From Hai Phong to Can Tho, organisers of VietPride 2013 today announced a series of LGBT events that will take place in 12 cities across the country including in Ho Chi Minh City on Aug 24 and 25.

The capital city of Hanoi saw some two hundred participants biking through its busy streets on August 4, a Sunday morning, as part of its second annual VietPride festival.

Although homosexuality is said to be a largely taboo in Vietnam, the government is considering legalising same-sex marriage with the Justice and Health Ministries having publicly supported the move. A law on marriage and family is due to be debated at the National Assembly later this year.

In a undated statement sent to Fridae today, organisers of VietPride 2013 said the Vietnamese LGBT community has chosen August to "encourage pride in people being themselves." The event is proudly supported by the Embassy of Sweden in Hanoi.

It said:

"The second half of 2012 and the early days of 2013 marked a spectacular turning point for the Vietnamese LGBT community (Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, T: Transgender). Evolving from modest beginnings to becoming a burgeoning movement for human rights, the LGBT community has started to have concrete and detailed dialogues with Vietnamese society, representing themselves through high-profile events, such as workshops “LGBT people: legislations and view points of community” between members of National Assembly, Government Officials; and LGBT community representatives (Hanoi, May 2013, and Ho Chi Minh City, July 2013), “Embrace Diversity” (November 2012), “Awakening to the Rainbow” (May 2013), and “Rainbow Families” (June 2013). These activities have contributed to raising society’s awareness of LGBT people in Vietnam.

"Despite these positive changes, the status quo still alarmingly comprises of stigma, discrimination, and violence against LGBT people. The inescapable fact remains that parents are still turning their backs on their children once they discover that their children’s gender identity and/or sexual orientation is different, though such differences are natural. There are still cases of depression, job loss, and financial hardship for LGBT people. In extreme situations, some LGBT people contemplate suicide due to stigmatization and discrimination in the workplace and in personal relationships. In addition, transgender people are still desperately struggling for the right to be themselves and to be recognized in society.

"With the theme, 'Share the Pride' (Let the pride inspire and come to everyone), VietPride 2013 consists of a series of events which will take place in August in many cities and localities throughout Vietnam, specifically: Hanoi (2-4th), My Tho (3 & 17th), Can Tho (18th), Quy Nhon (20th), Ben Tre Province (24th), Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City (24-25th), and Nha Trang (25th). Depending on the specifics of each city and locality, VietPride 2013 offers a variety of events diverse in content and format, such as photo exhibitions, workshops, film screenings, music shows, and parades, etc., all of which center on the theme of pride. These events not only appeal to the LGBT community, but also attract the interest and participation of allies, and the families and friends of LGBT people.

"The organisers of VietPride 2013 hope that through this event, the LGBT community will be more self-confident and feel free to express their pride. Though there is still stigma and societal misunderstanding, LGBT people will be less afraid to live positively, and to integrate with and contribute to society. This is also a chance for the Vietnamese LGBT community to make their presence felt, and for Vietnamese society to know that there are LGBT people everywhere, not just in large cities, dispelling misconceptions about LGBT people.

"VietPride 2013 also sets the objective of heightening society’s awareness of equality for LGBT people in the areas of culture, society, and law. Adapted from LGBT Pride events that have taken place in more than 200 cities all over the world, VietPride 2013 will take part in the global call to 'eliminate prejudice, discrimination, self-stigma' and to spread the message that 'different sexual orientations and gender identities are natural', in keeping with the opening statements of the Vietnamese Declaration of Independence by President Ho Chi Minh: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.'

"We believe that, with our enthusiasm and effort, VietPride 2013 will not only celebrate the pride of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, but will also illustrate the beauty and humanity of the Vietnamese people."

Events

Quy Nhon

August 20, 7pm

Community meeting, games, activities, information sharing, bicycle parade, Flash mob

Venue: Milk teaTrân Châu floor 2th, 142 Hai Bà Trưng, Quy Nhơn city, Bình Định

Details: https://www.facebook.com/TheGioiLGBTQuyNhon

Ho Chi Minh City

Aug 24

Community booths “Rainbow Hall” (LGBT representatives)

Photo exhibition “Road to Equality” (LGBT events)

2-4pm: Opening Ceremony with the theme of “5 years of Vietnamese LGBT community”, followed by a talk show with PFLAG Vietnam and allies

4.30-7pm: Music gala

7pm: Film screening and dialogue with filmmakers

Aug 25

8am: “Share The Pride” walk

11.30am: Closing Ceremony

9-11pm: "Rainbow Night" Hard Rock Cafe

Venue

- Culture Labour House, 55B Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Dist 1, HCMC

- HardRock Cafe, 39 Lê Duẩn St, Dist 1, HCMC

Details: http://www.facebook.com/icsvn | www.vietpride.vn

Ben Tre

Aug 24, 6pm

Community meeting, games, activities, information sharing

Venue: VIP room, café Nhật Nguyệt, 144/1A,30/4 road, phường 4, Bến Tre city

Details: https://www.facebook.com/cocoboy.info

Da Nang

Aug 25, 7am

Community meeting, games, activities, information sharing, bicycle parade, Flash mob

Venue: 29/03 Park, Da Nang

Details: https://www.facebook.com/lgbtdanang

Nha Trang

Aug 25, 4pm

Community meeting, games, activities, information sharing

Venue: Tuệ Tĩnh beach park

Details:

https://www.facebook.com/LgbtNhaTrangCommunity