Gog to Pagan: Gay slang Burma - New Mandala

Contents:

• IT A'T GREAT BEG GAY MANDALAY
• GAY PEOPLE MYANMAR HAVE ADOPTED A SECRET LANGUAGE
• GOG TO PAGAN: GAY SLANG BURMA
• GAY PEOPLE IN MYANMAR CAN'T LIVE OPENLY. HERE'S WHY
• GAY TRAVEL FAQ'S & SAFETY TIPS FOR LGBT TRAVELERS WANTG TO VIS MYANMAR/BURMA

IT A'T GREAT BEG GAY MANDALAY

Here, we’ll vtigate the attus toward the LGBT muny Burma, how they’re changg, and what to expect om the gay scene while you’re there.

Legal stat of homosexualy Burma.

For this we n thank the Brish lonial regime, which crimalised homosexual acts s loni 1860 (Sectn 377). Though Bra self crimalised homosexual acts 1967, Sectn 377 remas force 42 of s former loni – cludg Burma. As a voutly Buddhist untry, Burme attus to sex and sexualy general are very nservative, and many Burme people have a very narrow perceptn of what means to be gay.

GAY PEOPLE MYANMAR HAVE ADOPTED A SECRET LANGUAGE

Many Buddhists believe that those who are homosexual or transsexual their current liv are beg punished for sexual misnduct a past life. Hla Myat Tun, of the LGBT rights group Colors Rabow, has said: “there is no dialogue about ‘sex’ Myanmar, and ias about homosexualy are viewed through a lens of ‘foreignns’.

” This is a mon notn many sexually nservative untri, where homosexualy is often viewed as a perversn spread by outsirs – not somethg herent that has been reprsed their society.

LGBT performers celebratg ternatnal day agast homophobia & transphobia Yangon.

GOG TO PAGAN: GAY SLANG BURMA

Meanwhile, jt last year, a regnal official publicly asserted that “The existence of gay men who assume they are women is unacceptable” and exprsed his mment to tag and re-tg any such men as uld be apprehend (read his ments here). A 2011 report by the Uned Natns found that 29% of gay men Burme ci are HIV posive – a shockg figure that has led Aung San Suu Kyi to speak out agast anti-gay stigma Burma. Aung San Suu Kyi has spoken out agast Burma’s antiquated anti-gay laws.

GAY PEOPLE IN MYANMAR CAN'T LIVE OPENLY. HERE'S WHY

Though beg a nat kadaw was tradnally a heredary female profsn, the 1980s the role began to be filled by transgenr women, gay men, male transvt, and other members of the LGBTQ muny who uld not fd acceptance otherwise heteronormative Burme society.

The Burme have always worshipped and celebrated nats wh ftivals, and morn tim the tradnal events have bee unofficial celebratns for the gay muny. Burma is currently the thro of great polil and social change, and wh this has e a growg acceptance of homosexualy.

Though cints of homophobic btaly do still occur, the prevailg atmosphere is one of tolerance – and this is only likely to improve unr the jurisdictn of the pro-LGBT Aung San Suu Kyi. Gay and lbian upl already openly hab Burme ci, and there is a small but burgeong gay scene Yangon. The untry even celebrated s first public gay weddg Yangon – and though Myo M Htet and T Ko Ko have no legal stat the ey of Burme law, the fact that their marriage was even allowed to happen is evince of progrs.

GAY TRAVEL FAQ'S & SAFETY TIPS FOR LGBT TRAVELERS WANTG TO VIS MYANMAR/BURMA

The untry’s first Gay Pri Ftival was gurated 2012 to mark the Internatnal Day agast Homophobia and Transphobia, and Yangon also hosts &PROUD, a yearly LGBT film ftival, which is held at the technilly non-Burme French Instute orr to bypass censorship.

Burma’s gay scene.

As “Engeer on the Road” reported 2014, Yangon’s ty gay scene is a stark ntrast to “iastic” Bangkok jt over the borr. Fahrenhe, meanwhile, is the cy’s premier gay-iendly bar, which serv Myanmar-Mexin fn food and hosts var queer club nights and events.