https://www.scmp.com/rss/501971/feed News, articles and features on the topic of identity with a millennial focus, covering gender, LGBT, race, sexual orientation and equal rights. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa London-based luxury menswear label Lu’u Dan has never been subtle. On April 27, the brand, whose Puffa shorts sold out within hours after Justin Bieber wore them during his Coachella set in April, posted on Instagram in bold red type: “We’ve already said it. We’re not toning it down.” The message, paired with founder Hung La’s declaration of pride in his Vietnamese-American identity, framed the brand’s stance plainly: Lu’u Dan is not interested in restraint. “AAPI [Asian American and Pacific... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/fashion-news/article/3353433/luu-dan-x-bruce-lee-collab-celebrating-asian-masculinity-and-dangerous-men?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/fashion-news/article/3353433/luu-dan-x-bruce-lee-collab-celebrating-asian-masculinity-and-dangerous-men?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 06:00:09 +0000 Brian Wong,Ng Kang-chung Brian Wong,Ng Kang-chung A transgender student has taken a Hong Kong school to court, alleging “discriminatory” policies requiring short hair in line with her sex assigned at birth. Lawyers for Oscar Fung King-ho on Thursday sought unspecified damages from the incorporated management committee of Lung Kong World Federation School Limited, Lau Wong Fat Secondary School in Tai Kok Tsui. They said she had faced “public humiliation and rebukes” from teachers over her hair length before leaving the school last... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3352370/transgender-student-sues-hong-kong-school-over-discriminatory-hair-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3352370/transgender-student-sues-hong-kong-school-over-discriminatory-hair-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 10:00:54 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Matt King, a 34-year-old graphic designer living in New York, has long grappled with his identity as the son of a Canadian-Chinese mother and white father. Despite being born in the US and raised in Los Angeles, he is aware that mainstream US society does not always see him as a bona fide US citizen. “You’ll always get … a sprinkling of this ‘you’re not truly American’,” the 34-year-old resident of Brooklyn, New York, said, prompting him to claim his own definition. “To me, being an American is... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3352088/many-asian-americans-feel-excluded-true-us-identity-survey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3352088/many-asian-americans-feel-excluded-true-us-identity-survey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 04:00:12 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu What do athletes Alysa Liu and Eileen Gu, actors Lola Tung and Hudson Williams, and singer Megan Skiendiel of Katseye all have in common? They have all been the focus of heavy media attention this year – and all are biracial. Beyond their talents, online discourse has frequently fixated on their racial identity. Specifically, they are all part-Asian and part-white – or “Wasian” in Gen Z language, a contemporary term for “Eurasian” that has been popularised by American internet culture. This has... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3351858/what-rise-wasians-alysa-liu-and-hudson-williams-means-part-asian-identity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3351858/what-rise-wasians-alysa-liu-and-hudson-williams-means-part-asian-identity?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 23:15:10 +0000 Salomé Grouard Salomé Grouard French sociologist Émile Durkheim described the classroom as society’s “great workshop”: a place where collective values are forged and passed between generations. It is here that the core lessons of social life, acceptance of others and respect for differences, are meant to take root. For too many LGBTQ students in Hong Kong, however, reality has often fallen short of that ideal. Liam Mak, co-founder and co-director of Quarks, the city’s first support network for transgender youth, describes... https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/article/3350488/how-hong-kongs-students-and-educators-are-reshaping-lgbt-inclusivity-classrooms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/article/3350488/how-hong-kongs-students-and-educators-are-reshaping-lgbt-inclusivity-classrooms?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 22:00:14 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung Seoul was swept up in a frenzy in the third week of March as BTS performed their comeback concert. But a smaller, yet also significant cultural moment was happening just a few streets away from the stage at Gwanghwamun Square. “Spectrosynthesis Seoul”, an exhibition of 74 artists and artist groups, opened on March 20 at Art Sonje Centre. Dedicated to exploring LGBTQ themes and celebrating queer artists, it is the first large-scale exhibition of its kind in South Korea. Patrick Sun, the Hong... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3348084/south-koreas-first-major-lgbtq-art-exhibition-lets-queer-artists-have-their-voices-heard?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3348084/south-koreas-first-major-lgbtq-art-exhibition-lets-queer-artists-have-their-voices-heard?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 05:06:18 +0000 Payal Uttam Payal Uttam As art fever sweeps Hong Kong this weekend with Art Basel, we celebrate three rising female painters from around the world who are redefining figurative art with their signature works. Brooklyn-based Korean artist Eunnam Hong creates meticulous paintings of a mysterious, slender woman with a mop of voluminous curls who appears to be frozen in time. At times, this lanky figure lies asleep or hunched over a table alone. In other cases, multiple replicas of the woman crowd the canvas. Hong is the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3348104/painter-eunnam-hong-explores-identity-through-haunting-self-portraits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3348104/painter-eunnam-hong-explores-identity-through-haunting-self-portraits?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 22:00:09 +0000 Enid Tsui Enid Tsui Folklore and fantasy can tell us a lot about reality. A highlight of Hong Kong’s art week, Hart Haus is hosting two new exhibitions by queer female artists who use escapist themes to offer their grounded reflections on modern society. On the third floor exhibition space at 12P Smithfield Road in Kennedy Town, Florence Lee Yuk-ki’s exhibition “Double Blue: An Altered Fairy Tale of Hong Kong (I)” is divided into “sky” and “sea” chapters. It is not a traditional happily ever after but a loose... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3347133/sexual-fantasy-fan-fiction-fairy-tales-hong-kong-queer-artists-challenge-norms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3347133/sexual-fantasy-fan-fiction-fairy-tales-hong-kong-queer-artists-challenge-norms?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 07:15:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Draped in garlands, Bhumika Shrestha on Monday became Nepal’s first transgender woman lawmaker, marking a proud milestone for the marginalised community in the Himalayan nation. Nepal’s Election Commission confirmed the 37-year-old as a proportional representation MP from the centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), which won a majority in parliament with 182 seats last week. “I am very excited but also feel the responsibility on my shoulders,” said Shrestha, an LGBTQ rights advocate. “Our... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3346797/nepals-lgbtq-community-celebrates-first-transgender-woman-lawmaker?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3346797/nepals-lgbtq-community-celebrates-first-transgender-woman-lawmaker?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 15:00:09 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times A wave of online backlash against South Korea is spreading across Southeast Asia, fuelled by a dispute over fan behaviour at a K-pop concert and intensified by controversial comments from public officials, highlighting how quickly digital tensions can take on a regional dimension. Posts accusing Koreans of discrimination have circulated widely on social media in recent days, with users from Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand sharing calls to boycott Korean products and culture. A hashtag invoking... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3344189/southeast-asians-unite-digital-boycott-south-korea-seabling-trends?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3344189/southeast-asians-unite-digital-boycott-south-korea-seabling-trends?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 01:20:40 +0000 Gloria Tso Gloria Tso “It’s a story of potluck, karaoke, gambling, smoking,” London-based designer Hung La muses as he leans back into the sofa on a recent stopover in Hong Kong. He looks relaxed, making himself at home somewhere far from home, reflecting on the mix of influences behind his hit menswear brand Lu’u Dan, the Vietnamese term for a “dangerous man” or “bad boy”. All that’s missing as La tells this story is a cigarette dangling from his mouth. “I’ve come full circle in my life and career,” he says. “All... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3340981/designer-hung-la-inspo-behind-his-bad-boy-brand-luu-dan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3340981/designer-hung-la-inspo-behind-his-bad-boy-brand-luu-dan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 08:17:31 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu From auspicious horse-themed phrases and couplets to whether your luck is in, check out our Year of the Horse 2026 series to discover all you need to know about the coming Lunar New Year. In the American imagination, the cowboy is a lone, stoic sentinel, silhouetted against a burning horizon as he guides his horse through the dust of the Western frontier. He is the mythic hero of a thousand sun-drenched films defined by his wide-brimmed hat, silver-spurred boots and leather chaps, and who... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3338014/chinese-cowboys-challenging-american-old-west-narratives-through-art-and-self-discovery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3338014/chinese-cowboys-challenging-american-old-west-narratives-through-art-and-self-discovery?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 23:15:08 +0000 Ishani Sarkar Ishani Sarkar If your holiday season watch list has a very specific enemies-to-lovers-shaped hole, you’re in luck. Heated Rivalry is the internet’s latest obsession. The LGBTQ show, based on Rachel Reid’s Game Changers book series, pits two rising ice hockey stars, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, against each other on the ice – while they navigate much more complicated feelings off it. “We’re trying to put something full of love out into the world,” the show’s creator Jacob Tierney said, per The Canadian... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3335268/hooked-ice-hockey-drama-heated-rivalry-meet-hudson-williams-who-plays-shane-hollander?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3335268/hooked-ice-hockey-drama-heated-rivalry-meet-hudson-williams-who-plays-shane-hollander?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Dec 2025 10:00:16 +0000 Ishani Sarkar Ishani Sarkar The 2025 New York City mayoral election is right around the corner, and Democratic nominee Zohran Kwame Mamdani is winning the internet. The New York State Representative, 34, who won the Democratic primary after Andrew Cuomo conceded in June, is going viral for his quips against the former NYC governor at a mayoral debate last week. Cuomo – who resigned from his position as New York City’s governor after being accused of sexual misconduct in 2021 and is currently running for mayor as an... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/celebrity-style/article/3330155/zohran-mamdanis-approachable-style-he-blends-new-york-grit-his-indian-and-ugandan-heritage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/celebrity-style/article/3330155/zohran-mamdanis-approachable-style-he-blends-new-york-grit-his-indian-and-ugandan-heritage?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Oct 2025 12:00:09 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa French luxury house Hermès has named Grace Wales Bonner as the brand’s new creative director of menswear – an appointment that was long foreseen but bold nonetheless. It is the first time in nearly four decades that Hermès has made a shift in creative leadership for its menswear division. The designer succeeds Véronique Nichanian, who left last week after 37 years at the helm and was the longest-serving creative director in fashion. Wales Bonner’s appointment marks a significant moment for both... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/fashion-news/article/3329929/meet-grace-wales-bonner-whos-made-history-being-named-hermes-new-creative-director?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/fashion-news/article/3329929/meet-grace-wales-bonner-whos-made-history-being-named-hermes-new-creative-director?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Oct 2025 08:39:52 +0000 Jean Iau,Kolette Lim Jean Iau,Kolette Lim Singapore’s government has reinforced its bottomline of zero tolerance for the politics of race and religion as well as foreign interference, arguing that such elements should be rejected swiftly. In parliament on Tuesday, Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh and Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam disagreed on the “timing” and “substance” of the WP in rejecting election endorsements by a self-styled Islamic preacher Noor Deros and Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS)... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329017/singapore-doubles-down-zero-tolerance-identity-politics-foreign-interference?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329017/singapore-doubles-down-zero-tolerance-identity-politics-foreign-interference?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 13:51:39 +0000 Gloria Tso Gloria Tso “My clothes have been here, but I haven’t yet,” laughs Bianca Saunders, the London-based menswear designer who, when I catch up with her in the middle of a whirlwind trade show, has only recently arrived in Hong Kong for the very first time. “I’ve never been to Asia before – there’s so much more I could explore with my work being on this side of the world.” Exploring what’s possible with the clothes we wear is a core tenet of Saunders’ androgynous aesthetic, and sometimes subtle but always... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3328305/london-based-designer-bianca-saunders-her-approach-fashion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3328305/london-based-designer-bianca-saunders-her-approach-fashion?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 10:00:10 +0000 Ishani Sarkar Ishani Sarkar Paris Fashion Week just ended with Matthieu Blazy’s stellar Chanel debut at the Grand Palais – and a new “It” girl has emerged from his runway. We’re talking about none other than model Awar Odhiang, who closed the brand’s spring/summer 2026 show with a triumphant celebration. The rising star was radiating with joy as she glided on the ramp, clapping in honour of the flawless finale before running to embrace the French luxury maison’s new artistic director. The moment instantly went viral, not... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3328364/meet-awar-odhiang-model-who-just-went-viral-after-chanels-paris-fashion-week-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3328364/meet-awar-odhiang-model-who-just-went-viral-after-chanels-paris-fashion-week-show?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 08:43:44 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service A 55-year-old woman who stripped down to her bikini at a school board meeting last month in protest of the district’s policy on bathroom access by transgender students will not face criminal charges, according to authorities. The regular meeting of the Davis Joint Unified School District’s Board of Education was thrown off the rails on September 18 when Beth Bourne took off her clothes during the public comment portion of the meeting. Bourne, an anti-LGBTQ+ activist based, said she disagreed... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3327561/us-woman-undresses-school-board-meeting-protest-transgender-bathroom-policies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3327561/us-woman-undresses-school-board-meeting-protest-transgender-bathroom-policies?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Oct 2025 21:22:33 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa “Global girl group” Katseye, known for their 2024 breakthrough single “Touch”, is gaining international attention for their recent advert for Gap’s denim. During the 90-second video, the group’s members Daniela, Lara, Manon, Megan, Sophia and Yoonchae dance to Kelis’ 2003 song “Milkshake”. Katseye is a Los Angeles-based girl group that debuted in 2024 under Hybe Corporation (the company behind K-pop giants BTS) and American record label Geffen Records. They are known for their diversity, with... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3323131/meet-katseyes-lara-raj-lgbt-star-inspiring-new-gap-ad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3323131/meet-katseyes-lara-raj-lgbt-star-inspiring-new-gap-ad?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Aug 2025 03:49:15 +0000 Bernard Chan Bernard Chan The Registration of Same-sex Partnerships Bill, currently before Hong Kong’s Legislative Council, has become a key point in debates about the city’s traditional values and international reputation. Indications suggest it is likely to be rejected: many lawmakers have dismissed the bill as impractical or warned it could set a precedent for advancing same-sex marriage, with only a minority expressing support. Rejecting the bill, however, has serious consequences. It risks portraying Hong Kong as a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3322539/hong-kong-cannot-afford-ignore-civil-rights-same-sex-couples?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3322539/hong-kong-cannot-afford-ignore-civil-rights-same-sex-couples?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Aug 2025 01:30:08 +0000 SCMP Style Reporter SCMP Style Reporter It’s not often that luxury brand advertising makes you stop and think about subjects beyond the beautiful clothes and accessories, which is why Gucci’s newly released autumn/winter 2025 campaign is a breath of fresh air. This season, the Italian luxury house has given us more food – and fashion – for thought with The Gucci Portrait Series, a campaign that celebrates individual expression and identity through a stylish Gucci lens. To bring this concept to life, the house turned to prominent... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/fashion-news/article/3321970/style-edit-gucci-portrait-series-celebrates-individual-identity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/fashion-news/article/3321970/style-edit-gucci-portrait-series-celebrates-individual-identity?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Aug 2025 02:00:15 +0000 Sarah Keenlyside Sarah Keenlyside It’s May 2024 and Joe Wong – bespectacled and dressed in an outfit casual enough for a grocery run – bounds onto a stage on New York’s Upper East Side. Before he tells his first joke, he notices a phone raised in the front row. “Oh, you’re taking pictures?” he asks. With exquisite comic timing, he strikes the one pose guaranteed to land: a rigid smile, frozen in place, flashing the Asian V-sign. The crowd erupts, and he’s off. “I’m an immigrant parent,” he begins after the laughter dies down.... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3321727/after-decades-fringe-asian-comedians-are-getting-last-laugh?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3321727/after-decades-fringe-asian-comedians-are-getting-last-laugh?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Aug 2025 09:55:38 +0000 Salomé Grouard Salomé Grouard Lee dreamed of becoming a chef since they were a child. Practising obsessively at home for family and friends, they went to culinary school and slowly climbed the ranks, eventually becoming sous chef at one of Hong Kong’s top kitchens. On paper, it’s everything they dreamed of. But they never imagined that this achievement would come at the cost of being openly queer. In a world still ruled by old-school kitchen machismo, they don’t remain silent for the sake of privacy, but out of fear.... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3321244/how-hong-kongs-lgbtq-chefs-are-feeding-something-deeper-and-challenging-rigid-norms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3321244/how-hong-kongs-lgbtq-chefs-are-feeding-something-deeper-and-challenging-rigid-norms?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Aug 2025 10:14:41 +0000 Amanda Sheppard Amanda Sheppard Stephen Graham’s Netflix series Adolescence received universal acclaim from critics on its release in March this year. The British drama tells the story of a family whose seemingly ordinary existence is thrown into turmoil when their teenage son is accused of murder. What unfolds is a deep dive into the dangers of social media, toxic masculinity and misogyny. While entirely fictional, the drama had viewers and critics alike commenting on the realistic depiction of the worrying threats facing... https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/article/3319456/hit-netflix-series-adolescence-raises-key-questions-about-shaping-masculine-identities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/article/3319456/hit-netflix-series-adolescence-raises-key-questions-about-shaping-masculine-identities?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Jul 2025 22:15:08 +0000 Brian Y. S. Wong Brian Y. S. Wong In September 2023, Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal ruled that the government must establish a legal framework to recognise same-sex relationships within two years – affirming the rights of same-sex couples to apply for public housing and inherit property. The ruling also explicitly stated that such recognition does not entail the legalisation of same-sex marriage. Two years later, the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau has proposed a registration system to grant legal recognition to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3317230/same-sex-recognition-attests-hong-kongs-rule-law-and-vitality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3317230/same-sex-recognition-attests-hong-kongs-rule-law-and-vitality?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Jul 2025 21:30:07 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Pranali Gupta did not set out to become a social media content creator. In 2019, when a friend suggested she should try it, the Hong Kong-born Indian said no, as she was “not the type of person who likes taking photos or videos of myself”. However, Gupta, who speaks fluent Cantonese, warmed to the idea of having a platform where she could help other Hongkongers understand more about her bicultural identity. “[My Cantonese friend] was like, ‘Don’t you get tired answering the same questions? You... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3316026/who-new-dellily-hong-kong-born-indian-youtuber-her-social-media-fame?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3316026/who-new-dellily-hong-kong-born-indian-youtuber-her-social-media-fame?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Jun 2025 00:15:07 +0000 Cat Nelson Cat Nelson Throughout my life, I’ve been lucky to feel like I belong – at least as much as anyone can hope to. I grew up on the central coast of California, where ethnic ambiguity didn’t raise any eyebrows. I was never made to feel different or like an outsider. “People saw me as white, so that was how I felt,” wrote my colleague, and fellow half-Asian, Shea Driscoll, in a recent essay exploring his own evolving sense of identity. That hit home. And though I didn’t explicitly think of myself as white, I... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3313309/week-postmag-queer-friendly-football-team-innsbruck-and-michelin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3313309/week-postmag-queer-friendly-football-team-innsbruck-and-michelin?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Jun 2025 01:00:20 +0000 Hsiuwen Liu Hsiuwen Liu Wings are unfurled. Horns glint under purple lights. Figures strut and spin down a narrow runway as music throbs and cheers echo off the walls in a studio tucked away in Kennedy Town. It is a balmy Saturday night in April, and this is no ordinary costume party. Forbidden Forest Ball is a performance and queer self-expression in Hong Kong’s growing underground ballroom scene, a subculture grown from the marginalised queer and transgender communities of 1970s Harlem in New York, offering sanctuary... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3310608/queer-liberation-hong-kongs-burgeoning-underground-drag-and-performance-scene?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3310608/queer-liberation-hong-kongs-burgeoning-underground-drag-and-performance-scene?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 May 2025 07:00:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters The US Supreme Court on Tuesday permitted Donald Trump’s administration to implement his ban on transgender personnel in the military, one of a series of directives by the Republican US president to curb transgender rights. In a decision that could trigger the discharge of thousands of current personnel, the court granted the Justice Department’s request to lift a federal judge’s nationwide order blocking the military from carrying out Trump’s prohibition on transgender servicemembers while a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3309323/us-supreme-court-lets-trumps-transgender-military-ban-take-effect?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3309323/us-supreme-court-lets-trumps-transgender-military-ban-take-effect?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 May 2025 19:12:20 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak In 1998, the American composer and lyricist Stephen Trask paired up with writer and actor John Cameron Mitchell to come up with a groundbreaking rock musical loosely inspired by a German babysitter and prostitute who worked in a small city in the US state of Kansas. The multi-award winning Hedwig and the Angry Inch has since toured the world, with its genderqueer protagonist winning over fans with her story of longing, trauma, departed identities and self-discovery. Born “Hansel” in communist... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3307062/hedwig-and-angry-inch-musical-comes-hong-kong-modern-cantonese-update?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3307062/hedwig-and-angry-inch-musical-comes-hong-kong-modern-cantonese-update?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Apr 2025 07:15:07 +0000 A high school in Oregon has sparked debate, after allowing a transgender athlete to compete – and dominate – in a girls’ track competition. McDaniel High School sophomore Aayden Gallagher speeding past a group of biological female athletes and keeping a great distance between them and her before she ultimately crosses the finish line at the 25.49-second mark.#news #trendingnews #explorepage #AaydenGallagher pic.twitter.com/xXkB3WbqBa — TT Shanell 🏳️‍🌈 (@tt_shanell) April 16, 2024 Ada... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3303926/who-ada-gallagher-transgender-teen-setting-school-track-records-oregon-students-participation-recent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3303926/who-ada-gallagher-transgender-teen-setting-school-track-records-oregon-students-participation-recent?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Mar 2025 21:00:07 +0000 Alec Baldwin’s nephew – his brother Daniel’s son Atticus Baldwin – has been opening up about the changes he hopes to see in Hollywood. The 28-year-old actor spoke to the Daily Mail about how the industry can make itself more accessible, particularly to those who have autism. “Most autistic artists that I know need some sort of support,” he told the British tabloid in late December. “I definitely need that,” he added. “What that support is depends on the person. Clarity is important, if we don’t... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3302057/who-daniel-baldwins-gods-gang-actor-son-atticus-baldwin-hailey-biebers-cousin-recently-scored-part?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3302057/who-daniel-baldwins-gods-gang-actor-son-atticus-baldwin-hailey-biebers-cousin-recently-scored-part?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Mar 2025 22:00:08 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Seven years ago, following a long-haul flight from his home country of Belgium, Bolis Pupul landed in Hong Kong alone. Still adjusting to the humidity and time difference, he headed to To Kwa Wan, the historically low-income Kowloon neighbour­hood an unlikely choice for a first-time visitor. Despite having been part of a synth-pop band called the Hong Kong Dong for more than a decade, it was his first visit to the city. His destination: Ma Tau Wai Road, mentioned twice on his late mother’s birth... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3300322/how-belgian-musician-bolis-pupul-reconnected-his-mothers-hong-kong-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3300322/how-belgian-musician-bolis-pupul-reconnected-his-mothers-hong-kong-home?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Mar 2025 22:15:08 +0000 Indonesia’s top court has drawn fire from rights campaigners for rejecting a bid that sought recognition for atheists and non-believers on identity cards, amid warnings it could perpetuate discrimination and reduce religion to a bureaucratic formality. The Constitutional Court’s decision, handed down on January 3, upheld a long-standing rule that all Indonesian citizens must list a faith on their official documents or risk being denied essential civil services such as education, healthcare and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3294098/indonesian-courts-unfortunate-ruling-citizens-religion-sparks-discrimination-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3294098/indonesian-courts-unfortunate-ruling-citizens-religion-sparks-discrimination-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Jan 2025 10:42:27 +0000 Oli London – the internet personality famous for his ethnic plastic surgeries – has been getting political in recent months. In May, he ridiculed LGBTQ+ support for Palestine, telling Sky News it was hypocritical for the community to be “protesting in favour of people who would throw them off buildings and behead them in the streets”, without elaborating further on these claims. And earlier this month, he criticised The View host Rosie O’Donnell as having a “classic case of Trump-derangement... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3287698/what-has-oli-london-been-controversial-brit-had-multiple-surgeries-look-bts-jimin-and-declared?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3287698/what-has-oli-london-been-controversial-brit-had-multiple-surgeries-look-bts-jimin-and-declared?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Nov 2024 11:00:16 +0000 I first realised there was something strange on my body when I was three years old in kindergarten. I wondered why I wasn’t wearing the same uniform as the girls and why I went to a different toilet. Did that mean I wasn’t a girl? I was too young to understand gender, so the thought just hung there as a question. I lived in Sha Tin with my parents, grandma and brother, who is five years older. My dad worked as a safety manager at construction sites and my mother was a cleaner at a fashion... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/article/3287371/how-trans-social-worker-found-community-and-acceptance-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/article/3287371/how-trans-social-worker-found-community-and-acceptance-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Nov 2024 09:45:07 +0000 An 81-year-old South Korean fashion model fell short in her bid to become the oldest Miss Universe contestant after competing in the country’s national pageant against rivals old enough to be her grandchildren. Dressed in a beaded white gown, the silver-haired Choi Soon-hwa strutted across the stage and performed in a singing contest at the Miss Universe Korea pageant held on Monday at a hotel in South Korea’s capital, Seoul. She missed out on the crown but did take home the “best dresser”... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3280641/81-she-almost-became-south-koreas-miss-universe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3280641/81-she-almost-became-south-koreas-miss-universe?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Oct 2024 04:32:07 +0000 Russia’s parliament on Wednesday voted to back a bill banning the adoption of Russian children in countries that allow gender reassignment, the latest in a series of ultraconservative social measures. Moscow has long portrayed itself as a bulwark against liberal values, but that trend has hugely accelerated since the Kremlin launched its Ukraine offensive, further rupturing ties with the West. The bill would ban citizens of countries that authorise the “change of sex by medical intervention,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3279948/russian-lawmakers-back-adoption-ban-sick-countries-allowing-gender-reassignment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3279948/russian-lawmakers-back-adoption-ban-sick-countries-allowing-gender-reassignment?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Sep 2024 12:06:44 +0000 Founded and led by veteran Hong Kong filmmaker Johnnie To Kei-fung, the Fresh Wave International Short Film Festival, now in its 18th year, has always aimed to nurture local talent. This year, however, has been a little tougher without its usual sources of funding. And for a local festival that punches above its weight, that stings. Among the winners of the best new director at the Hong Kong Film Awards between 2017 to 2024, six had previously taken part in Fresh Wave: Nick Cheuk Yik-him (Time... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/arts-music/article/3278725/whats-future-filmmaking-hong-kong-years-fresh-wave-film-festival-winners-telling-personal-stories?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/arts-music/article/3278725/whats-future-filmmaking-hong-kong-years-fresh-wave-film-festival-winners-telling-personal-stories?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Sep 2024 03:15:13 +0000 In the talented family that Denzel Washington and his wife Pauletta have created, youngest son Malcolm Washington may just be the most low-key. But the 33-year-old director is about to get his big moment. August 31 saw the premiere of his first feature film, The Piano Lesson, at the Telluride Film Festival. The movie arrives in cinemas on November 8, then starts streaming on Netflix on November 22. The film is based on a work by Pulitzer-winning playwright August Wilson, and centres on a... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3278038/meet-denzel-washingtons-talented-son-malcolm-washington-who-just-made-his-directorial-debut-netflixs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3278038/meet-denzel-washingtons-talented-son-malcolm-washington-who-just-made-his-directorial-debut-netflixs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Sep 2024 11:00:09 +0000 Pakistan’s transgender community has gotten its first ride-sharing service in the latest effort to protect trans people from discrimination and harassment, the business’ founder said on Wednesday. The new ride-share was launched over the weekend in the country’s cultural capital of Lahore. It is called SheDrives and will service only trans people and women, the company’s chief executive Ammaz Farooqi said. For now, it will service only Lahore, but expansion is possible, Farooqi said. There are... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3278126/pakistans-transgender-community-get-its-first-ride-sharing-service?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3278126/pakistans-transgender-community-get-its-first-ride-sharing-service?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Sep 2024 11:07:15 +0000 A former judge nominated to lead South Korea’s human rights body has sparked outrage with his comments against the LGBTQ community and the theory of evolution, with observers citing him as proof of the country’s flawed system for official appointments. Ahn Chang-ho, 67, is under scrutiny for his statements in parliament suggesting that homosexuality is a tool used by communists to incite revolution. Ahn, the proposed chairman of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRC), is under fire... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3277198/south-koreas-nominated-human-rights-chief-sparks-uproar-over-his-anti-lgbtq-stance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3277198/south-koreas-nominated-human-rights-chief-sparks-uproar-over-his-anti-lgbtq-stance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Sep 2024 00:00:08 +0000 An Australian court ruled on Friday that removing a transgender woman from female-only social networking platform Giggle for Girls constituted discrimination, in a landmark decision on gender identity for the country. Roxanne Tickle in 2022 sued the Australian app and founder Sally Grover for unlawful gender identity discrimination in its services, saying Grover revoked Tickle’s account after seeing her photo and “considered her to be male.” The Federal Court, Australia’s second-highest, ordered... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3275707/australian-transgender-woman-wins-landmark-case-against-female-only-app?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3275707/australian-transgender-woman-wins-landmark-case-against-female-only-app?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Aug 2024 00:00:29 +0000 It’s been more than four years since Zhang Peiyi last saw her son, one of two children from her former marriage. Denied custody of both kids, Zhang finally settled in June for visitations with her daughter. But after seeing her only once, Zhang’s ex-wife called the meetings off indefinitely. What Zhang thought was the end of a years-long legal battle is facing yet another hurdle, as she has to go through court again to ask them to enforce her visitation rights. “These types of disputes are not... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3275509/china-womans-custody-battle-spotlights-challenges-facing-same-sex-couples?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3275509/china-womans-custody-battle-spotlights-challenges-facing-same-sex-couples?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Aug 2024 10:59:47 +0000 Elon Musk on Tuesday said he will move the headquarters of SpaceX and X to Texas after a California law blocked schools from forcing teachers to notify parents about changes to a student’s gender identity. “This is the final straw,” Musk said on X. “Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas.” The multi-billionaire also said that he is transferring X from its art-deco... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3270719/elon-musk-move-spacex-and-x-california-texas-over-transgender-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3270719/elon-musk-move-spacex-and-x-california-texas-over-transgender-law?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jul 2024 21:27:33 +0000 By Park Han-sol Throughout her early life, Michelle Zauner’s summer escape to Korea every two years was a journey filled with stuffy heat, live seafood dishes and her grandmother’s cosy three-bedroom flat. These trips from her home in the US state of Oregon to Seoul were a consistent thread connecting Zauner, a biracial Asian-American child, to the Korean side of her family. During the six-week visits, she and her mother would stay with her grandmother and two aunts, filling the already snug... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3269229/how-japanese-breakfasts-michelle-zauner-preserving-korean-half-her-identity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3269229/how-japanese-breakfasts-michelle-zauner-preserving-korean-half-her-identity?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jul 2024 03:15:09 +0000 Idaho librarian June Meissner was closing up for the day at the downtown Boise Public Library when a man approached her asking for help. As an information services librarian, answering patrons’ questions is part of Meissner’s day-to-day work, and serving the community is one of her favourite parts of the job. But when the man got close enough, “he took a swing at me and tried to punch me in the head”, said Meissner, a transgender woman. “I blocked it and he started yelling slurs and suggesting... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3267671/us-lgbtq-librarians-grapple-attacks-books-and-themselves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3267671/us-lgbtq-librarians-grapple-attacks-books-and-themselves?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Jun 2024 14:15:09 +0000 Japan’s top court on Friday recognised a transgender woman as the “father” of her 3-year-old daughter conceived using her frozen sperm and born to her female partner after legally transitioning, in the first such ruling. Scrapping a High Court ruling, the Supreme Court recognised the parent-child relationship of the woman in her 40s, who was assigned male at birth and underwent gender reassignment surgery in 2018, and her second daughter, born in 2020, using sperm preserved before her... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3267608/japans-top-court-rules-trans-woman-father-girl-born-after-switch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3267608/japans-top-court-rules-trans-woman-father-girl-born-after-switch?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jun 2024 22:00:20 +0000 Lynn Farah Lynn Farah The June 1969 Stonewall Riots in Manhattan, US, have been credited as “sparking the gay revolution”. At the time, homosexual acts were illegal in most states in the US. After police tried to arrest LGBTQ+ patrons at the Stonewall Inn near Greenwich Village, they resisted, prompting days of protests. Now, every year, June is Pride Month, a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community. As the November US election approaches, it’s no surprise that the focus has turned to LGBTQ+ rights. At least 25 states... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3266635/5-prominent-lgbt-republicans-and-their-politics-peter-thiel-caitlyn-jenner?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3266635/5-prominent-lgbt-republicans-and-their-politics-peter-thiel-caitlyn-jenner?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Jun 2024 22:00:15 +0000