The letter denounced discriminatory depictions of LGBT people in the popular Meeting at the end of the Year programme, which was broadcast on lunar New Year’s Eve (February 15).

Huynh Minh Thao, Communications Director of ISC, confirmed the information to Sports & Culture newspaper.

Established in 2008, ISC is an organisation aiming to develop the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the country.

In the letter, iSEE and ICS mentioned that for years the organisations have worked with the VTV to introduce LGBT people to the public and to introduce talkshows on policies to better protect the rights of LGBT people.

“However, there are ‘mistakes’ in various programmes that iSEE and ICS think should not appear on national television,” the letter says.

“For many years, LGBT community members have been objects to make fun of in Meeting at the end of the Year comedy show, which presents distorted information and hurt the community with terrible words,” the letter continues.

In the latest edition of Meeting at the end of the Year, character Bac Dau was implied by other characters as “a human leading a life of not a male or a female”, and “a half woman”.

Bac Dau has long been mocked for the character’s gender.

“As organisations with many years working for the rights of LGBT community, we object to the use of discriminating words publicly to hurt LGBT members due to their body features, especially people with different features than their biological genders. This deepens the society’s discriminations and preconceptions of the community,” the letter continues.

According to the show’s makers, Bac Dau (played by actor Cong Ly) was designed as a transgender male mandarin in feudal court, who is quite different from Nam Tao (played by Xuan Bac), a clever mandarin.

“When society gets more civilised, people should respect one another more,” Hoang Huong, deputy director of iSEE told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, “LGBT issues have been widely accepted. Society’s awareness has changed. I think VTV as an influential body should be among the first to change its awareness on the matter.”

Meeting at the End of the Year has had 15 editions in 15 years and has been among the most popular comedy shows on television.

The show, produced by the Viet Nam Television Film Centre, mocks burning issues in society in a humorous manner.

“I have looked forward to the show every lunar New Year’s Eve,” said audience Vu Thanh Binh, “This is an entertaining show that seems to go along with other traditional customs at the lunar New Year.”

“It’s funny and mocks various issues in society during the year,” he said, “But sometimes, details mocking Bắc Đẩu, with different gender, go over the edge and aren’t funny. I think the director should focus on other details rather than making jokes about the character’s gender like that.”

Viet Nam News tried to contact the show’s director Do Thanh Hai but received no response. Viet Nam News also tried to reach actor Cong Ly, who played Bac Dau (the discriminated character) and Xuan Bac, another actor in the show but received no response as well. — VNS