Gay + Lesbian Books for Sale in Bangkok

Written by * cee *Friday, 04 April 2008 12:45

There is a stall at the Book Fair at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center which has Gay + Lesbian books.

Booth M10, Zone C1 (Cyberfish Media)

From now until April 7th.

7 day 'Buddhism and Feminism' course in Chiang Mai

Written by * cee *Tuesday, 01 April 2008 14:01

International Women’s Partnership for Peace and Justice (IWP) announces a 7 day course for women, May 14 – 20, 2008, in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The course, Allies for Social Change: Buddhism and Feminism, will bring together an international community of women to learn and share with one another. The workshop will focus on bringing a Buddhist feminist framework to cultivating inner peace while engaging in social action in our communities and the world.

What will be offered in the course?

• An introduction to Buddhist teachings
• Applying Buddhist and feminist concepts for reflection on personal life experiences and contemporary social issues
• Understanding the intersections of engaged Buddhism and feminism and how each supports the other
• Building peace within through daily mindfulness practices
• Daily meditation and yoga

Who is the course open to?

We welcome women of all ages, cultures, religions, and sexual preferences to join us for the course. We are seeking women who are engaged in social change or are interested in doing so. The course requires participants to be open to sharing, learning, and challenging themselves in a safe and supportive environment. The course will be limited to 20 participants.

What are the intended benefits to women who participate?

• Building a supportive community of women from diverse cultures and regions who have a common commitment to social change.
• A forum for women from the Global South and North to interact with one another with mutual respect and understanding.
• Time and space for personal growth and reflection in a supportive environment
• Time and support to build peace within through daily yoga, meditation, mindfulness practices, and periods of silence
• Simple living in a rural Thai village, healthy, organic food, and peaceful surroundings.

Dates, location and fees:

The course will take place May 14 – 20, 2008 near Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. Participants should plan to arrive in Chiang Mai by 13 May. Accommodation and the workshop are at Ban Than Tip, the training center of IWP, located in a rural Thai village about 40 minutes north of Chiang Mai.

There will be another held on July 20 – 29, 2008.

Course fees: sliding scale of $300-$450 USD for women living in the Global North, and $150-$200 USD for women living in the Global South. Fees cover the 7-day course, including training fees, food, accommodation, and transport from Chiang Mai to the training center.

Contact Ginger Norwood at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it to register and reserve a space in the course.

Norway Moves To Legalize Gay Marriage

Written by * cee *Monday, 17 March 2008 14:14

by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: March 14, 2008 - 11:00 am ET

(Oslo) The Norwegian government on Friday introduced legislation allowing same-sex couples to marry and have joint custody over children.

The country already allows gay and lesbian couples to enter into civil partnerships, but LGBT rights groups have long complained the law does not go far enough and has created two classes of citizenship - one for heterosexuals the other for gays.

The new legislation amends the definition of civil marriage to make it gender neutral.

It also says that when a lesbian who is married to another women becomes pregnant through in vitro the partner will have all the rights of parenthood "from the moment of conception".

The legislation additionally states that in cases of adoption, both partners, gay or lesbian, would have complete joint parenting rights.

Family Issues minister Anniken Huitfeldt in introducing the bill called it "an historic step towards equality."

She also had a message for some members of Parliament who claimed the bill would weaken tradition marriage.

"The new law won't weaken marriage as an institution," Huitfeldt told Parliament. "Rather, it will strengthen it. Marriage won't be worth less because more can take part in it."

Some members of the coalition government have said they will vote against the measure. Parliament's second-largest bloc, the Party of Progress, and the smaller Christian Democratic Party both immediately said they would oppose the bill.

About 85 percent of Norway's 4.7 million people are registered as members of the state Lutheran Church of Norway, although far fewer are active.

The church is split on the issue of gay marriage, and was likely to allow each congregation to decide whether to conduct homosexual weddings, as it did last year in allowing parishes to decide whether to accept clergymen living in gay partnerships.

source: 365gay.com

"The L Word" Will Return for a Sixth and Final Season

Written by * cee *Tuesday, 11 March 2008 12:50

On Monday, Showtime announced that it has renewed The L Word for an eight-episode sixth and final season, to air in early 2009. This makes The L Word the longest-running scripted television series focused on LGBT characters; Showtime's Queer as Folk aired for only five seasons.

"I am thrilled that Showtime has given us this final opportunity to conclude this journey we have all taken together," said series creator Ilene Chaiken.

Showtime's President of Entertainment, Robert Greenblatt, praised The L Word as "a groundbreaking series that well surpassed its niche as a gay show."

"The L Word has been such an important franchise for Showtime," said Showtime's CEO, Matthew Blank.  "We look forward to an outstanding finale season next year and know this show will live on in many, many ways."

Chaiken indicated that the show's fans will be given the opportunity to participate in guiding the series to its conclusion, although details on how that will occur have not yet been released. Last year, FanLib and The L Word sponsored a contest in which fans competed to write a scene for the show. The winning scene, written by Molly Fisher, was later incorporated into Episode 5.3, "Lady of the Lake."

Over its five seasons to date, The L Word has made a significant and hopefully lasting impact on mainstream views of lesbians, particularly in combating stereotypes of lesbians as ugly and unnaturally masculine.

While some of its story lines — particularly those about transgender people and bisexual women — have been problematic, overall The L Word has done more good than harm. In particular, it has brought lesbian relationships into the mainstream, thus taking some of the stigma out of lesbianism, and it has given lesbian/bi viewers a show to call their own.

Given the continuing lack of lesbian and bisexual characters on broadcast scripted television, cable remains the primary place to find lesbian/bi characters on TV. The L Word has been the leader in representing lesbian/bi sexuality on the small screen in the past five years, and its renewal can only be seen as positive news for lesbian and bisexual viewers.