On Gay Rights, Vietnam is Now More Progrsive Than Ameri

Contents:

• VIETNAM SAYS HOMOSEXUALY ‘NOT A DISEASE’ W FOR GAY RIGHTS
• VIETNAM CLAR BEG LGBTQ+ IS ‘NOT AN ILLNS’ VICTORY FOR GAY RIGHTS
• ON GAY RIGHTS, VIETNAM IS NOW MORE PROGRSIVE THAN AMERI
• SAIGON GAY TRAVEL

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.

VIETNAM CLAR BEG LGBTQ+ IS ‘NOT AN ILLNS’ VICTORY FOR GAY RIGHTS

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.

ON GAY RIGHTS, VIETNAM IS NOW MORE PROGRSIVE THAN AMERI

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.

SAIGON GAY TRAVEL

In the vio, volunteers asked superrs for time off for their “homosexual disease”. Both hospals offer treatments based on the ia that there are “real gays” and “fake gays, ” the latter of which is nsired “curable”. “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”.

Acrdg to a recent report published by the Asia branch of the Internatnal Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Associatn, many people the Vietname LGBTQ+ muny feel like the ernment is takg advantage of LGBTQ+ rights Vietnam as pensatn for other vlatns of human rights. Even though the law Vietnam has been more iendly towards LGBTQ+ people (or at least prciple) and the ernment has been pledgg to improve the ndns of the muny, LGBTQ+ people Vietnam still face tremendo discrimatn om society and prsure om their fai to nform to a “normal” heteronormative example, there is an issue of homosexual dividuals marryg people of different genr due to the prsure om eher society or their fay.