by Kate Hodal
Young people in Vietnam continue to be taught at home and at school that same-sex attraction is a “disease” and a “mental illness” that can be cured and treated, despite legislation designed to support and protect LGBTQ+ rights.
Stigma and discrimination about sexual orientation and gender identity contribute to the verbal harassment and bullying of LGBTQ+ young people, which in some cases leads to physical violence, according to a report published on Thursday by Human Rights Watch (HRW). Activists have called on the Vietnamese government to fulfil its pledges to protect LGBTQ+ rights.
“Largely thanks to a vibrant civil society-led LGBT rights movement, social awareness and acceptance of sexual orientation and gender identity has increased greatly in recent years in Vietnam. The government’s actions, however, have so far not officially reflected these changes,” said Graeme Reid of HRW. Read more via the Guardian
“My Teacher Said I Had a Disease”
Barriers to the Right to Education for LGBT Youth in Vietnam
Sexual and gender minority children and young adults in Vietnam face stigma and discrimination at home and at school. While in recent years the Vietnamese government has made significant pledges to recognize the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, tangible progress has lagged behind the promises, and these policy gaps are felt acutely by young people.
In 2016, while serving on the United Nations Human Rights Council, Vietnam voted in favor of a resolution on protection against violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). The delegation made a statement of their support before the vote, saying: “The reason for Vietnam’s yes vote lay in changes both in domestic as well as international policy with respect to LGBT rights.”
Perhaps the most impactful legal changes include updates in 2014 to the Marriage and Family law, and in 2015 to the Civil Code. In 2014, the National Assembly removed same-sex unions from a list of forbidden relationships; however, the update did not allow for legal recognition of same-sex relationships. In 2015, the National Assembly updated the Civil Code to remove the prohibition in law that prevented transgender people from changing their legal gender; however, it did not provide for a transparent and accessible procedure for changing one’s legal gender.
And while such statements and changes suggest a promising future for LGBT people in Vietnam, significant challenges persist. The government is both well-positioned and obligated to address these issues.
Inaccurate information about sexual orientation and gender identity is pervasive in Vietnam. Some of that is rooted in schools. Vietnam’s sex education policies and practices fall short of international standards and do not include mandatory discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity. The central curriculum for schools is also silent on LGBT issues. While some teachers and schools take it upon themselves to include such lessons, the lack of national-level inclusion leaves the majority of students in Vietnam without the basic facts about sexual orientation and gender identity.