Homo:genius July 2008

This month: The Ministry of Health denies blood donations from homosexuals, actor Leung Yu Chung is in hot water and more

Lesbians and straight men have more than just a love of women in common. If we are to believe the boffins, they also have similar-shaped and similar-wired brains, reports Xinhua. Likewise gay men and straight women also have bonces that look the same. Researchers at the Stockholm Brain Institute in Sweden scanned the brains of 50 straight and 40 gay people and found that straight men and lesbians had an enlarged right side to their brain while gay men and straight women had hemispheres of almost equal size. This latest research supports the theory that sexuality is laid down in the womb and is not something that you learn to like at school.

If our brains look like our straight counterparts then surely our blood must look the same too? But China’s Ministry of Health doesn’t seem to think so. During a blood donation drive after the Sichuan earthquake, gays and lesbians were told their contribution was not needed: something which has angered Chinese homosexuals. Beijing-based lesbian support group, Common Language, have started a campaign to call for that ban to be lifted. They are calling for lesbians to submit their own donation rejection stories to help in their bid.

He may be creamy but Hong Kong actor Leung Yu Chung is in for a serious spanking from the Asian gay community after he made homophobic remarks in a radio interview. Some Hong Kong gays are calling for a boycott of his latest flick, City Without Baseball, which ironically has a queer sub-plot. In the interview Leung said he would be so angry if a gay man came on to him that he would get violent and swear. He added that he thought gays and lesbians were abnormal.

Back in Beijing, Queer Sundays has moved. The decadent bent movie-showing, wine-sipping soiree has refloated to The Boat. It is also easing off on the frequency and meeting only every other Sunday. Paddle over on July 6 and July 20.

Finally a big up for Norway and California for legalising gay marriages last month. The former home of Viking warriors also gave lesbians to right to artificial insemination, something which has enraged right-wing heterosexual men who say they feel they’ve been reduced to a sperm sample. From famous seamen to frozen semen in a 1,000 years: who wouldn’t be miffed?