1-2 Thousand Flashmob for Gay Rights in Viet-Nam

September 26, 2012

1-2 Thousand Flashmob for Gay Rights in Viet-Nam

Rainbow flags, Lady Gaga and dance routines in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi celebrate the fight for LGBT rights in Vietnam

BY ANNA LEACH
Thank You GayStarNews

Vietnam celebrated LGBT rights with dancing and music at two flashmobs in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi on Sunday.

Rainbow flags, dance routines and a helium balloon release created a colorful spectacle with 1,200 people gathering in total in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to present the message ‘Yeu la Yeu’ (Love is Love).

The events were professionally organized by the Institute for Studies of Society, Economy and Environment (iSEE) and Information Connecting and Sharing (ICS), with a slick website providing all the information, including a dance routine tutorial.

Director of iSEE Le Quang Binh said:

‘It is a public event that empowers gays and lesbians to come out and feel proud about themselves. Dancing together, hugging and holding hands help LGBT feel confident to mobilize and carry out collective actions.’

The flashmobs were supported by the national broadcaster's youth-orientated channel VTV6 and local press reported positively on the events.

Le said in an interview with Gay Star News last month that LGBT rights have moved on significantly in Vietnam thanks to iSEE’s five-year strategy of educating the media.

This year has seen several milestones in the progression of LGBT rights in the southeast Asian nation.

In June the government announced a consultation into legalizing same-sex marriage in the communist one-party state and in August the first Vietnam Pride was held with a cycle ride through the streets of Hanoi.

See more photographs of the flashmobs on the Yeu La Yeu Facebook page.

Watch a video of the flashmob in Ho Chi Minh City here: