If you were hanging around downtown Saigon last weekend, you would have noticed crowds of revelers dressed in lavish costumes or rainbow-themed attire on their way to the city’s annual Pride event.

Last Saturday, September 14, members of the LGBTQ community in Saigon and supporters congregated on Nguyen Hue Walking Street for an afternoon full of activities and vibrant self-expression. The gathering was part of Vietnam’s annual VietPride event. This year marked the country’s eighth Pride event, since the first-ever Pride parade took place in Hanoi in 2012. This year's main message of VietPride is "Công khai và tự hào" (Open and Proud).

While the event was nothing like the boisterous extravaganzas of similar events in San Francisco or even Taiwan, the proliferation and growth of VietPride show how much Vietnamese society has progressed within the span of a few years. Just 10 years ago, it was unimaginable that such open festivities showing support for gender-queer Vietnamese would gain this level of widespread recognition.

Along with the Pride parade, from late August until September 14, Saigon’s LGBT-friendly organizations also conducted talks, workshops and discussions to raise awareness of health issues, provide counsel for at-risk LGBT youths, and connect the city’s young residents.

Missed out on the Nguyen Hue march? Here’s a special video by Saigoneer about Saigon’s annual VietPride:

Video by An Du.

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