More Evidence of Vietnam's Changing LGBT Views

[Guest fountainhall]

Despite being a highly conservative society in which homosexuality is a taboo subject, Vietnam has shown that it is becoming increasingly tolerant to the LGBT community, even going so far as to consider adopting a gay marriage law.

Another step forward was taken at the week-end with the country’s second Gay Pride Parade. Some 200 young activists waved rainbow flags and biked through Hanoi last Sunday. Despite the lack of official permission, police watched the activists assemble in front of a statue of Lenin in the city centre, but took no action.
 

"I want society to accept us and I am proud of myself," said 17-year-old participant Vu Ngoc Anh, a highschool student.

"We hope people will understand more about the LGBT community... as being a homosexual is nothing bad," Anh, who is herself a lesbian, told AFP at the parade.

 

Photo credit: AFP

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i2EzBevfwKKKQeLxPGov64wvCtPA?docId=CNG.b550fb04c1faacb358c7d055d982b623.3b1

And thanks to one young gay student’s efforts, another step has now been taken with the country’s first gay video sitcom “My Best Gay Friends”. It is made by a 21-year old student and his friends, and has gone viral on You Tube with millions of views.
 

Vietnam's first gay sitcom has become a YouTube sensation, racking up millions of views as support for legalising same-sex marriage strengthens within the communist government.

 

Homosexuality was once seen as a social evil in Vietnam and the success of "My Best Gay Friends", a low-budget series about three people sharing an apartment in southern Ho Chi Minh City, has taken even its creator by surprise.

 

"I thought it would only interest Vietnam's gay community -- but we're hearing that parents, grandparents, whole families watch and love the shows and long for new episodes," Huynh Nguyen Dang Khoa, who also stars in the series, told AFP.

From moving out of home to work and relationship trouble, the series details life as a typical perpetually-broke twenty-something in Vietnam -- but the characters are mostly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender . . .

 

While it is not illegal, homosexuality has long been a taboo in Vietnam, where Confucian social mores -- with their emphasis on tradition and family -- still dominate.

 

But in a surprise move last year the authoritarian government said it was considering legalising same-sex marriage -- a proposal that recently won the support of the Ministry of Health.

 

"People of the same sex have the right to live... love, find happiness (and) get married," said Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Viet Tien.

 

The move would make Vietnam the second country in the Asia Pacific region to legalise such unions after New Zealand.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/29/my-best-gay-friends-vietnam-sitcom-_n_3172212.html

Vietnam’s parliament is due to debate the law on marriage and family later this year.

[williewillie]

Good news.

[Guest scottishguy]

My BF is a 20yo Vietnamese.

 

On telling his parents he was gay (I presume not that long ago!), his father dragged him to the Doctor to be treated for his "sickness". He tells me "Vietnam bad for gay" (so much for 2 years of English study - but100%  better than my Vietnamese)

 

 

However, I guess any progress is welcome