>> Vietnam Gay Rights Bill Derailed. It’s sad – Vietnam was showing promising signs of maybe being the first country in Asia to recognize same sex marriage.
Si la France célèbre depuis ce jeudi 29 mai, les noces de coton de nos premiers mariés homosexuels, après des mois de débats historiquement houleux, les préjugés persistent cependant partout dans le monde. C’est d’ailleurs également le cas au Vietnam, où bien que l’homosexualité, tant féminine que masculine, soit tout à fait légale, a longtemps été considérée comme une maladie, un état « contre-nature » qui détruit l’image de la famille. Discours déjà bien usé, et l’expérience faisant, le temps prouve le contraire. Mais, les couples homosexuels vietnamiens n’ont toujours pas droit aux mêmes protections légales que les couples hétérosexuels. Et, le mariage entre personnes de même sexe y est toujours illégal, bien qu’une autre forme d’union soit reconnue.
En mai 2012, un couple d’hommes originaire de Hà Tiên avait tenté d’organiser un mariage traditionnel et publique mais il ont arrêtés par les autorités locales. Cet événement a d’ailleurs largement été médiatisé au Viêt Nam, et quelques semaines plus tard, le ministre de la justice, Ha Hung Cuong, annonçait finalement que le gouvernement envisagerait une légalisation du mariage homosexuel.
Le sujet a ensuite été débattu à l’assemblée nationale jusqu’au mois d’octobre 2013, où un premier projet d’amendement de la loi famille a été proposé, avec l’option pour les couples gay de bénéficier tout au moins de la communauté des biens.
Mais ce mardi 27 mai dernier, l’Institut de recherches sur la société, l’économie et l’environnement au Vietnam (ISEE) a annoncé que la proposition avait été rejetée. Pourtant, selon de récents sondages, près de 57% de la population serait plutôt en faveur.
« Le nouveau projet d’amendement ne tient pas compte des recommandations de l’Organisation des Nations Unies, et discrimine plus d’un million et demi de citoyens vietnamiens LGBT qui espéraient la reconnaissance de leurs droits. Notamment en ce qui concerne leurs biens communs, et la protection de leurs enfants. C’est donc une véritable déception pour toute la communauté internationale », a déclaré l’un des membres de l’ISEE, exhortant les législateurs à reconsidérer le texte.
Terrence Katchadourian
STOP HOMOPHOBIE
>> ietnam Gay Rights Bill Derailed. A bill that would have given some rights to same sex couples has been dropped.
Gay Star News reports:
Vietnamese LGBTI activists are disappointed that the government has backed down on plans to legally recognize the property rights of same-sex couples with a bill to rewrite the country’s marriage laws amended at the last moment to exclude them. During a 27 May session of Vietnam’s National Assembly the Committee for Social Affairs revised the Draft Law on Marriage and Family to remove its Article 16 which would have provided some legal recognition of same-sex relationships for the first time. It also placed language in the draft law that would not ban same-sex marriages but simply ignore them legally. ‘The State does not recognize marriage between same-sex people,’ the draft bill now states.
>> A draft amendment to the Marriage and Family Law has failed to protect the rights of homosexuals and bisexuals in Vietnam, the Institute for Studies of Society, Economy and Environment (iSEE) said Wednesday.
“The bill continues to discriminate against homosexuals and does not protect the children of same-sex couples,” the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual) rights advocate said in a statement.
During the May 27 session of the National Assembly – Vietnam’s parliament – the Social Affairs Committee proposed removing a ban on same-sex marriage but at the same time stating that Vietnam « does not recognize marriages between people of the same sex.”
An earlier version of the draft, which was introduced to lawmakers last October, proposed that the government grant same-sex couples the right to shared assets.
However, in the final draft introduced to lawmakers on May 27, that proposal was removed.
Sixteen nations and parts of Mexico and the US have laws recognizing same-sex marriage and domestic partnerships.
Most of these are in Europe and South America. Polls conducted in various countries show that there is rising support for same-sex marriage across race, ethnicity, age, religion, political affiliation, and socioeconomic status.
iSEE said the LGBT community in Vietnam expected major changes as there is rising support for same sex marriage.
“But with the removal of a proposal to grant same-sex couple the right to share assets, the draft has abandoned [the rights] of millions of homosexuals, bisexuals and transgenders. They continue to face discrimination and abuse,” the organization said.
Vietnam, which has a population of 90 million, has an estimated 1.65 million LGBT people.
According to a recent iSEE survey, up to 57 percent of respondents said they support the rights of same-sex couples to have children and 51 percent supported their rights to legally share assets.
“The new draft amendment disregards recommendations from the United Nations. It also disappointed the international community who has come to expect Vietnam to be at the forefront of protecting the rights of LGBT,” iSEE said.
The organization urged lawmakers to stipulate rights over the shared property and children of same-sex couples.
“The society, international community and millions of Vietnamese LGBT citizens expect the recognition of these rights. And that recognition falls in line with Vietnam’s stated commitment not to discriminate against any group when making a law.”
