Gay and Lesbian Content Censored in Asia Oscar Re-Broadcast

Monday I posted a note from a reader that Lance Black's speech and other gay content in Sunday's Academy Awards presentation had been cut from broadcast in India.

Now, the AP reports the censorship took place on a much broader scale:

"The speeches by actor Sean Penn and writer Dustin Lance Black — who won Oscars for their work in 'Milk' — were shown in full during live broadcasts of the Oscars that were screened across Asia on Monday morning. But viewers who caught recorded telecasts in the evening on STAR, an Asian satellite TV service that says it reaches more than 300 million viewers in 53 countries, noticed that the sound was removed whenever both men mentioned 'gay' or 'lesbian.' ... 'As a gay man, I am truly offended,' Pang Khee Teik, a prominent Malaysian arts commentator, wrote in a letter sent out to several media organizations. 'Stop censoring the words that describe who I am.' Pang said the move 'sent a message ... that gays and lesbians are still shameful things to be censored from the public's ears.' Users of Internet forums in Singapore and India also complained about the censored speeches. Jannie Poon, STAR's Hong Kong-based spokeswoman, stressed that the company had no intention of upsetting any viewers, but said it has 'a responsibility to take the sensitivities and guidelines of all our markets into consideration.' Poon said she was not immediately aware that the speeches had been censored, but noted that STAR's preliminary ratings for the Oscar broadcasts indicated 'record-breaking' audiences, especially in India and Taiwan."

Viewers apparently saw Black and Penn speaking, but heard nothing coming from their sets.

Thousands Attend Gay Rights Parade in Taipei

LGBT folks in Taipei, Taiwan, held their sixth gay parade over the weekend.

Australia's The Age reports: "Braving showers on Saturday brought on by Typhoon Jangmi, an estimated 18,000 people - including representatives from gay rights groups in foreign countries - marched through the main streets of Taipei. The marchers displayed a 90-by-4.5-metre rainbow flag - the symbol of the gay rights movement - and waved placards to call for equal rights for gay people. Wang Ping, organiser of the march, which is in its ninth year, said the turn-out was bigger than 2007. 'Last year there were about 15,000. Today there were about 18,000, and I saw some very young people taking part,' she said. 'This shows that more and more homosexuals are daring to stand out and be themselves. But we hope this 'dare to be oneself' can turn into participation in the gay rights movements,' she said."

Last year's parade drew approximately 7,000 people according to reports. In 2006, Taipei's mayor Ma Ying-jeou raised a rainbow flag over city hall for the first time, declaring, "Tolerance is a necessary virtue for any world-class city. Homosexuality is a natural phenomenon that cannot be suppressed away nor spread beyond its natural bounds. Gay rights are a part of human rights. We want Taipei to be a multifaceted city filled with love, peace and tolerance."

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Amherst College students apologize to five Hampshire College students who "were allegedly called names, threatened, spit at and were blocked from leaving the dorm" following a gay party at which they were guests: "Dozens of students gathered outside Valentine Dining Hall at the college yesterday carrying signs that said 'We're Sorry Hampshire' and "I don't want to be 'tolerated.' They also asked passers-by to sign a banner that said 'Please Come Back.'"

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Rod McCullom on HuffPost: John Edwards and Barack Obama make mistake of repeating Republican talking points to attack one of their own. "...something funny happened to Senators Edwards and Obama on their way to Las Vegas. Maybe the high-roller suites have complimentary testosterone and egos on the pillows, or, possibly they bumped into Elvis, who told them, "A little less conversation and a little more action." They lost their mojos. Instead of throwing the hungry audience sound bites that were wrapped in juicy, red meat, the two candidates tossed stale, Republican talking points at frontrunner Hillary Clinton and the audience booed and hissed."

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Gay Parade Draws Thousands in Taiwan

The fifth annual gay parade took place in Taipei, Taiwan over the weekend and organizers reported that ">the number of people participating jumped to 7,000 from last year's 2,000.

The AFP reports: "The parade reached its climax with a rally outside Taipei City Hall, where Taiwanese pop diva A-Mei was recognised as a goodwill ambassador by organisers for her support of the gay community. The singer, who performed some of her hit songs to the cheering crowd, endeared herself to the gay audience when she released a music video depicting a gay wedding scene several years ago. Despite the festive atmosphere, organisers hoped to get some serious messages across to the public."

Taiwan's parliament has been sitting on bills since 2003, one which would forbid discimination based on sexual orientation and another which would allow same-sex marriage and adoption, but little action has been taken. Organizers said they hoped the parade and rally would encourage lawmakers to move on the bills.

Gay rights supporters march in Taipei to demand respect [iht]
Thousands march in Taipei for gay rights [afp]

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Male Missouri high school student crowned Homecoming Queen: "His mother, Mary Ann Zaggy, said her son wanted to surprise his steady girlfriend at the dance tonight when the honor is formally bestowed. 'It's no big deal,' said [Marcel] Coleman, the homecoming king, although he was unsure how the traditional king-queen dance would play out. The school body voted for Zaggy, but he may have upset some students who consider the homecoming court no laughing matter."

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Student car at Macalester College vandalized in hate crime: "A Macalester student's car was 'vandalized with homophobic graffiti and damaged' last Saturday night or Sunday morning, according to a Bulletin Flash sent Tuesday to the Macalester community. The car was parked North of campus, near the corner of Summit Ave. and Fry St. There is no evidence Macalester students were involved in the crime. The Executive Board of Macalester College Student Government (MCSG) called for 'a student response' in a statement sent to students on Wednesday. 'We support every student who is a part of this community, and this will not go overlooked,' the MCSG statement said. 'We are a small community and this will undoubtedly send ripples to every corner of campus.'" Macalester was recently named the most gay-friendly college in the country by The Princeton Review.

Gay rights activists in Taipei demonstrate outside Nicaraguan embassy over country's sodomy laws.