Will Vietnam Allow the Same-Sex Marriage?

If we choose the average percentage at 

3% of Vietnam’s population  (55.38million), 

about 1.65 million Vietnamese are 

under LGBT society.

The door will slowly open for LGBT community in Vietnam to be paired, legally living together, having the same rights and enjoy equal obligation like a heterosexual couple. LGBT is a term which refers to four sexuality group: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender. According to scientist, LGBT is not a disease, and the people do not need any treatment if he or she felt under the category.

According to a survey, each country will have a variation of 1% to 9% of LGBT people out from the total population. However, there is no formal survey about LGBT in Vietnam and if we choose 3% from total Vietnam’s population (55.38million), about 1.65 million Vietnamese are in LGBT group.

Mr. Nicholas Booth, a policy advisor on Rule of Law & Access to Justice of United Nation (UN) Development Programme in a workshop shared about UN’s experience and perspective about LGBT community. He travelled to many countries just to deliver a positive message about the ideology of United Nation about LGBT society.

Professor Dr. Kees Waaldijk
Leiden University, Netherland

On March 2012, the Secretary General of United Nation (UN) Human Rights Council called all countries in the world to stop the discrimination and violence towards this group. Unlike heterosexual people, the LGBT group is in a big struggle to win the equal right like others.

According to Professor Dr. Kees Waaldijk, a Comparative Law Sexual Orientation professor from the University of Leiden said, “There are many countries in the world recognised same-sex marriage; 16 countries in Europe, 2 countries in America, 2 states in Australia and 1 state in Africa. Most of these countries are accepting gay pairing and 11 countries have a specific law for same-sex marriage; mainly in Europe.

Professor Dr. Kees Waaldijk believes that all countries should consider to accept same sex-marriage. He also hope that Vietnam will be the first country in Asia to allow same-sex marriage to the community.

Dr. Lê Quang Bình, Director 

Institute for Studies of Society, 
Economy and Environment (iSEE)

Dr. Lê Quang Bình from Institute for Social Research, Economic and Environment (iSEE) said, only 11% respondent in his research accepted homosexuality as a normal situation when other are still having a certain disgrace towards homosexual people. Another research from iSEE find that 83% of homosexuals in Vietnam were being despised and nearly 10% had been beaten up or verbally abused when attempting to take part in heterosexual’s society.

Currently, experts and policy makers are reviewing about the recognition of same-sex marriage and the community had risen up their concern about, “post gay marriage” in the country as well.

Law-makers Comment:

Ms. Trịnh Thị Lê Trâm, a member of Central Executive Committee from Vietnam Lawyers’ Association commented that Vietnamese law does not prohibit gay people to be in relationship and living together. But, a detail study has to be done before allowing them to get married.

Ms Vũ Minh Hồng from Public Law Department of Central Committee Vietnam mentioned about her concern in case the same-sex marriage couple choose to for a kid adoption. The children will confuse about who are their mother and father and we cannot call a man as a mother or a woman as a father which is totally against to the law of human nature.

Dr. Lê Hồng Sơn, the Director of Legal Document Inspection Department said, “Even the LGBT society is only a small part of Vietnamese citizen, same-sex marriage really need a special attention and support from all. A lot of things need to be considered such as public opinion, customs and traditional belief before making such a big decision.

Statistic from ISEE 2012

92% of 2401 respondents want to allow same-sex marriage law

Gay study result:

71% want the law to allow same-sex marriage

25% want to live with registration

4% want to live without registration

Lesbian study result:

77% want to get married

3% don’t know

16% do not see marriage is important

If same-sex marriage is still did not have any recognition in Vietnam, there are still have Vietnamese who are publicly get married in countries that allowed same-sex marriage. 

Vietnamese Gay Wedding in Overseas

Below is a very touching Vietnamese gay wedding ceremony by Nguyen Thai Nguyen & Dinh Cong Khanh, a Vietnamese Overseas (Viet Kieu) couple from  Canada. The ceremony was following Vietnamese traditional wedding custom with gift exchange, worshiping ancestors and get blessing from both parents before a wedding banquet party. 

Currently Vietnam's Government and NGOs organisation are working together to determine the right and law of same sex marriage. If everything is good, this Socialist Republic will be the first country in Asia to accept same sex marriage.