Gay activists in Asia upbeat about impact of U.S. court ruling

Surprise surprise, Asia is stuck in the past and refuses to modernise, continuing with archiac discrimination, dressed up as 'culture'.

“It’s one step forward for the United States that leaves Hong Kong one further step behind,” said lawyer Michael Vidler.

This applies to the whole of Asia, not just Hong Kong.

Give it a rest. Jamming this down our throats. It's sexual orientation. What's next? Marrying siblings, etc......

Don't forget that the Shibuya district in Tokyo created a "partnership" category for gays, which is a legally recognized partnership in Shibuya district. Gays can rent a room together etc. I'm still waiting for Shinjuku district, where I live with my partner, to provide the same.

Japan could do it. It doesn't suffer from a serious case of religious belief and so doesn't have that barrier to overcome. I'd imagine the younger generation wouldn't have too many objections. Within 5 years?

"Conservative Christianity, which was mainly imported from the U.S." So that's where it came from or was it exported to exploit around the globe.

Any society that marginalizes or even persecutes a segment of its society is by default holding itself back. The less one worries about what doesn't really matter, the more one can deal with those items that do.

Let us respect all while maintaining the harmony in the society and without disturbing the Nature

To me, it's amazing how fast this happened. In 1989, just 25 years ago, only 12% of Americans supported gay marriage. In 2008, California made a constitutional ban on it, Hillary Clinton finally admitted to supporting it in 2013.

Yet today, 60% of Americans polled supported gay marriage. Since 2004, support steadily rose by about 2.5% each year. Interracial marriage took more time to become accepted, abortion polls almost never change.

It's incredible, absolutely incredible this change happened. It's monumental and I'm happy for everyone who's been waiting for this day. Congratulations to all of the newlyweds!

Gay relationships were quite popular and out in the open (featured in literature, Kabuki, ukiyoe) until modernization=western influences. Ironically, now due to western influences, maybe they will be back!

It's incredible, absolutely incredible this change happened. It's monumental.....

You aren't the least bit suspicious?

Give it a rest. Jamming this down our throats. It's sexual orientation. What's next? Marrying siblings, etc......

Possibly

Funny how this article says that Korea imported Christian conservative views, and then they jump clear over to Thailand, yet they bypass Malaysia and Indonesia, majority Muslim countries who look down on homosexuality. Instead of trying to make this about conssrvative Christians and our socalled hangups.

It's predictable Alphaape. Christians are considered bad and Muslims a persecuted class. Therefore the real oppression that homosexuals experience in Muslim countries is ignored and the rather laissez fare attitude that prevails among Christians in the West is considered evil. Somehow this makes sense to Progressives and Left leaning journalists. The overall influence of Christianity in Asia is minimal. The influence of Islam is huge as there are tens of millions of Asian Muslims.

A fair point, Wolfpack

Give it a rest. Jamming this down our throats. It's sexual orientation. What's next? Marrying siblings, etc......

Funny that it is the south where marrying sibling occurs most often and where gay marriage is most strongly opposed, Family incest has a very long history in the bible belt, look at the recent episode with the Dugger family where the brother was molesting his younger four sisters. So no, family marriages and incest come right out of the conservative straight christian culture. Alabama has the highest rates of incest.

The influence of Islam is huge as there are tens of millions of Asian Muslims.

There are tens of millions of Asian Christians as well.

Alphaape was spot on on the fact this article skipped the likes of Malaysia and Indonesia. However, I think we can honestly say religions to differing degrees have stood and still stand in the way of equal rights for homosexuals.

What's immoral is trying to deny people rights that you hold yourself, when giving them that right has absolutely no bearing on your own life whatsoever. That's what's immoral.

It's going to be hard to accept LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people in eastern Asia because the cultural norm there is still a ways from accepting of the LGBT lifestyle. And it's really hard to change the cultural norms there, too.

Same sex marriages should be allowed in Japan. Anyways normal couples are no raising children. Haha

I don't care about same-sex marriage is legal or not, but please keep it to themselves. Do not use the public appearance to misdirect the normal kids. Let me remind you, being gay can be from birth or can be sociological. The latter is worrying.

@harvey pekar "Yet today 60% of Americans polled supported gay marriage...It's incredible, absolutely incredible"

Yes, it's incredible to watch how the USA is becoming a modern day Sodom.

There are tens of millions of Asian Christians as well.

Good for them

@yamashi

As a tolerant human being, I find anti-gay marriage views repugnant, but I'd defend anyone's tight to hold them.

As a Christian, I find attempts to justify such views through the Bible generally ridiculous. Do you actually know where and what kind of place "Sodom" allegedly was? If you genuinely knew, you'd know how completely irrelevant it is to this argument.

lucabrasi, as a Catholic I agree with you. If I remember Sodom was destroyed for being very cruel people not homosexual. It also was at the tip of the Sinai peninsula and was probably destroyed in a cosmic event.

Surveys are not an accurate measurement, because it could be very prejudicial because of who you ask. Much like the anti base issue on Okinawa.

As a Christian, I find attempts to justify such views through the Bible generally ridiculous.

Why?

@ Christopher

Because the Bible preaches tolerance and acceptance. Not nastiness and cruelty : )

@Burning BushJUN. 28, 2015 - 05:29PM JST How about Gay activists in Saudi Arabia?

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Sorry: FYI, Saudi Arabia is not in Asi

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

When I was growing in Japan, I used to say boys; HS create gay and girls HS create lesbian.in my city.

@Lucabrasi: true, but it also stipulates a number of times the conditions of marriage. (I'm sure there's something similar in the Koran.) Love the sinner and hate the sin usually comes to mind.

Gay marriage is being permitted due to a loss of morality in many countries. The ancient Greek and Roman civilizations were destroyed by the total loss of morality. It isn't immoral to ban gay marriage from legal and cultural acceptance. The fight over this issue is far from over. We should expect civil disobedience and increased violence towards gays to ensue, or maybe something even worse. It's going to get very ugly.

It isn't immoral to ban gay marriage from legal and cultural acceptance.

Hopefully thing will not get violent. But much as I feared - possibly as a result of gay marriage legalisation - this will be next to get legalised. Obama said "love is love", right? http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/german-ethics-council-calls-for-incest-between-siblings-to-be-legalised-by-government-9753506.html

Let it stay in America only then that way they all can go marry and live there so my children can continue to follow gods law without question or second guessing.

You must understand that this is US GOVT globalist Agenda to help depoplulate the world by allowing gays to get married and not have children which is fine but what is the definition of marriage? A financial bond of love and commitment with two partners. But there are more shemales in Japan as Celebrity on TV where as no Shemales are in holly wood in the USA. Japan will always copy what the US does but actually the US government dictateswhat Japan does have no sovereignty as Japan is a puppet to the USA so eventually Gay Marriage in Japan will hit the boom!

In Japan its trendy to be a homo.