforgettable memory of her life.
After the wedding, Miss Otsuji told GayJapanNews: “Gays and lesbians are hiding themselves in society to protect themselves. I want people to know that gays and lesbians exist in society by looking at us.”
The couple's union is not legally recognised as Japan does not have same-sex marriage or civil partnerships.
The election for the Upper House is scheduled for 22 July. Miss Otsuji said that she and Miss Kimura would have to concentrate on the election for the coming month.
She added she wanted to create a society where people live differently but can live together, and she would begin to think about her life with Maki after the election.
Only four countries allow same-sex marriage; the Netherlands, Canada, Spain, Belgium, and South Africa. The state of Massachusetts in the US also allows same-sex marriage.
Japan's first openly lesbian politician celebrated her same-sex partnership on Sunday, a month before elections for Japan's upper house.
Kanako Otsuji, 32, is a candidate for the Democratic Party of Japan in next month’s election for the House of Councillors. She tied the knot with her partner of four years, Maki Kimura, 32.
Their wedding took place in Ikeda Park in Nagoya, the country’s third largest city, during an HIV/AIDS prevention festival called Nagoya Lesbian & Gay Revolution. Some 1,000 guests attended the wedding.
The leader of the Democratic Party of Japan, Ichiro Ozawa, the Secretary General of the Party, Yukio Hatoyama, and Fusae Ota, the Governor of Osaka all sent congratulatory telegrams to Miss Otsuji.
Miss Otsuji said in her wedding speech that the wedding would be the most unforgettable memory of her life.
After the wedding, Miss Otsuji told GayJapanNews: “Gays and lesbians are hiding themselves in society to protect themselves. I want people to know that gays and lesbians exist in society by looking at us.”
The couple's union is not legally recognised as Japan does not have same-sex marriage or civil partnerships.
The election for the Upper House is scheduled for 22 July. Miss Otsuji said that she and Miss Kimura would have to concentrate on the election for the coming month.
She added she wanted to create a society where people live differently but can live together, and she would begin to think about her life with Maki after the election.
Only four countries allow same-sex marriage; the Netherlands, Canada, Spain, Belgium, and South Africa. The state of Massachusetts in the US also allows same-sex marriage.
A first in Japan
This was originally posted on May 23, 2007.
Japan’s second largest political party, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), announced that Kanako Otsuji, the first openly lesbian politician in Japan, will be one of the party’s official candidates for this summer’s National Diet (parliament) election.
Ms Otsuji, 32, was elected as an Osaka Assembly Member in April 2003. In August 2005, she came out of the closet in her book Coming Out and marched in the Tokyo Pride Parade (formerly known as Tokyo Lesbian & Gay Parade) along with about 2,500 people.
In her book, Ms Otsuji said:
"I believe coming out (as a lesbian) is the best thing that I can do for society to encourage people...
I want to establish a society where everybody can be who they really are."
In May 2006 she worked with the organisers of Tokyo Pride, the Rainbow March In Sapporo and GayJapanNews for Act Against Homophobia.
The following month, she visited Washington D.C. and San Francisco through the International Visitor Leadership Programme operated by the US State Department.
Ms Otsuji has a good record of fighting for gay rights in Japan.
The major political parties in the country, including the DPJ, are reluctant to directly support gay rights, preferring instead to concentrate on wider discrimination issues.
Homosexual male sexual conduct is not illegal, but some regions (prefectures) have an unequal age of consent. The age for heterosexual consent is 13.
In October 2005, Osaka Prefecture started the House Sharing System which allows gay couples and other forms of couples that are not legally recognised as family to live in residences managed and operated by Osaka Housing Supply Corporation.
In 2005 and early 2007, Ms Otsuji submitted two statements about people with Gender Identity Disorder in cooperation with the New Komeito Party and other groups.
These statements were adopted by the Osaka Assembly.
Ms Otsuji didn't run in April’s local election because she had already decided to run for the upcoming national election.
In the local election, one gay and three transgender candidates campaigned, but only one transgender candidate, Aya Kamikawa, was re-elected to her second term. Ms Otsuji says she thinks that she has to bring LGBT people’s voices to the National Diet and has made it her goal to seek a seat for that end.
DPJ leaders said they decided to endorse Ms Otsuji as an official party candidate to "bring society’s attention to the discriminated people."
If she wins, she’ll be the first openly LGBT national politician ever in Japan.
© GayJapanNews
Japan’s second largest political party, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), announced that Kanako Otsuji, the first openly lesbian politician in Japan, will be one of the party’s official candidates for this summer’s National Diet (parliament) election.
Ms Otsuji, 32, was elected as an Osaka Assembly Member in April 2003. In August 2005, she came out of the closet in her book Coming Out and marched in the Tokyo Pride Parade (formerly known as Tokyo Lesbian & Gay Parade) along with about 2,500 people.
In her book, Ms Otsuji said:
"I believe coming out (as a lesbian) is the best thing that I can do for society to encourage people...
I want to establish a society where everybody can be who they really are."
In May 2006 she worked with the organisers of Tokyo Pride, the Rainbow March In Sapporo and GayJapanNews for Act Against Homophobia.
The following month, she visited Washington D.C. and San Francisco through the International Visitor Leadership Programme operated by the US State Department.
Ms Otsuji has a good record of fighting for gay rights in Japan.
The major political parties in the country, including the DPJ, are reluctant to directly support gay rights, preferring instead to concentrate on wider discrimination issues.
Homosexual male sexual conduct is not illegal, but some regions (prefectures) have an unequal age of consent. The age for heterosexual consent is 13.
In October 2005, Osaka Prefecture started the House Sharing System which allows gay couples and other forms of couples that are not legally recognised as family to live in residences managed and operated by Osaka Housing Supply Corporation.
In 2005 and early 2007, Ms Otsuji submitted two statements about people with Gender Identity Disorder in cooperation with the New Komeito Party and other groups.
These statements were adopted by the Osaka Assembly.
Ms Otsuji didn't run in April’s local election because she had already decided to run for the upcoming national election.
In the local election, one gay and three transgender candidates campaigned, but only one transgender candidate, Aya Kamikawa, was re-elected to her second term. Ms Otsuji says she thinks that she has to bring LGBT people’s voices to the National Diet and has made it her goal to seek a seat for that end.
DPJ leaders said they decided to endorse Ms Otsuji as an official party candidate to "bring society’s attention to the discriminated people."
If she wins, she’ll be the first openly LGBT national politician ever in Japan.
© GayJapanNews
May 10, 2011
Part 2: ... and it's back to my ordinary life
I originally posted this on March 17th, 2007.
Another night of jetlag makes sure I manage to get 3.5 hours of sleep, before I wake up at 06:30 *groan* (some tour guide’s picking me up at 07:10), but I tell myself that today’s the last tour. Once I step into the bus, it appears I’m the second pick up. There are several more – a bunch of US Navy people (serving on the SS Ronald Reagan) rounding it off. One of the women sort of reminded me of Tasha of the L-word (season 4)…
At the ferry terminal we all get tickets to assigned seats at the ferry. Macau, like Hong Kong, is a semi-independent province, and roughly lies 65-70 km west of Hong Kong (“attached” to mainland China). And until recently Macau was ruled by the Portugese. Oh, by the way: there will be festivities on July 1st to commemorate the handover of Hong Kong by the British to China.
It takes an hour to get to Macau by jet ferry. When its engines were start up it was convinced the whole thing would take off from the ground in a matter of moments ;p
The tour guide’s a cheeky man – his english is limited compared to the one who showed Lantau Island, but his sense of humor more than makes up for it. I learn that Macau’s really small: just 27 km2 and it currently has 25 casinos. (Yes, it’s the Atlantic City or Las Vegas of China. And a couple of new ones are being built as we speak!) There’s a group of assorted Australians and a few of the older women (two of ‘em retired) took a liking to me, joking with me and all :)
The tour starts at the Macau museum: History 101, people. It’s small, but interesting. Then it’s on to St. Paul’s church. Or: what’s left of it after a huge fire destroyed everything but the front facade. It’s currently being rebuilt. Right next to the church is a little temple; the Chinese do not have laws prohibiting any religion. Another interesting thing is that the Jezuits built the fort to keep the Dutch at bay (not really my ancestors, since I’m Dutch by birth and not by blood – the Dutch also invaded Indonesia).
Then it was time for lunch at the restaurant of some casino (no surprise there). The food’s good! I have fried rice, rice noodles, lots of fresh veggies, some chicken and several slices of watermelon to “fill up the holes”. The guide allows us some time to wander off (preferably to go and play at some casino), before going to Macau Tower. I walk around, wishing I could go back to the ancient heart of Macau with its narrow cobble stoned streets. It has a Mediteranean vibe. Walking back isn’t really an option: it’s on the other side of the Island, and I don’t have that much time. I suddenly see an almost perfect replica of some Dutch merchant houses, the kind you see in Amsterdam! Needless to say I took a couple of pictures of those :)
I didn’t go up CN Tower in Toronto, but I go up to the observatory level of Macau Tower – bracing myself. Once I step off the elevator and walk to the 360 windows, I notice the gentle swaying of he tower. I make myself look down throught the plexiglass floor (or whatever material it’s made of). The first few seconds I feel a little nauseous looking down, but it passes as I concentrate on taking pictures. And soon I feel confident enough to stand up (I actually sat down on some steps) and walk around. A Fillipino woman, visiting with her husband, has it really bad. I tell her not to worry, that I’m scared of heights too, and that the swaying of the tower is a good thing. It’s the moment it stops swaying you have to worry about, I assure her.
I watch two girls bungee jump from the tower (!) and the retired Australian ladies are trying to get me to jump, too, thinking it’s totally up my alley. It’s so totally not! (I kept looking out for any male daredevils… But they were nowhere to be seen.)
I bought small presents for my mom and my brother (they’ll be getting them for Christmas) and two boxes of almond cookies – I know they’ll remind my mom of Indonesia.
***
I skip breakfast the next morning in favor of sleeping in. I do pop another Benadryl to help combat the rash in my neck and face. (I sleep for another three hours, solid.) When I get out in search of late brunch slash lunch I enjoy the sun – the first rays of sun I have since arriving here. This is exactly what my skin needs in order to make the eczema go away. I notice that now the sun’s shining it’s also stifling: humidity in the air is 85%, so there you go.
I pick up the pictures and I’m pleasantly surprised: several of time turned out really well. I decide to have lunch at “Light Vegetarian Restaurant” on 13 Jordan Road, Kowloon (my hotel’s around the corner), but the moment I step into the place and see it’s packed I change my mind. But then I opt for take out… Apparently, a few Buddhist monks frequent this, too, so I figure it can’t be bad. The fried rice with sweet corn is good – not the best I’ve ever had, but really tasty.
Then it’s on to Pacific Coffee Company (it’s similar to Canada’s Second Cup or Starbucks) where they have internet terminals. They only thing one has to do is buy a beverage and/or a snack and you’re free to internet. A Candian couple from Calgary ask if I can spare a few minutes; they’re expecting an E-mail from their daughter. I understand that that’s important and let them have a moment at the terminal…
Later on I walk towards Mody Road near the harbor; during one of the drop offs at the end of a tour I noticed that there are lots of shops there. I really need a new pair of shoes (the soles of the pair I’m wearing now have worn thin, and it’s really a matter of walking another couple of miles before holes appear). And some clothes (so the ones with holes can be chucked away). Since I’m not a shopaholic myself I find myself switching modes, psychologically steeling myself against the drag that comes with shopping.
However, I’m very fortunate: the first shop I walk into (the sports brand with the three stripes – “Walk this way”) has a cute pair of skateboarder’s sneakers on sale. It’s the last pair and it happens to be my size, so I bought them. Woo-hoo! That was easy :) After that I had a look at the HMV, just to see the avarage price for a CD: about €10,- which is pretty much like in Canada and the US (= cheaper than in the Netherlands!).
On my way back to the hotel I decide to pick up some bread rolls at Yamazaki Bakery. It’s a Japanese chain that sells sweet and savory bread rolls and sandwiches. Pick up a tray and tongs at the entrance and you’re set to go. I picked up a French Garlic bread roll, a cheese bun and a chocolate and almond roll (€1,50 / $2). And back at the hotel I finish the last of my fried rice with the French Garlic bread. Yummm…
***
The next days I basically wander through the streets of Kowloon and Mong Kok, watching people, eating good food… And buying stuff.
I visit Yoshinoya again for another quick and tasty meal, before continuing my way north to Mong Kok. Fa Yuen Street is also called “sneaker street” and sneakers I did see! OMG… Unfortunately, I wasn’t as lucky as the night before. So after 2 hours of sneakers shopping I decide to head back to Kowloon. Walking back I notice some shops that appeal to me, and before I know it I walk back to the hotel with a bag of new clothes *LOL* I drop the bag off at the hotel freshen up and head out again. I walk south on Nathan Road, back towards the harbor, and decide to hop into some shops for more clothes. And about 2 hours later I sit down at The Spaghetti House (another chain) for dinner – with a couple of bags with clothes in tow. Dinner’s very yummie: “angel hair” spaghetti with two kinds of mushrooms, grilled green peppers and sun dried tomatoes.
I have another 2 rolls of film developed and, again, a couple of the photographs turned out just wonderful! I also have dinner at Main St. Deli, a restaurant in the sub basement of the Langham hotel. It serves delicious looking kosher food (Nuke!) and I consider coming back for a bagel. At that moment I decide to have a hamburger, no cheese. The dish came with non greasy French fries and super crispy onion rings. The hamburger and the fries were lovely, but, unfortunately, the onion rings weren’t tasty at all. Despite the crispy outside, the rings themselves were incredibly bland. I didn’t like those at all :( Since Main St. Deli is located in a more touristy area, prices are acordingly: €25,- (which is about $29,- I guess). Btw, by touristy area I mean the area near the harbor where all the big hotels (Marriott, Hilton, Holiday Inn etc.) and the expensive shops with the exclusive brand names (Fendi, Gucci, Versace, Louis Vuitton etc) are. In the end spent about €400,- and got 3 pairs of (baggy) pants, a pair of jeans and 7 (T-)shirts, a sleeveless vest and 2 pairs of sneakers :) It all barely fits in my backpack – there was plenty of room when I left home… I am a bit taken aback; "at home" I have trouble finding clothes that fit me, which makes shopping a nasty task.
***
The last day in Hong Kong I go in search of an internet terminal, so I can do the online check in in advance (I figure that’ll save me some time when I check in at the Airport). Since the post office is nearest by the hotel I go there. Only to find out it’s offline. Shucks. I hop into another Yoshinoya for a “beef bowl” (the beef is incredibly tender) before walking south to the Pacific Coffee Company. I enjoy being outside even more: the sun is shining, and it’s lovely out. I’ve been passing several hair dressers the past days and since it’s nice and warm outside I decide to treat myself to a haircut – mind you, I wouldn’t set foot in a “caucasian” hairdressers salon: I’ve done that a couple of time, but the results somehow have never been well. I get my hair washed (second time that day), conditioned and a heavenly scalp massage. All before the actual hair cut. A good looking young man, who barely speaks English, cuts my hair. We communicate using our hands *lol* I get another quick wash before he blow dries my hair, and sculps it into something… Sophisticated. OMG! I ask him if he could change it into something more spunky, gesturing him what I want. He laughs – I probably embarrass him a bit by asking him for a non-conventional hairdo – but complies. He even briefly molds it into some kind of Beckham faux hawk, which we both have a good laugh over. After paying my €7,- I leave the place contently.
Then it’s on to Pacific Coffee Company. It’s pretty packed and I have to wait a while till I get my turn at an internet terminal. I check my E-mail for the third and last time in Hong Kong and do an online check in, reserving a seat on the plane. I’m disappointed to find out that all the window seats were already taken, so I settle for an isle seat. I’m pleasantly surprised when I read an E-mail of a bass player I know who’s invited me to jam with her band :) Also, a Finnish friend of mine (“lumi”) wants to come and visit the Netherlands a couple of days before Queen’s Day.
After that I head for Kowloon Park for a few hours of relaxation – my last few hours in this vibrant place. The park definitely makes a great getaway from the hustle and bustle of Kowloon’s busy streets.
I check out in time, and wait in the lobby for my 20:10 airport transfer. One that never arrives. To make a long story short: I manage to get another ride to the Airport with the help of the young lady at reception and the bell boy. The latter makes sure I get on the right taxi (yes; TourAsia arranged a taxi to the airport) and tells me not to worry about the fare; it will be paid for me. (He also hands me a note with a name and cell phone number – just in case.) A cute Chinese girl is waiting for me at the airport and helps me to the right terminal. She, too, thinks I’m an American *gasp* (It’s probably my accent. Although, some Americans think I’m Canadian *lol* ). She’s then off again to help other tourists.
The flight back took a grueling 13 hours - I managed to sleep 3 hours. I watched another episode of "Lilo & Stitch" (tee-hee), "Running with Scissors", "Casino Royale" and episodes of "Missing", "CSI" and "CSI: Miami"...
Hong Kong is a wonderful place to be: friendly people and good food, and absolute heaven to shopaholics. It’s also known as a very safe place to be – single women can walk around at all hours of the day without being harrassed. Especially when one blends in like I do ;p
Another night of jetlag makes sure I manage to get 3.5 hours of sleep, before I wake up at 06:30 *groan* (some tour guide’s picking me up at 07:10), but I tell myself that today’s the last tour. Once I step into the bus, it appears I’m the second pick up. There are several more – a bunch of US Navy people (serving on the SS Ronald Reagan) rounding it off. One of the women sort of reminded me of Tasha of the L-word (season 4)…
At the ferry terminal we all get tickets to assigned seats at the ferry. Macau, like Hong Kong, is a semi-independent province, and roughly lies 65-70 km west of Hong Kong (“attached” to mainland China). And until recently Macau was ruled by the Portugese. Oh, by the way: there will be festivities on July 1st to commemorate the handover of Hong Kong by the British to China.It takes an hour to get to Macau by jet ferry. When its engines were start up it was convinced the whole thing would take off from the ground in a matter of moments ;p
The tour guide’s a cheeky man – his english is limited compared to the one who showed Lantau Island, but his sense of humor more than makes up for it. I learn that Macau’s really small: just 27 km2 and it currently has 25 casinos. (Yes, it’s the Atlantic City or Las Vegas of China. And a couple of new ones are being built as we speak!) There’s a group of assorted Australians and a few of the older women (two of ‘em retired) took a liking to me, joking with me and all :)
The tour starts at the Macau museum: History 101, people. It’s small, but interesting. Then it’s on to St. Paul’s church. Or: what’s left of it after a huge fire destroyed everything but the front facade. It’s currently being rebuilt. Right next to the church is a little temple; the Chinese do not have laws prohibiting any religion. Another interesting thing is that the Jezuits built the fort to keep the Dutch at bay (not really my ancestors, since I’m Dutch by birth and not by blood – the Dutch also invaded Indonesia).
Then it was time for lunch at the restaurant of some casino (no surprise there). The food’s good! I have fried rice, rice noodles, lots of fresh veggies, some chicken and several slices of watermelon to “fill up the holes”. The guide allows us some time to wander off (preferably to go and play at some casino), before going to Macau Tower. I walk around, wishing I could go back to the ancient heart of Macau with its narrow cobble stoned streets. It has a Mediteranean vibe. Walking back isn’t really an option: it’s on the other side of the Island, and I don’t have that much time. I suddenly see an almost perfect replica of some Dutch merchant houses, the kind you see in Amsterdam! Needless to say I took a couple of pictures of those :)
I didn’t go up CN Tower in Toronto, but I go up to the observatory level of Macau Tower – bracing myself. Once I step off the elevator and walk to the 360 windows, I notice the gentle swaying of he tower. I make myself look down throught the plexiglass floor (or whatever material it’s made of). The first few seconds I feel a little nauseous looking down, but it passes as I concentrate on taking pictures. And soon I feel confident enough to stand up (I actually sat down on some steps) and walk around. A Fillipino woman, visiting with her husband, has it really bad. I tell her not to worry, that I’m scared of heights too, and that the swaying of the tower is a good thing. It’s the moment it stops swaying you have to worry about, I assure her.I watch two girls bungee jump from the tower (!) and the retired Australian ladies are trying to get me to jump, too, thinking it’s totally up my alley. It’s so totally not! (I kept looking out for any male daredevils… But they were nowhere to be seen.)
I bought small presents for my mom and my brother (they’ll be getting them for Christmas) and two boxes of almond cookies – I know they’ll remind my mom of Indonesia.
***
I skip breakfast the next morning in favor of sleeping in. I do pop another Benadryl to help combat the rash in my neck and face. (I sleep for another three hours, solid.) When I get out in search of late brunch slash lunch I enjoy the sun – the first rays of sun I have since arriving here. This is exactly what my skin needs in order to make the eczema go away. I notice that now the sun’s shining it’s also stifling: humidity in the air is 85%, so there you go.
I pick up the pictures and I’m pleasantly surprised: several of time turned out really well. I decide to have lunch at “Light Vegetarian Restaurant” on 13 Jordan Road, Kowloon (my hotel’s around the corner), but the moment I step into the place and see it’s packed I change my mind. But then I opt for take out… Apparently, a few Buddhist monks frequent this, too, so I figure it can’t be bad. The fried rice with sweet corn is good – not the best I’ve ever had, but really tasty.Then it’s on to Pacific Coffee Company (it’s similar to Canada’s Second Cup or Starbucks) where they have internet terminals. They only thing one has to do is buy a beverage and/or a snack and you’re free to internet. A Candian couple from Calgary ask if I can spare a few minutes; they’re expecting an E-mail from their daughter. I understand that that’s important and let them have a moment at the terminal…
Later on I walk towards Mody Road near the harbor; during one of the drop offs at the end of a tour I noticed that there are lots of shops there. I really need a new pair of shoes (the soles of the pair I’m wearing now have worn thin, and it’s really a matter of walking another couple of miles before holes appear). And some clothes (so the ones with holes can be chucked away). Since I’m not a shopaholic myself I find myself switching modes, psychologically steeling myself against the drag that comes with shopping.
However, I’m very fortunate: the first shop I walk into (the sports brand with the three stripes – “Walk this way”) has a cute pair of skateboarder’s sneakers on sale. It’s the last pair and it happens to be my size, so I bought them. Woo-hoo! That was easy :) After that I had a look at the HMV, just to see the avarage price for a CD: about €10,- which is pretty much like in Canada and the US (= cheaper than in the Netherlands!).
On my way back to the hotel I decide to pick up some bread rolls at Yamazaki Bakery. It’s a Japanese chain that sells sweet and savory bread rolls and sandwiches. Pick up a tray and tongs at the entrance and you’re set to go. I picked up a French Garlic bread roll, a cheese bun and a chocolate and almond roll (€1,50 / $2). And back at the hotel I finish the last of my fried rice with the French Garlic bread. Yummm…
***
The next days I basically wander through the streets of Kowloon and Mong Kok, watching people, eating good food… And buying stuff.
I visit Yoshinoya again for another quick and tasty meal, before continuing my way north to Mong Kok. Fa Yuen Street is also called “sneaker street” and sneakers I did see! OMG… Unfortunately, I wasn’t as lucky as the night before. So after 2 hours of sneakers shopping I decide to head back to Kowloon. Walking back I notice some shops that appeal to me, and before I know it I walk back to the hotel with a bag of new clothes *LOL* I drop the bag off at the hotel freshen up and head out again. I walk south on Nathan Road, back towards the harbor, and decide to hop into some shops for more clothes. And about 2 hours later I sit down at The Spaghetti House (another chain) for dinner – with a couple of bags with clothes in tow. Dinner’s very yummie: “angel hair” spaghetti with two kinds of mushrooms, grilled green peppers and sun dried tomatoes.
I have another 2 rolls of film developed and, again, a couple of the photographs turned out just wonderful! I also have dinner at Main St. Deli, a restaurant in the sub basement of the Langham hotel. It serves delicious looking kosher food (Nuke!) and I consider coming back for a bagel. At that moment I decide to have a hamburger, no cheese. The dish came with non greasy French fries and super crispy onion rings. The hamburger and the fries were lovely, but, unfortunately, the onion rings weren’t tasty at all. Despite the crispy outside, the rings themselves were incredibly bland. I didn’t like those at all :( Since Main St. Deli is located in a more touristy area, prices are acordingly: €25,- (which is about $29,- I guess). Btw, by touristy area I mean the area near the harbor where all the big hotels (Marriott, Hilton, Holiday Inn etc.) and the expensive shops with the exclusive brand names (Fendi, Gucci, Versace, Louis Vuitton etc) are. In the end spent about €400,- and got 3 pairs of (baggy) pants, a pair of jeans and 7 (T-)shirts, a sleeveless vest and 2 pairs of sneakers :) It all barely fits in my backpack – there was plenty of room when I left home… I am a bit taken aback; "at home" I have trouble finding clothes that fit me, which makes shopping a nasty task.
***
The last day in Hong Kong I go in search of an internet terminal, so I can do the online check in in advance (I figure that’ll save me some time when I check in at the Airport). Since the post office is nearest by the hotel I go there. Only to find out it’s offline. Shucks. I hop into another Yoshinoya for a “beef bowl” (the beef is incredibly tender) before walking south to the Pacific Coffee Company. I enjoy being outside even more: the sun is shining, and it’s lovely out. I’ve been passing several hair dressers the past days and since it’s nice and warm outside I decide to treat myself to a haircut – mind you, I wouldn’t set foot in a “caucasian” hairdressers salon: I’ve done that a couple of time, but the results somehow have never been well. I get my hair washed (second time that day), conditioned and a heavenly scalp massage. All before the actual hair cut. A good looking young man, who barely speaks English, cuts my hair. We communicate using our hands *lol* I get another quick wash before he blow dries my hair, and sculps it into something… Sophisticated. OMG! I ask him if he could change it into something more spunky, gesturing him what I want. He laughs – I probably embarrass him a bit by asking him for a non-conventional hairdo – but complies. He even briefly molds it into some kind of Beckham faux hawk, which we both have a good laugh over. After paying my €7,- I leave the place contently.
Then it’s on to Pacific Coffee Company. It’s pretty packed and I have to wait a while till I get my turn at an internet terminal. I check my E-mail for the third and last time in Hong Kong and do an online check in, reserving a seat on the plane. I’m disappointed to find out that all the window seats were already taken, so I settle for an isle seat. I’m pleasantly surprised when I read an E-mail of a bass player I know who’s invited me to jam with her band :) Also, a Finnish friend of mine (“lumi”) wants to come and visit the Netherlands a couple of days before Queen’s Day.
After that I head for Kowloon Park for a few hours of relaxation – my last few hours in this vibrant place. The park definitely makes a great getaway from the hustle and bustle of Kowloon’s busy streets.
I check out in time, and wait in the lobby for my 20:10 airport transfer. One that never arrives. To make a long story short: I manage to get another ride to the Airport with the help of the young lady at reception and the bell boy. The latter makes sure I get on the right taxi (yes; TourAsia arranged a taxi to the airport) and tells me not to worry about the fare; it will be paid for me. (He also hands me a note with a name and cell phone number – just in case.) A cute Chinese girl is waiting for me at the airport and helps me to the right terminal. She, too, thinks I’m an American *gasp* (It’s probably my accent. Although, some Americans think I’m Canadian *lol* ). She’s then off again to help other tourists.
The flight back took a grueling 13 hours - I managed to sleep 3 hours. I watched another episode of "Lilo & Stitch" (tee-hee), "Running with Scissors", "Casino Royale" and episodes of "Missing", "CSI" and "CSI: Miami"...
Hong Kong is a wonderful place to be: friendly people and good food, and absolute heaven to shopaholics. It’s also known as a very safe place to be – single women can walk around at all hours of the day without being harrassed. Especially when one blends in like I do ;p
Part 1: Hong Kong - a place to be
I originally posted this on March 15, 2007.
The flight to Hong Kong takes a little over 11 hours * groan * and I do not look forward to that. Unlike the others in the plane, I don’t manage to get some shut eye before breakfast and landing in Hong Kong the next day (they’re 7 hours ahead of CET – Central European Time). I have to say I like flying with Cathay Pacific; the food is very good. I watch a "Lilo & Stitch" episode, "Flushed away", "Alien" and a snippet of "Marie Antoinette" (didn’t like the movie much, from what I saw, but it has a killer soundtrack).
I arranged a transfer to the hotel when I booked this trip. However, after waiting for almost an hour I don’t see anyone with a sign that carries my name. I ask a few people who do carry signs where I can arrange transport to Mayfair Garden, my hotel in Kowloon, Hong Kong. An older gentleman directs me to a counter with a large "Vigor" sign. And from there on things go smoother. I show the lady behind the counter my voucher and she arranges a ride – free of (additional) charges.
I think it was a 50-minute ride to the hotel (without heavy traffic). Lots of BMWs and SUVs, and the buildings look worn out on the outside. In the bus the air con was on full blast, so even though I noticed the higher temperatures when I got off the plane earlier that morning, and was sweating when I kept an eye out for my ride to the hotel, I was glad I wore one of my heavier hooded sweaters.
I had already noticed a wonderful landscape with sea, islands and mountains as the plane landed on Lantau Island – so vastly different from that Dutch flat one.
Because I was early, I had to wait an hour before I was assigned a room and could actually dump my stuff. The young woman at the counter (the bell boy as well) was very helpful and called TourAsia, a local touroperator, to go through my transfer back to the airport. Even though people in Hong Kong speak English very well, I sometimes had trouble understanding them; their pronunciation of words and names sometimes differ from how Brits would pronounce it. For example: my hotel, the Mayfair Garden, was pronounced as "Mayfay".
Since I hadn’t booked any tours (I’d brought a Lonely Planet and Time Out guide to Hong Kong) the person from TourAsia asked if I was interested in a tour. Since it was my first time he recommended me the Hong Kong Island tour. I agreed on doing that tour in the afternoon of the next day. He said he’d send someone to the hotel later to hand me a voucher to the tour, and so I could pay for it.
That someone turned out to be Damian, who to my surprise, spoke almost flawlessly Dutch! Turn out he’s lived in the Netherlands for quite a while (enrolled in elementary school, and studied at a Dutch university), but worked as a guide for Gray Line Tours for two years now. He recommended me things to visit and see (I ended up booking two additional tours; one to Lantau Island - where the giant Buddha resides - and one to Macau). He gave me his phone number and told me to call him if I had any questions or if anything came up. Wow, I never got a guy’s phone number that quick and that easy ;p
I finally set foot in my room around 11 a.m. and without further ado I crawl into bed for a few hours of much needed sleep. I intended to wake around 1 p.m. but wake up (refreshed) a little before 3! Oops… I get up, take a shower and go out to venture the neighborhood I’m staying in.
I quickly find out there’s a 7-Eleven on virtually every street corner, which is very… Convenient. Bustling streets, familiar and unfamiliar smells of food and other things, and loads of people. My tummy’s rumbling, so I decide to go look for a place to eat. And with a vast array of choices, it takes me a little while to settle on something: after walking around for over an hour I decide to eat at a little hole-in-the-wall place, near my hotel on Jordan Street. I have beef satay and rice. It’s cheap (about €3,- / $4,-) and very tasty: the veal is so tender it seems to almost melt on one’s tongue, the green peppers are crunchy.
After my meal, I head for the Avenue of Stars near the harbor: every night at 8 p.m. there’s a free laser and light show. (This show is mentioned in the Guinness book of records!) Due to road works I have some trouble finding the Avenue, so I end up using an extra half an hour to get there.
FYI: Avenue of Stars is Hong Kong’s version of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and besides a statue of Bruce Lee, it also has hand prints of Jet Li (tiny hands!), Michelle Yeoh, Yun-Fat Chow – and many others.
There’s a light drizzle and a chilly wind. And it’s foggy. Despite all this I’m looking forward to the show, and I happily snap pictures to kill time.
The 15-minute show wasn’t as spectaculair as I hoped it would be (I blame the fog), but it’s nice entertainment. I do recommend it, though!
There are loads of first impressions at the end of my first day in Hong Kong: the majority reminds me of mainland China (Beijing) and even Indonesia. There’s more racial diversity here than in Beijing: I’ve seen Indians (from India), Indonesians, Brits (locals as well), Americans, Germans, French… And I’m constantly addressed to in Cantonese! I admit I blend in perfectly, but I don’t think I look Chinese.
I’m plagued by jetlag my first night here. I wake up every now and then and around 3 a.m. I am really hungry and wide awake. I decide to ask for a supermarket nearby to stock on fruit and bread in the morning – in case I wake up with a rumbling tummy again the next nights. Also, I wish I’d brought my laptop with me: I have WiFi in my room!
***
The tour of Hong Kong Island was great. I saw Man Mo Temple (I somehow missed the famous escalators nearby), went to Vistoria Peak by tram (I’m glad I didn’t hike the 3K uphill; it’s very steep – and once up there it was quite chilly), Aberdeen (a fishing village), Stanley Market and Repulse Bay (where there are nets in the water to keep the sharks at bay).
Joelle, our guide is a riot: she says the most hilarious things with a straight face. A British couple – clearly jetlagged – assure her that if they do fall asleep it won’t be because of her. I find myself talking to another British couple, a young Indonesian woman who came to Hong Kong accompanying her husband who’s here for bussiness. And there’s a cute American chica, from a Californian town near the coast (majored in Psychology, with Sociology on the side – she thought I my job’s cool). We actually started a conversation when she noticed we wear the exact same watch… Boy’s watches – heh.
That night I have dinner at Yoshinoya, a Japanese fast food chain (in no way comparable to the fast food served by Mickey D’s or Pizza Hut). I go for the "terriyaki chicken bowl", which is basically a bowl with rice, chicken breast with some kind of soy sauce and veggies (carrot, French beans, brocolli and cauliflower). And a tall Coke. It’s fresh and really tasty, and it costs €2,40 (which is roughly about $3,-).
***
I start International Women’s Day with another breakfast consisting of French Toast and fruit juice. This morning there’s company: some young Chinese guy – who finishes with a helping of rice noodles. I notice he keeps looking at me, and it’s not until a couple of minutes into my breakfast that I know why. He was entering data into his Palm Pilot when he looked up and spoke to me. In Cantonese. He repeated his question, and I replied I don’t speak Chinese. He then repeated his question in broken English: he wanted to know about my T-shirt (I was wearing my Deftones/Dickies logo T-shirt). I told him it’s a band. A music band.
After finishing breakfast I head for the post office, which is about a brisk 5-minute walk away from the hotel (head north on Nathan Road), to mail postcards for a few relatives in Indonesia. Walking out the post office I notice an Internet terminal and I couldn’t resist sending friends and relatives an update, as well as quickly checking my E-mails.
The afternoon tour of Lantau Island was an interesting one. After a (relatively) short bus drive, we went up a mountain by cable car called the Ngong Ping Skyrail 360. Unfortunately, the higher we went the foggier it became. And very cold. After stepping off the cable car the tour guide gave us some time to wander through Ngong Ping village (which basically lies at the feet of the Buddha.) I saw three Buddhist monks (there actually was one female monk, dressed in brown) and I couldn’t resist taking a picture of them. It was fun to watch them talk quietly, but excitedly amongst eachother.
The giant Buddha was also shrouded in fog – which sort of added to its air of… Spirituality. The tour guide told us that this was the kind of weather they usually have in April. Say what?! There’s also a very long stairway leading up to the Buddha. I went down (and up again) in less than 10 minutes – including taking several pictures. (I outwalked a few American girls on my way back up – heh.)
Shek O was once a flourishing fishing village, but now the waters around Hong Kong don’t contain any fish and Hong Kong actually has to import its fish from countries like Malaysia and Indonesia(!) and so Shek O is slowly emptying out. Watching the remains of that once thriving village somehow makes me feel sad.
I have grilled duck for dinner that night at a place called "King’s Taste" on Chatham Road South. I like the stylish design like interior. The grilled duck isn’t half bad either, but I realize I like it crispy. The entire meal costs me about €7,- (which is about $8,50 I think).
I’ve shot 4 rolls of film in a short period of time and I’ve taken them to a photo shop to have them developed. I can’t wait to see how they turn out!
The flight to Hong Kong takes a little over 11 hours * groan * and I do not look forward to that. Unlike the others in the plane, I don’t manage to get some shut eye before breakfast and landing in Hong Kong the next day (they’re 7 hours ahead of CET – Central European Time). I have to say I like flying with Cathay Pacific; the food is very good. I watch a "Lilo & Stitch" episode, "Flushed away", "Alien" and a snippet of "Marie Antoinette" (didn’t like the movie much, from what I saw, but it has a killer soundtrack).
I arranged a transfer to the hotel when I booked this trip. However, after waiting for almost an hour I don’t see anyone with a sign that carries my name. I ask a few people who do carry signs where I can arrange transport to Mayfair Garden, my hotel in Kowloon, Hong Kong. An older gentleman directs me to a counter with a large "Vigor" sign. And from there on things go smoother. I show the lady behind the counter my voucher and she arranges a ride – free of (additional) charges.
I think it was a 50-minute ride to the hotel (without heavy traffic). Lots of BMWs and SUVs, and the buildings look worn out on the outside. In the bus the air con was on full blast, so even though I noticed the higher temperatures when I got off the plane earlier that morning, and was sweating when I kept an eye out for my ride to the hotel, I was glad I wore one of my heavier hooded sweaters.
I had already noticed a wonderful landscape with sea, islands and mountains as the plane landed on Lantau Island – so vastly different from that Dutch flat one. Because I was early, I had to wait an hour before I was assigned a room and could actually dump my stuff. The young woman at the counter (the bell boy as well) was very helpful and called TourAsia, a local touroperator, to go through my transfer back to the airport. Even though people in Hong Kong speak English very well, I sometimes had trouble understanding them; their pronunciation of words and names sometimes differ from how Brits would pronounce it. For example: my hotel, the Mayfair Garden, was pronounced as "Mayfay".
Since I hadn’t booked any tours (I’d brought a Lonely Planet and Time Out guide to Hong Kong) the person from TourAsia asked if I was interested in a tour. Since it was my first time he recommended me the Hong Kong Island tour. I agreed on doing that tour in the afternoon of the next day. He said he’d send someone to the hotel later to hand me a voucher to the tour, and so I could pay for it.
That someone turned out to be Damian, who to my surprise, spoke almost flawlessly Dutch! Turn out he’s lived in the Netherlands for quite a while (enrolled in elementary school, and studied at a Dutch university), but worked as a guide for Gray Line Tours for two years now. He recommended me things to visit and see (I ended up booking two additional tours; one to Lantau Island - where the giant Buddha resides - and one to Macau). He gave me his phone number and told me to call him if I had any questions or if anything came up. Wow, I never got a guy’s phone number that quick and that easy ;p
I finally set foot in my room around 11 a.m. and without further ado I crawl into bed for a few hours of much needed sleep. I intended to wake around 1 p.m. but wake up (refreshed) a little before 3! Oops… I get up, take a shower and go out to venture the neighborhood I’m staying in.
I quickly find out there’s a 7-Eleven on virtually every street corner, which is very… Convenient. Bustling streets, familiar and unfamiliar smells of food and other things, and loads of people. My tummy’s rumbling, so I decide to go look for a place to eat. And with a vast array of choices, it takes me a little while to settle on something: after walking around for over an hour I decide to eat at a little hole-in-the-wall place, near my hotel on Jordan Street. I have beef satay and rice. It’s cheap (about €3,- / $4,-) and very tasty: the veal is so tender it seems to almost melt on one’s tongue, the green peppers are crunchy.
After my meal, I head for the Avenue of Stars near the harbor: every night at 8 p.m. there’s a free laser and light show. (This show is mentioned in the Guinness book of records!) Due to road works I have some trouble finding the Avenue, so I end up using an extra half an hour to get there. FYI: Avenue of Stars is Hong Kong’s version of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and besides a statue of Bruce Lee, it also has hand prints of Jet Li (tiny hands!), Michelle Yeoh, Yun-Fat Chow – and many others.
There’s a light drizzle and a chilly wind. And it’s foggy. Despite all this I’m looking forward to the show, and I happily snap pictures to kill time.
The 15-minute show wasn’t as spectaculair as I hoped it would be (I blame the fog), but it’s nice entertainment. I do recommend it, though!
There are loads of first impressions at the end of my first day in Hong Kong: the majority reminds me of mainland China (Beijing) and even Indonesia. There’s more racial diversity here than in Beijing: I’ve seen Indians (from India), Indonesians, Brits (locals as well), Americans, Germans, French… And I’m constantly addressed to in Cantonese! I admit I blend in perfectly, but I don’t think I look Chinese.
I’m plagued by jetlag my first night here. I wake up every now and then and around 3 a.m. I am really hungry and wide awake. I decide to ask for a supermarket nearby to stock on fruit and bread in the morning – in case I wake up with a rumbling tummy again the next nights. Also, I wish I’d brought my laptop with me: I have WiFi in my room!
***
The tour of Hong Kong Island was great. I saw Man Mo Temple (I somehow missed the famous escalators nearby), went to Vistoria Peak by tram (I’m glad I didn’t hike the 3K uphill; it’s very steep – and once up there it was quite chilly), Aberdeen (a fishing village), Stanley Market and Repulse Bay (where there are nets in the water to keep the sharks at bay). Joelle, our guide is a riot: she says the most hilarious things with a straight face. A British couple – clearly jetlagged – assure her that if they do fall asleep it won’t be because of her. I find myself talking to another British couple, a young Indonesian woman who came to Hong Kong accompanying her husband who’s here for bussiness. And there’s a cute American chica, from a Californian town near the coast (majored in Psychology, with Sociology on the side – she thought I my job’s cool). We actually started a conversation when she noticed we wear the exact same watch… Boy’s watches – heh.
That night I have dinner at Yoshinoya, a Japanese fast food chain (in no way comparable to the fast food served by Mickey D’s or Pizza Hut). I go for the "terriyaki chicken bowl", which is basically a bowl with rice, chicken breast with some kind of soy sauce and veggies (carrot, French beans, brocolli and cauliflower). And a tall Coke. It’s fresh and really tasty, and it costs €2,40 (which is roughly about $3,-).
***
I start International Women’s Day with another breakfast consisting of French Toast and fruit juice. This morning there’s company: some young Chinese guy – who finishes with a helping of rice noodles. I notice he keeps looking at me, and it’s not until a couple of minutes into my breakfast that I know why. He was entering data into his Palm Pilot when he looked up and spoke to me. In Cantonese. He repeated his question, and I replied I don’t speak Chinese. He then repeated his question in broken English: he wanted to know about my T-shirt (I was wearing my Deftones/Dickies logo T-shirt). I told him it’s a band. A music band.
After finishing breakfast I head for the post office, which is about a brisk 5-minute walk away from the hotel (head north on Nathan Road), to mail postcards for a few relatives in Indonesia. Walking out the post office I notice an Internet terminal and I couldn’t resist sending friends and relatives an update, as well as quickly checking my E-mails.
The afternoon tour of Lantau Island was an interesting one. After a (relatively) short bus drive, we went up a mountain by cable car called the Ngong Ping Skyrail 360. Unfortunately, the higher we went the foggier it became. And very cold. After stepping off the cable car the tour guide gave us some time to wander through Ngong Ping village (which basically lies at the feet of the Buddha.) I saw three Buddhist monks (there actually was one female monk, dressed in brown) and I couldn’t resist taking a picture of them. It was fun to watch them talk quietly, but excitedly amongst eachother. The giant Buddha was also shrouded in fog – which sort of added to its air of… Spirituality. The tour guide told us that this was the kind of weather they usually have in April. Say what?! There’s also a very long stairway leading up to the Buddha. I went down (and up again) in less than 10 minutes – including taking several pictures. (I outwalked a few American girls on my way back up – heh.)Shek O was once a flourishing fishing village, but now the waters around Hong Kong don’t contain any fish and Hong Kong actually has to import its fish from countries like Malaysia and Indonesia(!) and so Shek O is slowly emptying out. Watching the remains of that once thriving village somehow makes me feel sad.
I have grilled duck for dinner that night at a place called "King’s Taste" on Chatham Road South. I like the stylish design like interior. The grilled duck isn’t half bad either, but I realize I like it crispy. The entire meal costs me about €7,- (which is about $8,50 I think).
I’ve shot 4 rolls of film in a short period of time and I’ve taken them to a photo shop to have them developed. I can’t wait to see how they turn out!
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.
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.
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