Gays and lesbians will now be protected in Taiwan under the Domestic Violence Prevention Law. “Taiwan Solidarity Union Legislator Kuo Lin-Yung said that homosexuals had long been neglected in a society where heterosexual marriages were dominant. ‘They [homosexuals] have been derided, persecuted and constrained in the past, but now they have begun to speak out, allowing their problems to surface and be known,' he said. ‘Therefore, they must now be equally protected by the law.'” And if you had any doubts about whether or not that Ang Lee film has made any ripples in the world's social fabric, “Two lawmakers cited the movie Brokeback Mountain in arguing for the change.”

If you can believe it, there's been another violent gay bashing on London's Clapham Common. This one took place last Saturday and was reportedly “yards away” from where barman Jody Dobrowski was beaten to death in another attack last October. The new attack follows another incident a week earlier in which a gay couple was jumped as they left the Two Brewers bar in Clapham, leaving one unconscious. Last Saturday's fresh attack left the victim, a 40-year-old man, with a broken leg. Police report that his attacker had also tried to strangle someone the same evening. No arrests have been made yet. Clapham Common, a well-known cruising area, is obviously not the safest place to be after dark.