Fasces wrote:I also know Vietnam continues to have a rather hardline attitude toward homosexuality
Depends on how far back you go. 10 years ago there was nothing. But now they are the 'leading advocate in Asia for gay people'.
The Washington Times, 'Vietnam may open the door for gay marriage, equal rights', 29 Jul 2012 wrote:[...]
Vietnam seems an unlikely champion of gay-rights issues. It is routinely lambasted by the international community over its dismal human rights record, often locking up political dissidents who call for democracy or religious freedom.
Up until just a few years ago, homosexuality was labeled as a “social evil” alongside drug addiction and prostitution.
And Vietnam’s gay community itself was once so underground that few groups or meeting places existed. It was taboo to even talk about the issue.
But over the past five years, that’s slowly started to change. Vietnam’s state-run media, unable to write about politically sensitive topics or openly criticize the one-party government, have embraced the chance to explore gay issues. They have run lengthy newspaper stories and television broadcasts, including one live special that won a top award.
Video of Vietnam’s first publicized gay wedding went viral online in 2010, and a few other ceremonies followed, capturing widespread public attention.
The Justice Ministry now says a legal framework is necessary because the courts do not know how to handle disputes between same-sex couples living together. The new law could provide rights such as owning property, inheriting and adopting children.
“I think, as far as human rights are concerned, it’s time for us to look at the reality,” Justice Minister Ha Hung Cuong said Tuesday in an online chat broadcast on national TV and radio. “The number of homosexuals has mounted to hundreds of thousands. It’s not a small figure. They live together without registering marriage. They may own property. We, of course, have to handle these issues legally.”
And:
VietnamNet Bridge, 'UN congratulates gay rights progress in Vietnam', 21 May 2013 wrote:In a press release to the media to mark International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia on May 17, the world body praised the Government and people for the achievement.
It quoted Pratibha Mehta, the UN's Resident Coordinator in Vietnam, as saying that the UN is very encouraged to see Vietnam's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community engaging in stronger, more constructive dialogue with the Government as well as the wider public.
"This is vital in order to be better understood, to reduce social prejudice and stigma based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and to contribute to development of relevant legislation to ensure the rights of the community are protected."
Same-sex relations continue to be criminalised in 78 out of 193 countries, with seven slapping the death penalty, according to the UN.
The UN pledged support for Vietnam's efforts to ensure that all forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity are removed to enable everyone to enjoy their human rights.
Also on May 17, UNAIDS, Ho Chi Minh City's Association of HIV/AIDS Prevention, and the LGBT community in the city organised the first ever seminar demanding better rights for the community, especially access to healthcare services.
At the event, members of the city People's Council, Women's Union, Ministry of Health, and families of LGBT people expressed understanding for the community.
Several mothers with gay children talked about their shock at knowing their children are homosexual and then becoming sympathetic towards them.
One recalled giving her son a knife and asking him to kill her because she could not bear the thought of an only son being gay. "He hugged and promised me he will make me proud of him for the rest of my life."
Now she loves and completely accepts her son, an outstanding student at the Ho Chi Minh City Pedagogy University.
Nguyen Thi Hong Hanh, whose son is gay, said discrimination against LGBT people, who too contribute much to society, is unfair.
Huynh Minh Thao, communication manager at Information Connecting and Sharing, an organisation that has contributed much to the gay rights campaign in Vietnam, said he recognised the change for the better in the conception about LGBT people compared to a few years ago.
"It is not easy to change mind of a person. Vietnam is leading Asian countries in the development of homosexual people's rights."
When asked by surprised foreign journalists, he told them that being generous and kind-hearted is the way of the Vietnamese.
The local media also contributed to the change, carrying many stories about discrimination against homosexuals and gradually creating a change in the thinking of authorities, he said, adding that the change that has occurred in Vietnam follows an international trend.
He thought the laws will soon be changed to recognise same-sex marriages, but said more important will be the attitude of society towards LGBT people.
Basically, the party created by Ho Chi Minh was always more progressive on gender issues than that of Joseph Stalin. Vietnam was after all, one of the countries that provided a working model of
deliberately integrating women into the core of the revolutionary process.
Pre-integration rather than merely promising nicer treatment.
So in a way - despite what the Washington Times writes - it is
not really that surprising that Vietnam ended up coming out ahead of the rest of South East Asia on accepting homosexuality as well. The propensity to accept this stuff with minimal effort on the part of the advocates, is in the DNA of
Ho Chi Minh Thought, because
Ho Chi Minh Thought is totalitarian and progressive. Which is not a bad thing.