Sixty-one lawmakers signed a petition urging Ukraine’s capital city’s mayor to ban a gay-pride parade in Kiev scheduled for 25 May.

Pavlo Unhuryan, parliamentary and leader of the right wing of Ukraine’s Family Movement, announced today (20 May) that the petition requests a total ban on gay-pride parades ‘and similar events in Kiev in May-June 2013.’

The coalition who have ruled Malaysia for 56 years, Barisan Nasional (BN), won yesterday's general election.

Prime Minister Najib Razak, who has frequently spouted anti-gay rhetoric during the election campaign and before, keeps his position as leader of the country.

The ruling coalition in Malaysia, Barisanl Nasional (BN), who hope to get re-elected on Sunday, has printed anti-LGBT election material.

A list of BN's policies includs 'menyekat LGBT', meaning 'block LGBT'. The text underneath says BN are 'curbing a damaging culture'. The flyer also says that the opposition coalition of PKR, DAP and PAS are 'encouraging LGBT'.

Phil Robertson, Asia deputy director of Human Rights Watch said the Malaysian government 'should be ashamed' for having their name associated with such material.

Otgonbaatar Tsedendemberel, executive director of Mongolia LGBT Centre talks to Gay Star News about the struggle to get the organization established, achievements and plans for the first ever Mongolian Pride this year.

When did Mongolian LGBT Centre open? How did it come about? 

In 2007, the mandate to register non-governmental organizations (NGOs) belonged to the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs (MoJHA). At the time, MoJHA refused to register LGBT Centre, given the name of the organization was not recognized.

LGBT activists in Nepal are reporting increased public and police harassment in recent months.

According to international rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW), attacks on Nepal’s LGBT activists have escalated from threatening text messages and being followed by people wearing masks to abductions and arrests.

‘The LGBT rights movement in Nepal is a regional and international leader but is under serious threat,’ said Graeme Reid, director of the LGBT Rights Program at HRW.

Four human rights organizations found that at least 28 people have been prosecuted for being gay Cameroon since 2010, more than almost any other country in the world.

The organizations – Alternatives-Cameroun, Association for the Defense of Gays and Lesbians (ADEFHO), the Cameroonian Foundation for AIDS (CAMFAIDS), and Human Rights Watch also found that most cases are marked by grave human rights violations, including torture, forced confessions, denial of access to legal counsel, and discriminatory treatment by law enforcement and judicial officials.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Malaysia of violating international standards against discrimination with their words and actions against LGBT people.

HRW submitted a wide-ranging report to the UN on Malaysia's human rights failures, which included curtailing freedom of peaceful assembly, association and expression - and abuses in the justice system.

The government of Cameroon should immediately take action against a series of death threats made to two lawyers who represent clients accused of homosexual conduct, said Human Rights Watch (HRW).

In an open letter date today (13 February) to President Paul Biya, Cameron's president, HRW demanded immediate action.

Human Rights Watch has criticized Malaysia in its annual report published today.

'The Malaysian government’s promised human rights agenda fell far short in practice in 2012,' said Asia deputy director Phil Robertson.

'As elections approach, the government will need to demonstrate its willingness to uphold the rights of all citizens, whatever their political views.'

As a year of highs and lows for human rights for LGBT people in Asia comes to an end, Gay Star News talks to Phil Robertson, deputy director, Asia of Human Rights Watch.

Russia’s parliament should reject a proposed bill banning gay ‘propaganda’, Human Rights Watch said today (11 December).

The Duma, the lower chamber of parliament, is scheduled to discuss plans to fine individuals, government officials and organizations that ‘promote’ homosexuality to anyone under 18.

Leading global human rights defender Human Rights Watch has sent a letter to the Malaysian prime minister asking him to stop discriminating against LGBT citizens.

In the open letter to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak Human Rights Watch lists the many instances when Najib or members of his government have endorsed 'discriminatory and rights-violating policy that vilifies members of the LGBT community in Malaysia'.

The list of instances include: