Vietnam: A Year After Gay Marriage Law, Homophobia Remas | Time

Contents:

• VIETNAM SAYS HOMOSEXUALY ‘NOT A DISEASE’ W FOR GAY RIGHTS
• GAY WEDDGS PLANNED AS VIETNAM MARRIAGE LAW IS REPEALED
• VIETNAM GAY MARRIAGE
• CONFN, OPTIMISM REMA AS VIETNAM DECRIMALIZ GAY MARRIAGE

VIETNAM SAYS HOMOSEXUALY ‘NOT A DISEASE’ W FOR GAY RIGHTS

Vietnam was hailed as a lear on gay rights Southeast Asia after the untry’s munist ernment abolished a ban on same-sex marriage last year. But discrimatn and bullyg still afflict lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr (LGBT) youth the untry acrdg to lol media. The move set Vietnam apart om most other untri the regn, where gay-rights movements have eher stalled or are facg growg opposn.

GAY WEDDGS PLANNED AS VIETNAM MARRIAGE LAW IS REPEALED

“When they beat me, they sulted my parents nam for havg a gay son, ” he said.

Ho Chi Mh Cy, Vietnam – Phong Vuong was preparg for the lnch of a mpaign advotg for the legalisatn of gay marriage when he heard that the ernment had cid that homosexualy was “not a disease”. The official announcement, sent to provcial and municipal health partments natnwi before beg released on the ernment’s onle rmatn portal on Augt 8, stat that Vietnam’s health mister had received rmatn that some healthre tablishments were claimg to offer “cur” for homosexualy. Based on this, and cg the World Health Organisatn’s (WHO) removal of homosexualy and beg transgenr om the Internatnal Classifitn of Diseas, go on to outle five primary guil for the health system.

Edutn should be strengthened so all medil provirs have rrect knowledge about “lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr people, ” says, and that queer people mt be treated equally medil environments. In the vio, volunteers asked superrs for time off for their “homosexual disease”. The untry’s first mpaign for the acceptance of gay marriage go back nearly a .

VIETNAM GAY MARRIAGE

Mong Nguyen was a parent who stggled to accept her gay son. “​​In 2011, I found out that my son is gay, ” she told Al Jazeera. I blamed him and wanted him to stay away om his gay iends.

Both hospals offer treatments based on the ia that there are “real gays” and “fake gays, ” the latter of which is nsired “curable”.

CONFN, OPTIMISM REMA AS VIETNAM DECRIMALIZ GAY MARRIAGE

“In realy, there are many people who are real gays, but there are also many who are fake gays, ” Mai Huong’s webse stat. Over the phone, a Mai Huong receptnist told Al Jazeera patients need to be asked a seri of “psychologil qutns” to terme if they are a “real gay” or a “fake gay”.

A receptnist at s Hanoi clic told Al Jazeera over the phone that the Mistry of Health’s announcement only applied to “real gays”. Though same-sex marriag generally receive a great al of attentn and support om the muny, homosexual upl ntue to face many barriers given that their matrimony is not award the same rights and rponsibili as heterosexual wedlock. Speakg at an event hosted by Toi Dong Y, Nguyen Lang Mong, team lear of Parents, Fai, and Friends of Lbians and Gays (PFLAG), addrsed the prsure placed on parents of homosexual children to ensure their happs.

Acrdg to Ngo Le Phuong Lh, a reprentative of Toi Dong Y, homosexual spo will ntue to face numero obstacl as long as their rights differ om those award to heterosexual spo. Vietnam takg the lead gay rights Southeast Asia by abolishg Bloomberg Termala ban on same-sex marriage has medil doctor Thuan Nguyen planng a weddg ceremony wh his boyiend of two years. “Many, many young people love are optimistic about the acceptance of gay weddgs.