Gay Guide Vietnam

The age of consent is 18 years, prostitution is forbidden in any form and is strictly punished. Like other Southeast Asian countries, Vietnam is reasonably tolerant of homosexuality: it has never been explicitly illegal, it is not even mentioned in the penal code. In July 2013, the Ministry of Justice surprised the public by announcing on its website that a discussion on the recognition of homosexual partnerships was to take place. In November 2013, a draft was rejected which aimed to declare marriage only as a link between man and woman - at the same time same-sex marriages were legalised, which amounts to an unregistered partnership. In summer of 2014, the Ministry of Social Affairs removed a passage from a legal text that was to provide for more rights for LGBT relationships. Sensitive issues such as these or sexually transmitted diseases are not a topic of public discussion in the rather conservative Vietnam, and an overly open display of gayness is not appreciated. The first Pride Parade took place in Hanoi in 2012. It has become an annual event not only here, but is also celebrated in more than a dozen other cities and provinces of Vietnam. Over the past ten years, gay life has become much more relaxed. With the first gay bars opening in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and - to a lesser extent – Hanoi, a gay scene is emerging slowly. The country is gradually opening more and more for tourism and is highly recommended for fans of Asia. Last but not least, the friendly Vietnamese make travelling here an extremely pleasant experience.