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They came beautifully dressed, some a tad brightly, but all beautifully and proudly, there was much chatter, and a lot of sisterhood. It was the public hearing of transgenders at Delhi. By recognising the rights of the transgender community, the state is not doling out largesse; it is only performing its duty under the Constitution. Transgender persons walking alone are subjected to harassment, and so, in defense, they adopt a loud and aggressive behaviour. There are highly qualified, educated and articulate persons who cannot secure employment because of the difference.

Amid growing criticism of the government’s move to raise the age of consent for sex from 16 to 18 years a Delhi court has termed it a ‘backward’ step, saying, it would give a ‘tool’ to the police to harass teenagers. ‘Such a move would open floodgates for prosecution of the boys for the offence of rape, on the basis of complaints by the parents of the girl, no matter if the girl would have been the consenting party and the offer to have sexual intercourse may have come from her,’ said additional sessions judge Virender Bhat, describing it an ‘undemocratic and ‘regressive’ step.

Indonesia`s Child Protection Commission (KPAI) urged the government to limit condom sales to approved stores, a move that would effectively pull the contraception out of convenience stores. The criticisms of Asrorun, a former secretary with the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI), were backed by an employee of Bogor`s Religious Affairs Ministry who argued that the prevalence of easy-to-get condoms had led to a surge in sexual activity in Bogor. ‘Condoms are a halal product, but sales should be limited to prevent misuse by people who are not supposed to use it,’ KPAI Deputy Chairman Asrorun Ni`am Sholeh said.

Thai political history turned a new page when a transgender candidate won a provincial election. The result became a media phenomenon that drew attention across the country, and spread across the world. ‘Nan people voted for me, showing that Thai people respect human rights,’ Nok Yonlada - or Kirkkong Suanyos, as she is named on her ID card - the new Nan Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO) member-elect, said. The unexpected result made her the first transvestite to get elected in Thai political history.

A conference on HIV and AIDS found that though local NGOs have played an important role in combating disease-related issues in Viet Nam they need to better co-operate with each other and the State. Nguyen Van Tien, vice chairman of the National Assembly`s Commission of Social Affairs, states that there are a big number of organisations, but their operations are small-scale, scattered, and short-termed while limited resources make them incapable of achieving objectives while there is a lack of proper attention from government agencies.