Nguyen Huong Giang, a Vietnamese transgender woman, on March 9 won Miss International Queen 2018 - the world’s largest transgender pageant. Nguyen Huong Giang, with her beauty and intelligence, shines at Miss International Queen 2018 (Photo: Dep magazine/VNA) Giang was happy with the victory, as was the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community as it marked a remarkable step in their endeavors to earn social acceptance in Vietnam. “My triumph comes at a time when the government is considering legally recognising sex reassignment. I hope the Government will soon do this to ensure the rights of the LGBT community,” she told the Vietnam News Agency (VNA). Invisible, alone struggle Just a decade ago, homosexuality was still something many Vietnamese people didn’t understand. They thought homosexuality was a “disease” or associated with social vices such as murder, robbery and theft, as the media then demonised the LGBT community. … [Read more...] about LGBT community in Vietnam’s path to recognition
Lgbt
#IamGay backlash a rare win for China’s LGBT community
China's gay community scored a victory after a massively popular social media platform reversed a ban on "homosexual" content, but challenges remain in a country where LGBT culture remains taboo in the entertainment industry. Gay-themed films struggle to make it into movie theaters, same-sex relationships are banned from television screens and gay content is forbidden on online streaming platforms. But the latest censorship move caused a public backlash that prompted Sina Weibo, a Twitter-like platform with 400 million active monthly users, to make a surprising about-face. The popular microblogging platform had abruptly announced last week that it was removing "illegal content" including "videos with pornographic implications, promoting violence or (related to) homosexuality." The move triggered an #IamGay campaign on the platform, with many calling for a boycott. Even the Communist Party mouthpiece, the People's Daily, posted an essay on Weibo promoting LGBT acceptance, though it … [Read more...] about #IamGay backlash a rare win for China’s LGBT community
In Hong Kong, a property heiress becomes accidental LGBT champion
When Hong Kong property tycoon Cecil Chao offered $65 million to any man who could win over his lesbian daughter and make her straight, he inadvertently laid the ground for her to become one of Asia’s most prominent gay rights campaigners. The bizarre reward in 2012 grabbed international headlines and his daughter, Gigi Chao, was bombarded with thousands of marriage proposals from across the world – from war veterans to a body double of George Clooney in a sports movie. It was the first time the issue of acceptance of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community had played out in such high-profile way in Hong Kong – a city modern in many ways but where social attitudes remain conservative. “I am glad it happened,” Gigi Chao told the Thomson Reuters Foundation at the office of her property firm housed in Hong Kong’s third-tallest skyscraper overlooking the city’s harbor. “It has been able to put a comic spin on a topic that … [Read more...] about In Hong Kong, a property heiress becomes accidental LGBT champion
LGBT in Vietnam: a promising path toward equality
Vietnam is playing its part in the worldwide trend of fostering an open-minded public attitude to the LGBT community with several steps toward marriage equality and a growing number of local residents willing to offer their indiscriminate support for homosexual celebrities. Decades ago, sexual orientation was a hot button issue in the Southeast Asian country, where anyone who wished to break from traditional gender norms risked public and familiar condemnation. Several stories reported by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper demonstrated the risks faced by children who came out to their families, including the pressure to hide their sexual identities, heavy criticism, and a fear for their personal safety. The current Vietnam, however, is beginning to open its arms to all, regardless of sexual orientation. Dutch Ambassador Nienke Trooster (L) and her American counterpart Ted Osius on a pro-LGBT bicycle tour of Hanoi during VietPride 2016. Photo: Tuoi Tre A supportive community On March … [Read more...] about LGBT in Vietnam: a promising path toward equality
French drama on Vietnam’s LGBT community to be screened
A film on French playwright and director Marine Bachelot Nguyen’s Les Ombres Et Les Lèvres (Gays and Lesbians), a production on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in Vietnam, will be screened in HCM City on Tuesday’s night. A scene from Les Ombres Et Les Lèvres (Gays and Lesbiens), a play on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in Vietnam written and directed by Marine Bachlot Nguyen.(Photo courtesy of the French Institute in Vietnam) The play is about men and women who face challenges in their careers and private lives after revealing their sexuality and having sex change operations, a “sensitive” issue in Vietnam. It focuses on LGBT rights and public opinion about the LGBT community. Nguyen met, worked with and interviewed dozens of lesbians, gays and transgender people in various cities to feature their stories in Les Ombres Et Les Lèvres. The play was first staged at the National Theatre of … [Read more...] about French drama on Vietnam’s LGBT community to be screened