Malaysia's first and only openly gay Christian pastor vowed Thursday to go ahead with plans to open a church embracing homosexuals, bisexuals and transsexuals, despite government protests.
Reverend Ouyang Wen Feng, an ethnic Chinese Malaysian ordained in the United States, announced last week that he would set up the church by 2010, prompting Malaysia's tourism minister to say the government would block the plan.
Church Weddings for Gays Soon a Reality in Sweden
Sweden, already a pioneer in giving same-sex couples the right to adopt children, looks set to allow gays to marry in the Lutheran Church, with plans to introduce a new marriage law in January 2008.
Advertisement
"We are going to set up a church just like any other one but the only difference is that we affirm and welcome those who openly declare themselves gays, lesbians or homosexuals," Ouyang told AFP Thursday.
"We will follow all the rules by applying all the proper licences. We already have a church of such stature in Singapore and I do not see why we cannot set up one here," he added.
![Hundreds of Thousands Attend Madrid Gay Pride Parade]( "Hundreds of Thousands Attend Madrid Gay Pride Parade")
Hundreds of thousands of gays, lesbians and their supporters from Europe marched in Madrid Saturday under sunny skies in a colourful parade, as London and Paris also held their annual
Tourism Minister Adnan Tengku Mansor told AFP last week that Muslim-majority Malaysia was not keen on the church as they wanted the country to be seen as a "family-oriented" holiday spot.
Homosexuality falls under a Malaysian law prohibiting sodomy, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and whipping.
Source: AFP
LIN/B
Hundreds of Thousands Attend Madrid Gay Pride Parade
Hundreds of thousands of gays, lesbians and their supporters from Europe marched in Madrid Saturday under sunny skies in a colourful parade, as London and Paris also held their annual
Advertisement
Tourism Minister Adnan Tengku Mansor told AFP last week that Muslim-majority Malaysia was not keen on the church as they wanted the country to be seen as a "family-oriented" holiday spot.
Homosexuality falls under a Malaysian law prohibiting sodomy, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and whipping.
Source: AFP
LIN/B
Elton John Lends His Voice To The Cause Of Nepal’s Gay Community
British singer Sir Elton John is siding with Nepal's homosexual community , in the face of a chiding from a government official advising an HIV-support group to find 'something better to do'.
Advertisement
 Germany, Greece Hold Gay Rights MarchesAround 400,000 German gays and lesbians marched through Berlin on Saturday to protest against discrimination in the workplace and schools, but only about 1,000 people joined a similar | Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Latest Lifestyle and Wellness News
Amid the challenges of caring for newborns and toddlers, a study notes a rising trend of new parents seeking social media's help for managing their children.
Lack of friends and family visits is tied to a 39% increased risk of mortality that can be used to develop effective therapies associated with social isolation.
Compared to wearing sun-protective clothes and avoiding the sun, using sunscreen is the least effective way to prevent sunburn on the skin.
Bacterial diversity in the human gut is benefited by eating fruit and vegetables with microorganisms of probiotic and health-promoting characteristics.
New research challenges the common notion that couples achieve better weight loss results.